A Thought Through Naruto

by Zelinku

A will Eternal but as Naruto. Credit goes to Er Gen for making this amazing novel

1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Chapter 1 – His name was Naruto

Below Mao'er Mountain, located in the Eastforest Mountain Range, was a mountain village with simple customs; they cultivated the fields to make a living whilst being cut off from the rest of the world.

Early in the morning, all the villagers assembled in front of the village's main gate to see off a 15 to 16-year-old youngster. Although this youngster looked both thin and weak, his clean demeanor made him appear very clever. The clothes he was wearing, albeit somewhat commonplace, were sparkling white. Upon this youngster, these clothes, coupled with his pure-looking eyes, gave him a sense of intelligence.

His name was Naruto.

"Village elders, I want to go cultivate but I don't want to part with you all." His face was painted with reluctance. His original lovable appearance was even more simple and honest at that moment.

His fellow villagers all looked around at each other. Expressions displaying their reluctance to part from him momentarily appeared on their faces.

"Naruto, your mother and father left this world early. You are… a good child! Don't you wish to live a long life? You can enjoy longevity if you become an immortal and live for a very, very long time. Go now. There comes a day when the eyas is grown and must fly from the nest." An elder with white hair walked out from the crowd, and paused briefly when he said the three words "a good child."

"You must persevere no matter what complications you run into in the outside world. Don't come back after walking out of the village, because your road is ahead of you!" The old man's face was benevolent as he patted the youth's shoulder.

"A long life…" Naruto trembled, his eyes slowly becoming more resolute. Being encouraged all around by his fellow villagers, he firmly nodded his head, looked profoundly at the surroundings and fellow villagers, then turned around and took large strides, gradually moving away from the village.

As they watched the departing figure of the youngster, all of the villagers' emotions were stirred. The reluctance within their eyes were instantly replaced with joy. The seemingly benevolent elder from before now shuddered, tears began streaming down.

"Heavens have eyes, this weasel, he finally… finally left, who was it that told him that there were immortals in the vicinity? You have done a great merit to this village!"

"This weasel is finally willing to leave! Oh the poor chickens of my house. Just because this weasel was scared of the cries of the chickens, he used some sort of method to compel a crowd of children to eat chicken, and all the chickens within the entire village were eaten…"

"Today is a new year!" The sounds of celebration immediately resounded throughout this small village, excessively overflowing to the point where some people brought out gongs and drums and happily struck them.

Outside the village, Naruto hadn't walked far when he heard the celebratory sound of drums and gongs come out from the village.

Pausing in his steps, the expression on his face turned somewhat strange. Sighing, he made his way up Mao'er Mountain, accompanied by the sounds of celebration.

Although the mountain was not tall, bushes and shrubs could be seen everywhere. Even if it was early morning, his surroundings were all dark and extremely peaceful.

"I heard Er Gou say that he saw immortals flying through the sky when he was being chased by a wild boar a few days ago…" Naruto thought as he walked down the road, his heart thumping rapidly. Suddenly, an abrupt sound similar to a wild boar was heard from the trees nearby. This sound made the tense Naruto feel a

cold chill run down his back.

"Who, who's there!" Naruto's right hand quickly brought out four axes and six machetes from within his traveling bag. He still did not feel reassured, so he also took out a small black incense stick from his pouch, firmly holding onto it.

"Don't come out, don't come out by any means! I have axes, machetes, and the incense stick in my hand can even summon Heavenly Thunder, calling for immortals to descend! If you dare come out, then die by the clap of thunder!" Naruto gave a trembling shout, trying to frantically escape as he carried those weapons, and hurriedly followed the mountain road as he ran. Along the sides of the road, there was the chaotic ding dong sound as the axes and machetes fell all over the ground.

Perhaps they were actually frightened by him, but no beasts ran out when the crashing sound faded away. Naruto's complexion paled, as he wiped away cold sweat. He had a mind to give up continuing his uphill ascension, but he thought of how the incense stick in his hand was set aside for him by his parents before they died. It was said that an ancestor once saved an immortal in dire straits, and when that immortal left, he left behind this piece of incense to repay the debt. Zeng Yan would take on a disciple of the Uzumaki family's bloodline, and as long as the incense stick was ignited, the immortal would arrive.

However, this piece of incense had been lit more than 10 times to this day. During all those times, not even one immortal had appeared from start to finish, making Naruto doubt whether immortals would even come. This time he had decided to go on this journey partly because there was not much of the incense left, and partly because he had heard somebody in the village talk about sightings of immortals flying across the sky during the past few days.

Thus, he ended up here. His thoughts were along the lines of, 'the closer he was to them, the better his chance of being noticed by the immortal.'

After hesitating for a while, Naruto gnashed his teeth and continued on. Luckily the mountain was not very high, because he was already struggling to catch his breath by the time he reached the mountain peak. Standing there, he looked down at the distant mountain village, his expression full of regret. He looked at the tiny black stick of incense in his hand. This incense had been lit many times and there really wasn't much of it left.

"These past three years, mother and father have been looking over me. This time I must succeed!" Naruto took a deep breath and lit the incense. Suddenly, fierce winds came blowing from the four directions, and dark clouds covered the sky in a blink of an eye. Lightning strikes cut across the air as deafening thunder claps resounded next to Naruto's ear.

The sound was extremely loud, its powerful aura causing Naruto to shake in fear. He felt that lightning could strike at any moment and kill him instantly, and this made him instinctively want to spit on the incense to put it out. However, he restrained himself.

"In three years, I've lit this stick of incense twelve times. This is the thirteenth time, and I must contain myself. Naruto, don't be scared. I shouldn't be smited to death…" Naruto recalled his experiences of the past three years. Not counting this attempt, he'd lit the incense twelve times and had always been greeted with the sight of crashing thunder and flashes of lightning. The immortal never arrived, and it had frightened him so much that he'd always spat out a mouthful of spittle to extinguish the flame. It was odd – this incense looked extraordinary, but it was also extinguished as soon as it was doused with water.

While Naruto was scared out of his wits and struggling to withstand the roaring thunder, not far from there, a blaze of rainbow light was whistling towards him.

Inside the blaze of light was a middle aged man. He wore elegant clothing, and his demeanor was like that of a living god. However, his movement was full of difficulty, and if one looked closely, they could see that there was a deep sense of fatigue behind his expression.

"I can't wait to see what kind of person you are in the end, and why you have lit the incense during these past three years!"

Thinking of the grievances he had had to suffer in these past years, the middle aged man became even angrier. Three years ago, he sensed that someone had burnt the incense that he had congealed using his own lifeforce years before due to a fateful encounter.

It had took him until now to track it down. Originally, he had estimated that it would just be a short trip. Just as he caught the scent of the past, before he could get very far, the signal would disappear, severing the line of communication. If it was just one time, it wouldn't have mattered, but the signal had been lit over ten times in these three years.

This had forced him to remain around this area. Each time he ran out to search, the signal would be abruptly cut. Back and forth, this went on for three entire years…

In the distance, he could make out Mao'er mountain, standing atop of which was Naruto. He was enraged beyond words. In the blink of an eye, he reached the mountain peak. His hand swung out and directly extinguished the dying incense.

The sound of thunder disappeared in an instant. Naruto stared blankly for a while, raised his head, took one glance, and saw that the addition of a middle-aged man by his side.

"Immortal?" Naruto very carefully began to speak, somewhat in doubt, and stealthily picked up an axe behind his back.

"I am Toruho, are you a descendant of the Uzumaki Family?" The middleaged practitioner's eyes were like lightning; he didn't even spare a glance at the axe behind Naruto's back. Instead, he observed Naruto closely. He felt that this boy's delicate features were very similar to that of his saviour's that year. His qualifications were also not bad, his heart seemingly pure, and he also did not look dumb.

"This younger generation is a Uzumaki clan descendant, Naruto." Naruto blinked and replied in a small voice. Even though, in his heart, he was terrified, his eyes were still bright and his back was straight.

"Let me ask you, in order to finish lighting this incense, how did it take you three whole years?" The middle-aged practitioner unenthusiastically opened his mouth and asked. In these three years, this was the question he wanted to know the answer to the most.

When Naruto heard this question, his mind rapidly spun, and then his face assumed a melancholy expression, looking into the distance at the village at the bottom of the mountain.

"This younger generation is a person who heavily values his relationships. I could not find it in my heart to abandon those folks. Each time I lit the incense, they wouldn't let me go. Right now they are still at the foot of the mountain, grieving because of my lack of presence."

The middle-aged practitioner looked at him blankly. This reason was one he didn't expect previously. The livid look in his eyes lessened a little. Merely from these words, he could see that this child's inherent nature was not bad.

But when his eyes fell towards the village down the mountain, his soul did a sweep of the area. All he could hear was the villagers celebrating while chanting "Woo hoo, the weasel has left." His face became ugly as he felt a headache growing. On the outside, this boy looked like a clever and simple kid, but Naruto unexpectedly had such a belly full of sins beneath his facade.

"Speak the truth!" the middle-aged practitioner shifted his gaze to him and spoke with a thunderous voice, scaring Naruto.

"You can't blame me for that. Your damn incense – lightning strikes every time it is lit which nearly killed me on multiple occasions. It is already not a small feat for me to dodge it on 13 occasions." Naruto pitifully protested.

The middle-aged practitioner stared at Naruto, tongue-tied.

"Since you are so scared, why did you still try to forcefully light the incense over ten times?" asked the middle-age practitioner.

"I am afraid of death, but doesn't cultivation lead to a long life? I want a long life," Naruto said with an aggrieved air.

The middle-age practitioner was once again speechless, however, he felt that this obsession had some merits to it. If thrown into the faction to train for a while, it could perhaps change that attitude of his.

As he was pondering this, he picked up Naruto with a flick of his sleeve and took off, becoming a rainbow streaking towards the horizon.

"Come with me."

"Where to? Isn't this a bit too high… " Naruto saw himself flying in the sky with the abyss below him. His face immediately turned white. He threw away his axe and clung tightly to the immortal's legs.

The middle-age practitioner took a look at his legs and helplessly spoke.

"Spirit Creek Sect."

Brothers and sisters, we have been separated for two months – a very long time. Have you all missed me, as I have missed you all very much!

For this book, I have created a detailed synopsis. Every time I review the plot of this synopsis, all of me is very excited; the feeling of having the courage to ignite. I am very pleased that tomorrow, there is an official renewal where I am back to one chapter at noon and one chapter in the evening!

I'm very excited, as we have been silent for several months! Now that we have arrived, we want…to fight from the beginning again!

The novel is just released, brother and sisters, so don't forget to add it to your collection and recommend it; this is extremely crucial!

Please add to collection! Please recommend!

Allow everyone to know, that we…have returned!

Our objection is still…to press an announcement, to recommend an announcement, first!

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Hearthfire Kitchen

Spirit Creek Sect, which was located within the Eastforest Continent, belonged to an offshoot of the lower reaches of the Tongtian River. Established on both the northern and southern banks of the Tongtian River, and with over ten thousand years of history, its name inspired awe throughout the land.

The sect had eight cloud-covered mountain peaks lined up across the Tongtian River. Among them, four of the peaks stood upon the northern bank, while the southern bank had three. The final peak, which was also the most majestic one of them all, was surprisingly situated in the middle of the Tongtian River.

Brilliant white snow could be seen starting about halfway up the mountain. It covered the peak, shrouding the summit. Only the lower half of the mountain, which was hollowed out by the golden water surging forward from the river, was visible. This made the mountain resemble a bridge-like structure.

At this time a colorful streak of light sped through the air just outside the southern bank of the sect. This streak of light, containing the middleaged practitioner Toruho and Naruto, shot towards the miscellaneous chores region of the third peak. A faint scream could be heard as the beam shot past.

Naruto felt as if he was going to die of fear. Throughout the entire flight he saw countless huge mountains, and he often felt that he was losing his grip on the the other party's thigh.

The world blurred together, and by the time it had finally stopped, they had landed outside a watchtower. Naruto sank to the ground, and his legs trembled as he looked at his surroundings. It was like they were in a completely different world when compared to the village.

A large stele was erected beside the watchtower in front of him. There were three gigantic words written in bold, cursive calligraphy on its surface.

Miscellaneous Chores Department.

Beside the giant rock, a pockmark-faced woman was sitting. As soon as she saw Toruho arrive, she stood up to pay her respects.

"Send this child to the Hearthfire Kitchens." Toruho did not say another word. He turned around, no longer paying any attention to Naruto. Then he transformed into a beam of light and disappeared into the distance.

When the pockmark-faced woman heard the two words, 'Hearthfire Kitchen', she became dumbfounded. Her gaze swept over Naruto before giving him one of the sect's Miscellaneous Chores pouches. She expressionlessly gave him an explanation before leading him out of the watchtower. Throughout this journey he saw numerous courtyards, countless watchtowers and limestone pathways along with fragrant flowers and foliage—making it look like a paradise. As he looked around, the nervousness and apprehension in Naruto's rapidly beating heart slightly lessened.

"Such a good place! This is much better than the village." Naruto's eyes brimmed with expectation. The beautiful scenery along the way became increasingly brilliant and outstanding as he continued to forge ahead. He even caught occasional glimpses of ethereal-looking beauties passing by. This immediately gave Naruto an exceedingly positive impression of the sect.

A moment later, Naruto became even happier, especially when he saw what was up ahead. It was a seven storey watchtower; the whole building was sparkling, translucent, and clear. There were even manchurian cranes flying past in the sky.

"Senior sister, we're almost there, right?" Naruto asked in momentary excitement.

"Yes, it's there." The pockmark-faced woman was still expressionless as she replied softly, pointing to a small road to one side. Naruto looked in the direction that she was poin

ting. After casting a gaze filled with expectation, his whole being became petrified. He rubbed his eyes and looked carefully.

Unfortunately what greeted him was a small road that was broken and cracked in several places, with run-down and tattered surroundings and several straw houses that looked as though they could collapse at any moment. Not to mention there were even some strange smells that wafted from over there…

Naruto felt like weeping but he had no tears. He clutched at his last trace of hope and asked the pockmark-faced woman.

"Senior sister… did you point in the wrong direction?"

"No." The pockmarked woman said indifferently as she set foot on the road. Naruto felt all of his wondrous daydreams collapse in a flash and followed her with a bitter expression on his face.

He hadn't walked very far before he saw the end of the small, dilapidated road. There were a few huge black woks scattered haphazardly around the place. With a careful glance, he noticed that there was a big fatty under each huge black wok, their brain was full of intestinal fat [1]; it almost seemed like grease could be squeezed out from them. It wasn't the usual amount of fat―especially for the fattest person inside, who looked similar to a mountain of meat. Naruto was already worried about him possibly exploding.

Around Naruto there were several hundred huge woks around the fatties which they were currently adding water and rice to.

The meat mountain noticed the newly arrived people. Realising that it was the pockmark-faced girl, he became elated. He carried a ladle as he ran towards them, causing the ground to shake. His entire body jiggled as he ran, producing countless ripples. Naruto stared flabbergasted and subconsciously tried to reached out for his axe.

"This morning I heard the lucky magpie sing, so it was actually heralding big sis! Could it be that you have already changed your mind, big sis? Do you feel that I have some air of talent, and wish to become Dao partners with me on this gorgeous morning?" The meat mountain's eyes revealed an lecherous glint as he shouted while running.

"I was told to escort him here to join your Hearthfire Kitchens. My charge has been delivered so I'm taking my leave!" After the pockmark-faced woman saw the meat mountain, she quickly drew back, her complexion extremely unsightly and somewhat enraged.

Naruto gasped. He had already been mindful of that pockmarkfaced woman along the way; her features were simply the work of devils. He wondered what kind of tastes this big fatty had to actually possess such a lecherous look even in this situation.

Before Naruto even finished his thought, that meat mountain had already appeared before him with a whoosh, directly blocking out the sunlight and engulfing the boy with his shadow.

Naruto glanced up at this giant whose fat was constantly jiggling. He swallowed down his saliva. This was the first time he had met such an obese person.

The meat mountain diverted his bitter gaze from the direction of the pockmarked woman and swept a glance at Naruto.

"Oh hoh, you are just a newbie, yet you have already managed to cut in front of Xu Baocai and steal his position. That was no simple feat."

"Senior brother, I am… I am Naruto…" Naruto felt that the other party's titanic body was too overwhelming. The pressure the meat mountain exerted was too great, and he could not help but take several steps back.

"Naruto? Hmm… pearly white skin, exquisite body and pure looking. Not bad, not bad, your name is very fitting."[2] The meat mountain's eyes lit up. His hands clapped down on Naruto's shoulder, almost knocking Naruto over.

"What is big brother's name?" Naruto asked as he sucked in a breath. Disdainfully looking at the meat mountain, he decided to mock the other person with his own name.

"My name is Senior Fatty Choji, that is Second Junior Fatty Huang, and Third Junior Fatty Hei…" The meat mountain snickered.

Upon hearing the name, Naruto deeply felt that the people standing in front of him matched those names perfectly, and he immediately dropped the idea of mocking them.

"As for you, in the future, you will be named Ninth Uzumaki … little junior brother, you are too skinny! This way, you would only make our

Hearthfire Kitchen lose face, but it's fine, you can relax. In one year, you will grow to be as fat as us too. In the future, your name shall be Ninth Junior Fatty Uzumaki ." Senior Fatty Choji patted his chest, his fleshy body vibrating vigorously.

After hearing the name 'Ninth Junior Fatty Uzumaki ', Naruto's facial expression creased to the point where tears of bitterness could be squeezed out from it.

"Since you are our ninth junior brother it means you are no longer an outsider. Our Hearthfire Kitchen has always had a custom of carrying woks; do you see this wok behind my back? It's known as the king of woks. It's manufactured from refined metal, and an Earth-Fire Formation was engraved upon it. The fragrance of the spiritual rice cooked within this wok far surpasses that of spiritual rice cooked with other woks. Go, choose one for yourself and carry it upon your back; that will showcase our awesomeness." Senior Fatty Choji patted the big black wok upon his back, bragging.

"Senior Brother, about carrying woks, can I not…" Naruto took a glance at the wok on big fatty's back and instantly realized that everyone from the Hearthfire Kitchen carried woks. After imagining the appearance of himself carrying a huge black wok, he hastily spoke.

"How could that be? Carrying woks is the tradition of our kitchen faction. Later on when you are amongst the inner disciples, if people see you carry a wok, they will know you belong to the kitchen faction and will not dare to look down on you. Even though we work in the kitchens, we have a big reputation!" Fatty Choji stared at Naruto with widened eyes. Without pause, he carried Naruto to the back of the hut. There, thousands of woks lay dormant, the majority of which were covered in a layer of dust. It was clear that it had been a long time since anyone had been here.

"Ninth Junior Brother, pick one and then we will go and cook. If the rice isn't ready in time, the outer disciples will complain!" Fatty Choji shouted. He then rushed out with many other Fatties, carrying with them hundreds of woks.

Naruto sighed and stared at the stacks of woks lying about. While he was thinking about which wok to choose, he noticed that in the corner laid a seemingly warped wok.

The shape of the wok rim seemed to be a bit unique. It was not round, but instead oval. At a glance, it didn't even look like a wok, but instead a turtle shell. There were also faintly visible writings on it.

"Mhm?" Naruto's gaze sharpened, and he quickly walked towards it. After squatting down and examining it, he took it out and then examined it again in detail. Then, his eyes gleamed with delight.

He had loved turtles since he was young, because turtles symbolized longevity. The reason he came to cultivate was also to obtain longevity. Now that he saw this wok which resembled a turtle shell, he thought it was auspicious and a sign of good luck.

When he carried this wok out, Fatty Choji saw it from afar and ran over while carrying a large spoon.

"Ninth junior brother, why did you choose this one; it has been left here unused for countless years. Since it looks like a turtle shell, nobody ever chooses to carry it on their back either. This one… Ninth junior brother, are you sure?" Fatty Choji patted his own stomach and advised in good faith.

"I'm certain. I want this wok." Naruto firmly replied. Every time he looked at it, he liked the wok more and more.

Fatty Choji advised him once more, but after seeing Naruto remain insistent on the wok, he merely glanced at him weirdly. Without saying anything, he organised for Naruto to stay in a straw hut behind this Hearthfire Kitchen, and hurriedly left.

It was already dusk. Naruto was carefully examining the turtleshaped wok within his thatched hut. He discovered that there were ten dark stripes on its backside that were nearly impossible to discover without a close inspection.

He felt that this was no ordinary wok, and carefully placed it on the stove. Only now did he look at his surroundings. It was very simple―containing a bed, table, and a chair. As he continued his observations, there was a sudden flicker of violet light inside the wok but it disappeared without a trace.

For Naruto, this had been an eventful day. Although he had now arrived in the world of immortals which he had longed for, in the end, he was still at a loss within his heart.

A moment later, he breathed in deeply, and a glimmer of hope shone in his eyes.

"I want a long life!" Naruto sat down and pulled out the pouch given to him by the pockmark-faced girl from the Miscellaneous Chore Department.

Inside, there was a medicinal pill, a wooden sword, and an incense stick, along with a set of overalls. There was also a token and a bamboo tome filled with small letters.

"Violet Qi Cauldron Technique, Qi Condensing Manual."

At dusk, Naruto was inside his hut, looking at the bamboo tome with high expectations while the Fatties were busy inside the Hearthfire Kitchen. He joined the sect to gain longevity, and this tome in his hand was the first step towards that. Taking several deep breaths, Naruto opened up the bamboo tome and began to read.

After a moment, a glimmer of excitement revealed itself in Naruto's eyes. The tome contained three diagrams. According to the manual, cultivation was divided into two realms: Qi Condensing and Foundation Establishment. Furthermore, the Violet Qi Cauldron

Technique itself was divided into ten stages, corresponding with the ten stages of the Qi Condensing realm.

When a practitioner reached the first stage, they would be able to harness external matter to aid themselves. Once they reached the third stage, they would be able to harness less than half a cauldron. At the sixth stage, they would be able to harness the majority of a cauldron and a full cauldron at the ninth stage. At the peak of the Qi Condensing Realm, they would be able to harness two cauldrons. [3]

It was just that this bamboo tome only contained the first three stages of the technique. The remaining stages were not included. In addition, this Violet Qi Cauldron Technique also required one to follow a particular breathing pattern and specific motions in order to cultivate.

Naruto closed his eyes, focused his spirit, adjusted his breath, and mimicked the motions depicted within the bamboo tome. After persisting for three breaths, his body began to ache and he let out a scream. He was unable to continue, the breathing technique didn't provide him with enough air to breathe.

"It's too hard. It says up there that by cultivating in accordance with this first picture, one should be able to sense a trace of Qi faintly running through their body. But other than suffering, I didn't feel anything at all." Naruto was a little vexed, but for the sake of immortality he clenched his teeth and tried again. Through the evening he encountered obstacle after obstacle, but not once did he manage to sense any Qi inside his body.

He didn't know that without external forces, even someone who possessed extremely exceptional aptitude would require at least one month to simply cultivate this first stage of the Violet Qi Cauldron Technique. He had only been here for several hours, so it would be impossible for him to be able to sense Qi.

With his entire body currently aching, Naruto stretched. Just before he was about to go wash his face, clamouring sounds suddenly came from outside. Naruto stuck his head out the window and caught a glimpse of a sickly-looking young man standing outside the gates to the Hearthfire Kitchen's courtyard.

"Who took my, Xu Baocai's, designated position? Get the fuck out of here!"

This is the official update! This new book is both fresh and delicate like a young sapling, and urgently needs care and cherishment. I beseech recommendations tickets, I beseech favourites! Recommendations, recommendations, recommendations, favourites, favourites, favourites; this is an important matter, so I need to repeat it three times! [4]

This is an idiom to describe someone who is extremely obese.

Naruto: 白(white) 小 (little) 纯 (pure)

1 cauldron = approximately 800 kilograms

To support Er Gen, please read [CKtalon & Etvolare's Qidian Guide] and recommend his new novel on [Qidian]

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – The Six Truths

The moment Naruto peeked his head outside, the dirty and skinny-looking youth instantly saw him. His eyes landed on Naruto's face with an overbearing deamanor.

"You, you're the one who stole my spot!"

"It wasn't me!" Naruto didn't have enough time to shrink away, and thus he was forced to adopt an innocent demeanor.

"Lies. With your scrawny body and small head, it's obvious that you're new!" Baocai said as he clenched his fist and glared at Xiao Uzumaki chun.

"This truly doesn't relate to me," Naruto whispered, feeling wronged. He glared at Xu Baocai with a fury that seemed as if it was about to explode forth.

"I don't care. You and I will fight to the death in three days at the hill to the south of the sect. If you win, I shall endure this humiliation… but if you lose, that spot shall belong to me." Xu Baocai announced in a loud voice. He then withdrew a blood red letter from breast pocket, and threw it directly onto the windowsill in front of Naruto. On it, the word 'kill' was densely written countless times in blood.

Naruto glanced at the countless number of bloody words on the letter and felt a murderous aura that shook him to the bone. That, coupled with the life-and-death challenge, made Naruto suck in a breath of air.

"Senior Brother, how big of a matter is this? Using your own blood, you wrote so many words… Just how painful was that?"

"How big of a matter is this? In these past few years I've cut down on my expenses, and in doing so, I have managed to save up seven years' worth of Spirit Stones — seven years! Let me repeat, exactly seven years! I gave them to the minister out of respect, and only then did I barely manage to receive the qualifications to enter the Hearthfire Kitchens. Yet, you just had to cut right in front of me. You and I are irreconcilable enemies! Three days from now, one of us must die!" Xu Baocai exclaimed frenziedly, gnashing his teeth.

"I'm not going then." Naruto hurriedly picked up the blood letter with his fingertips and proceeded to throw it out the window.

"You!" Just as Xu Baocai was about to explode, he felt the ground tremble, and a meat mountain suddenly appeared beside him. Oblivious to when it had happened, Senior Fatty Choji was already standing there and inspecting Xu Baocai with cold eyes.

"Ninth Fatty, go and scrub bowls with your Second Senior Brother. As for you, don't make such a loud ruckus here. Go play at the side." As Senior Fatty Choji waved his hand, whistling winds surged.

Xu Baocai's expression changed, and he took a few consecutive steps back. He had wanted to say something, yet after seeing Senior Fatty Choji, he held it in. In the end, he looked at Naruto with venomous eyes, before he angrily left.

Naruto pondered for a moment. He felt that that person's departing gaze was too malicious, and in order to play it safe, he decided that it was best to not casually leave the Hearthfire Kitchen. By staying there, Xu Baocai wouldn't dare to come in.

Several days passed by in a flash. Naruto had slowly begun to adapt to the work expected of the Hearthfire Kitchen. At night, he would practice the Violet Qi Cauldron Technique. Unfortunately, his progress was slow, and no matter what he did, he was unable to last for more than four seconds. It was a matter which frustrated Naruto a lot.

One night while he was cultivating, he suddenly heard the excited voices of the senior fatties coming from within the Hearthfire Kitchens.

"The gate is closing! The gate is closing! Secon

d Fatty Huang, hurry up and come back!"

"Third Fatty Hei, make sure no one is spying on us!"

Naruto stared blankly. This time, he had learned to be smart; he didn't look out through the window, but through the door cracks. When he looked outside, however, he saw a few, incomparably agile fatties running into the courtyard, as if they were flying – mysteriously busy. [1]

Very quickly, the gates of the Hearthfire Kitchen were shut tight. An unknown method was used, actually creating a thin layer of mist which made the few fatties' silhouettes become even more mysterious.

Naruto stared for a long time until the few fatties had disappeared, having fled inside. Rather mysteriously, they encircled a thatched hut together. Even with the mist separating them, he could still clearly distinguish the mighty Fatty Choji's silhouette as he seemed to be speaking in a low voice. For secrets such as this, he felt that less he knew, the better. Therefore, he took several steps back and strived to act as though he had not seen anything.

But right at that moment, Big Fatty Choji's voice resounded.

"Ninth Fatty, in the end, you've already seen it. Hurry up and join us." The voice wasn't loud as it had been intentionally suppressed.

Naruto blinked. He exposed a lovable expression, making him seem as harmless as livestock, as he walked over.

The moment he approached, Big Fatty Choji grabbed him and brought Naruto to his side as the few fatties by his side surrounded him. Immediately, he caught onto a scent that stood out from the rest. Breathing in, the scent into countless warm currents as it spread throughout his body.

He saw that the others all had pleasurable expressions on their faces. Naruto's was shocked when he saw that within Big Fatty Choji's hand, he held a lingzhi mushroom that was the size of an infant's head. The large lingzhi mushroom was sparkling and pure. From just a single glance, it could be discerned that it was definitely not ordinary. [2]

"Ninth Junior Brother. Here, have a bite." Big Fatty Choji said as he glanced at Naruto and passed the lingzhi mushroom over.

"Ah?" Naruto looked at the lingzhi mushroom as he shifted his gaze onto the several Fatty Senior Brothers. Seeing Naruto hesitate, Big Fatty Choji immediately grew angry and displayed an expression as if he was saying 'if you don't eat it, you won't hear the end of this'.

Besides him, even the surrounding Second Junior Fatty Huang and Third Junior Fatty Hei were also staring at him with the same look.

Naruto swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Such a precious and priceless lingzhi mushroom was actually given to him like a drumstick and then he was even encouraged to take a bite. It was a good deal, and if he didn't accept it, there would be a fall out. He had dreamed of situations like this before, but this was the first time he experienced this in reality.

Naruto's heart beat wildly as he clenched his teeth and received the lingzhi mushroom and resolutely bit a mouthful of it. The lingzhi mushroom melted the moment it entered his mouth and fused into his body. The pleasurable sensation that was countless times stronger than before made Naruto's face turn red.

"Good. You're one of us now that you've eaten this hundred year lingzhi mushroom that Elder Sun was going to use for soup." Big Fatty Choji had a satisfied expression on his face as he bit, eating a small portion before he threw it over to the next fatty. Very quickly, everyone had bitten it, removing a whole fold from the lingzhi mushroom. When they looked at Naruto, they all had a smile that had acknowledged him as one of them.

Naruto let out a gentle laugh. It was obvious that he had followed their bad examples. He had thought that these senior brothers who all ate to this level of obesity had no problem, and had assumed that these kinds of eating habits were safe. It was no wonder that Xu Baocai wanted to challenge him to a duel and wrote all of those words involving murder…

"Senior Brother, this lingzhi mushroom mushroom is really delicious. I've eaten to the point where my entire body is feeling feverish." Naruto licked his lips, anxiously waiting as he looked towards Big Fatty Choji.

When Big Fatty Choji heard these words, his eyes lit up and he let out a hearty laugh. From his bosom he fished out one Solomon's Seal flower in an incomparably straightforward manner, handing it over to Naruto.

"Junior Brother. Now you know how good this place is. Senior Brother didn't deceive you before. Eat. In the future you will strive to eat until you're full!"

Naruto's eyes lit up, and he accepted a large mouthful of cake. He just finished eating as Big Fatty took out a piece of earthen treasure. This golden earthen treasure's fragrance permeated the entire area.

Big Fatty did not need to prompt him again this time as Naruto immediately took a bite. Tasting a sweet and sour mouthful, his whole body relaxed. Big Fatty took out a red spirit fruit with a sweet and unctuous scent. Furthermore, there was a trace of qi circulating within the fruit.

From this point forward, he accepted any lingzhi mushrooms, herbs, spirit fruits, and earthen treasures. Just like the other fatties, he ate until he was full. Naruto ate until he was dizzy; it was like he was intoxicated. Even the top of his head was emitting smoke. He felt as if his body had grown a bit fatter.

As he continued to eat, the Fatty Choji's group of people's eyes grew even more gentle. At the end, they all patted their bellies and laughed, their laughs carrying a sense of camaraderie.

Naruto became intoxicated and spread out his hands and legs. On one hand he gave Fatty Choji's belly a slap, while his foot shot out to the side as he laughed heartily.

"Those Miscellaneous Chores Department, they would smash their own head in order to become an outer disciple. Meanwhile, we would smash our own heads in order to not fulfill the outer disciple quota. Nobody wants to leave, who would want to go outside and become an outer disciple? This place is amazing." The more Fatty Choji looked at Naruto, the more he liked his temperament, and the more proudly he spoke. He took out another ginseng. This ginseng had countless rings around its head, its whiskers dense and numerous. It looked like it had aged for many years.

"Ninth Junior Brother, all of us have already cultivated enough to become the disciple of other sects, but we must hide it. Look, this is a hundred year old ginseng. The disciples of other sects would fight over the right to take a single bite, but look at us." Fatty Choji snapped off a root and popped it in his mouth. After munching loudly and swallowing it, he handed the ginseng to Naruto.

"Senior Brother, I'm full… I really can't eat anymore…" Naruto's eyes blurred; he was really bloated with food. Just as he opened his mouth, Fatty Choji snapped off a root and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Ninth Junior Brother, you're too thin. If you go out like that, no girls in the sect will like you. Girls in our sect only like those similar to us, powerful and full. Here, eat… There is a couplet in our Hearthfire Kitchen. It's like this: 'Preferring to starve to death in Hearthfire Kitchens, instead of going outside the gate to fight.'" Fatty Choji burped. He took out an empty bowl as he pointed to the straw hut behind them, where a couplet was hung.

"Yes, yes, we would rather starve to death here. Mn… starve to death." Seeing this couplet, Naruto slapped his stomach and burped.

Hearing this, Fatty Choji and the others burst into laughter, thinking that Naruto was increasingly adorable.

"Today is a happy day. Let me teach you something, Ninth Junior Brother. Here in the Hearthfire Kitchen, we are very particular about eating, and there is a saying that you must remember. Eat the sides and corners of the lingzhi mushroom; never touch the stem; chop meat with a fierce blade; scape two third of the bone off; add more water to the spiritual porridge; a small half-filled cup of wine."

"These six truths are the conclusions of generations of our seniors. As long as you eat according to it, it can be guaranteed that nothing will go wrong. Now, let us disperse. The supper is now over for the night; the disciples of other sects are still waiting for the soup," Fatty Choji said as he poured rice soup into one bowl after another.

Naruto was confused, his entire head filled with the six truths. Seeing Fatty Choji and the others pouring rice soup into bowls, after sneezing, he squatted down and took an empty bowl in hand. After a detailed observation, he let out a smile.

"Senior Brother, this bowl isn't that good."

Fatty Choji heard this and glanced towards Naruto, revealing a surprised expression.

"Look at this bowl! The bowl doesn't seem big, but it can actually hold a lot. Why don't we make it look big and actually hold very little? So perhaps, make the bottom of this bowl… a bit thicker?" Naruto said with a innocent look, smiling.

Fatty Choji was surprised. He felt as if he was struck by lightning, the fat on his body beginning to vibrate with excitement. His eyes lit up while the breaths of the other fatties also quickened, the fat on their entire bodies also trembling.

With a loud slap, Fatty Choji slapped his thigh and laughed out loud.

"Good, good, good, this is an amazing idea that will leave your name in history, benefiting countless juniors of our Hearthfire Kitchens. Ah! I didn't expect Ninth Junior Brother to appear and act so lovable, but unexpectedly have a belly full of goods. Haha, you were born to be in the Hearthfire Kitchen!" [3]

—

I beseech recommendations!

I beseech favourites!

健步如飞 – running as fast as flying, which basically means: to run so fast, it seemed as if they were flying.

lingzhi mushroom – type of mushroom

Belly full of goods – smart/clever/cunning. Essentially, Narutois, despite his appearance (and name), devious and wily.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Spirit Refinement

All the Fatties became overjoyed. They all looks towards Naruto, their impression of him was currently at an all time high. They thought not only was this Naruto cute, his gut was also full of dirty tricks. Hence, Senior Fatty Choji decided to rewarded Naruto with a spiritual rice grain.

Naruto smiled happily and returned to his room in a daze. Before he could finish climbing onto his bed, the countless heavenly medicinal treasures condensed inside his body suddenly erupt, causing him to pass out on the ground, snoring.

This sleep was delightfully extraordinary. The next day, Naruto eyes shot opened, his mind in high spirits. He looked down to discover that he has grown fatter by size, his entire body covered in sticky, black grime. He quickly left to clean himself up. The group of Fatty Choji people were currently busy making breakfast for the inner disciples. When they saw Naruto, a smile broke out on their faces.

"Ninth Brother, that dirt is the impurities from inside your body. It will be very beneficial later on during your cultivation without them. In the next few days, we can manage without you. You can come back to work later."

"That spiritual grain is a very good item, remember to eat it quickly, leaving it out for a long time won't do it any good."

Naruto's mind cleared up as he nodded in reply. When he turned to his room, his eyes fell on the turtle shell wok. He carried it outside and gave it a quick scrub before bringing it back and placing it on the stove. He looked at the spiritual rice grain in his hand. This grain was as large as a pinky finger, it was translucent and shiny. There was a lovely fragrance emanating from it.

" The kind of things immortals get to eat truly cannot be compared with normal food." Naruto sighed full of emotion. He threw some wooden logs underneath the stove to kindle the flames. Just as the fire ignited, a current of heatwave flowed out, causing Naruto to quickly retreat. He stared at the flames, amazed.

"This fire is also one of a king, not only does it burn quickly, the flame's temperature is also very high." Naruto turned his eye towards the wood inside the stove. These must no ordinary wooden logs.

Suddenly, after the fire has been ignited, Naruto was surprised to find that the first rune stripe of the turtle shell wok began to slowly glowed. Once it has started, the subsequent stripes of runes began to glow in order from the bottom upwards.

Naruto stared blankly for a while, and then he suddenly slapped his thigh.

" Didn't I already said so, this is a treasure. It is certainly even better then the Senior Brother's wok." The more he looked at it the more extraordinary he has found this wok. He quickly threw the spiritual grain into the heated wok.

While waiting on the side, he picked up the Violet Qi Cauldron Technique manual and began to practice based on the first drawing once more.

After starting for a moment, Naruto's immediately shot opened, he discovered that this technique that has given him extreme difficulty yesterday has suddenly became effortless. He did not felt any discomfort, even the breathing technique did not cause him any trouble.

Instead, it has gave him a refreshing feeling.

He persisted for awhile more. He found that while at the beginning he could at best took three to four breathes, he has now able to surpass eight breathes, and there was no pain.

Enduring his excitement, Naruto forced himself to calm down and persist for thirty more breathes. When his body began to ache, suddenly inside his body appeared a trickle of gas. This gas was cold as ice, and it quickly circulate around his body. Even though

it has dissipated before completing a complete round, this still made Naruto jumped up in excitement.

" There's Qi, haha , there's Qi!" Naruto was so happy he felt like he would go crazy. He paced back and forth inside his room. Thinking back on last night about how he has eaten all those precious treasures, he quietly thought that he really didn't have enough.

"No wonder Senior Zhang said that he would rather starve to death at the Hearthfire Kitchen instead of becoming an outside disciple. This kind of good fortune, even outside disciples cannot hope to have." Naruto quickly sat down and continued to train.

This time, he relied on the Violet Qi Cauldron Technique first stage breathing technique and the motion from the first drawing. He endured for a further sixty breathes in the blink of an eye, at which point a trickle of qi twice as powerful one appeared and quickly moved throughout his body.

By now, Naruto already has some experience. He quickly followed the instructions from the first drawing and quietly attempted to control the path of circulation within his body.

Very quickly, the qi inside him followed his commands and travelled through his pulses. As he persist with the first drawing's guidance, he even began to sense that inside his body there was countless tiny units of cold gas slowly surged out from all over his body. These tiny units condensed into a small droplet and joined the trickle of Qi circulating inside him, causing it grow even bigger.

In the end, the trickle of Qi has turned into a tiny stream. After it made one more complete circulation through his body, Naruto's entire body shook, his head releases a cloud of steam as a sound detonated inside it.

An unprecedented lively sensation were birthed inside his body, torrents of impurities streamed out from his pores ceaselessly.

Inside him, the small stream of Qi still exists, and instead of dissipating over time, it has became a symbiotic part of him. As the flow of Qi slowly travels through him, Naruto opened his eyes, which has turned clearer and livelier.

Even his entire body felt much more nimble than in the past.

"Maintaining a stream of Qi, this is the Violet Qi Cauldron Technique first stage's effect. This also means that I have reached the first stage of Qi Condensing!" Naruto was so happy he couldn't control himself. He left to clean himself.

Fatty Choji's group noticed that he has came out, and gave each other a knowing smile. Towards Naruto's astounding progress, even though they were slightly surprised, they still understood the reason.

When he returned to his room, Naruto breathe in deeply several times and picked up the bamboo tome and observed it closely.

"After reaching the first stage of Qi Condensing, I can manipulate a few items. This is definitely an immortal technique, it can even move things without touching them!" Naruto's eyes brighten, he followed the instructions of from the manual, his two hands forming a simple formation and pointed it at the table next to him. He instantly felt the tiny streams inside of his body responding, they rode his pulses, reaching the very tip of his finger and then shot out from inside.

An invisible thread was created and it attached itself to the table, creating a connection. Unfortunately, just as the connection was made, it grew unstable and snapped.

Naruto's face paled, and only a while later did he fully recovered. Thinking about it carefully, he ignored the table and pulled out a wooden sword. He didn't know what kind of wood was used during it's creation, but while it was not as heavy as the table, it still had quite a heft to it. He lifted his hand and point towards it.

The wooden sword suddenly shook and slowly began to float, but only for a moment, as it immediately fell down.

Naruto also did not became frustrated, and as he repeated this attempt many times, the wooden sword began to float even higher before dropping. Ten inches, twenty inches, thirty inches… by sunset, he was able to fully lift the wooden sword. Even though its speed was not very fast, and it was hard to control, but it would no longer so easily drop like before.

"From this day forward this Naruto is truly on the path of immortality!" Naruto stood there with a proud expression, His left arm backward while his right arm swung wildly in front, causing the wooden sword to fly back and forth.

Only when he did not have any breath left did he retrieved the wooden sword. He wanted to continue his cultivation when suddenly a delicious fragrant flowed out from inside the wok. He lift his head and sucked in a deep breath, and was instantly famished. Today he was busy with training and has completely forgotten that the wok that was stewing the spiritual rice grain. He stepped forward and took off the lid of the wok.

Moments after her lifted up the lid, a thick sweet scent flowed out from the the spiritual rice grain. However the most surprising thing was that inside the rice grain was a blindingly bright rune!

This rune was extremely clear. Looking closely, one can feel an overwhelming sesnation coming from this symbol. After some time, the rune slowly dimmed and became silver. Naruto narrows his eyes, after thinking for abit he picked up the spiritual grain and inspect it closely.

"This symbol looks familiar…" Naruto's eyes seems to be in deep thought. He bent over and looked at the stove and discovered that the fire has long been extinguished, even the wooden log has turned into ashes. The runes stripe on the wok has once again grew dim.

He instantly recognized that the rune inside the spiritual rice grain and the runes on the wok were matched perfectly.

Suppressing his suspicions, and for his own safety, Naruto did not immediately ate the rice grain. He put it inside his pouch and spent some more time pondering. In the end, he left his room and joined the Fatty Choji group in their work.

In the blink of an eye, half a month has passed. In this time, Naruto's progress has came to a grinding halt. His cultivation speed was slow, and when he observed others cooking their spiritual rice grain, he did not see any runes appearing.

Even more curious, he sensed that there was something off about his rice grain, especially because of the turtle shell wok. There was something strange going on. Days later, he went out to buy ingredients with Senior Brother Hei in the outside world. He found out that the Miscellaneous Chores is responsible for going out to designated areas first to find out about the local customs and traditions.

Ever since they returned from outside, Naruto's depress heart has brightened with delight, and he had to try his best to suppress his joy. When he returned to his room, he immediately took out the spiritual grain and observed the rune closely, a strange color shining in his eyes.

"Immortals cultivate in three fundamental paths. The first is Medicinal

Refinement, the second is Qi Refinement, and the third is… Spirit

Refinement!"

"Spirit Refinement!" After some time, he shouted out in one breathe.

Spirit Refinement is a special method of cultivation. The method forcefully inject the power of heavens and earth into items and objects by overtaking the divine process of creation and stealing the Qi from Heaven and Earth to refine the item. No matter if it was medicinal pills or treasures, they can be spiritually refined. Since such method is going against the heavens, there is only a certain probability of success. Once successful, the refined item's quality and strength would be drastically increased, but if the process failed, it could immediately turn the most valuable of treasures into waste.

The most terrifying about Spirit Refinement process is that their effects can be stacked. If an object is successfully refined ten times, its effect could change the heavens and shake the earth.

The more valuable an item, the greater the stacking effect.

The only caveat was that the more times an item is refined, the smaller the chance of them being successfully refined. Even the few great experts at Spirit Refining do not easily dare to try to test their luck. No matter what, the price paid when failed is just too great.

"The records once said, this Spirit Creek Sect has a Guardian Treasure that they have obtained due to a fateful encounter, the ten times refined Sky Horn Sword!" Naruto could feel his mouth getting dry. He swallowed down his saliva, his eyes showing signs of fear and bewilderment. He glanced at the turtle shell wok with its dozens of dim runes stripes, his heart jumping through his throat.

Right now, he was sure. The reason why the rune has appeared on the spiritual rice grain was all because of this wok!

Hesitating, Naruto clenched his teeth, if he does not end up solving this mystery, he will not be able to get any sleep. But he also knew that if this wok was really not ordinary, even more mysterious than he has thought, he must definitely never let another soul know of it.

That's why he waited for until midnight to approach the turtle shell wok. He breathe in deeply and retrieved the wooden sword from the bag. Just like on that day he has thrown in the spiritual rice grain, he threw the wooden sword inside the wok.

Translator: Er-kun

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

Chapter 5 – What am I to do if I lose this life of mine?

Nothing particularly special or unusual occurred the moment the wooden sword entered the wok. "Eh?" Naruto uttered a faint sound of surprise. Not daring to believe it, he opened his eyes wide and gazed attentively at the wooden sword.

But even after waiting for a long while, he still didn't notice anything unusual happening. Naruto thought for moment, taking a glance at the design on the tortoiseshell-patterned wok, and then looked at the wood ashes inside the fire stove. Pondering, he turned around and left the room. Returning a moment later, he now had a few pieces of wood in his hands that were identical to the ones within the fire stove.

This wood was quite rare in the Hearthfire Kitchens, so he was only able to obtain some after asking Senior Fatty Choji.

When he set the wood alight, Naruto instantly saw the first stripe of the design on the tortoiseshell-patterned wok light up once more. At the same time, the fire that was rapidly burning away the wood gradually started to diminish. As Naruto's thoughts stirred, the wooden sword inside the wok suddenly shone with a blinding silver light.

Naruto took a few steps back. When the light dissipated shortly after, he immediately felt a fierce aura emanating from within the wok. Taking a deep breath, he carefully approached it and saw that one stroke of the glaring silver pattern had appeared on the wooden sword in the wok, similar to the one that had appeared on the Spiritual Rice. The pattern was gradually darkening, eventually turning a dark silver color!

The sword's entire blade had changed slightly, and even though it was still a wooden sword, it gave off a sense of sharpness equal to that of a metal one. Naruto's eyes brightened as he went forth, prudently taking the wooden sword out of the wok. It felt somewhat heavier, and when brought close, it gave off a threatening feeling of cold sharpness.

"I did it! I've successfully refined the spirit of this wooden sword once!" Naruto was in ecstasy as he held onto the wooden sword, incapable of keeping his hands off it. Then, he looked at the wok and pondered about what he should do with it. In the end, he decided to just leave it there. The more it was showcased like this, the more inconspicuous it would be.

As for the Spiritual Rice, it could just be eaten; the wooden sword couldn't be discovered by others so easily. Naruto pondered upon whether using some dyes to cover it up would reduce the glowing of the spiritual pattern.

As he thought of this, he tidied up his things and walked out of the room while assuming a normal countenance. Several nights later, he brushed the various colored liquids he had gathered from the Hearthfire Kitchens these last few days onto the wooden sword. This caused the sword to look multi-colored, tattered and worn-out. He kept at it for a while, and soon discovered that the spiritual pattern was indeed covered to an acceptable extent, becoming less noticeable than before. Only after reaching this conclusion did he nod with satisfaction.

In the following days, Naruto was like a fish in water, easily getting along with the few Senior Brothers in the Hearthfire Kitchens. He had become familiar with the work in the Hearthfire Kitchens, the most important thing he learnt being that different spirit foods required different fires. These fires were even separated into single-colored fires and dual-colored fires. He had also discovered that the wood underneath the tortoiseshell-patterned wok was precisely the spirit wood needed to create single colored fire.

Senior Fatty Choji was especially fond of Naruto, giving him extra care. After a few months, just like Fatty Choji had foreseen in the beginning, Uzumaki Xi

aochun had indeed become quite fat.

The present him was in no way similar to the skinny boy who had initially entered the sect, and had already become many times fatter. Along with this, he had become even more fair skinned, harmless looking, and fit his name, Ninth Fatty Uzumaki .

As for the matter of obtaining seconds, he had participated in that more than once. However, what confused him was the fact that although his weight had been rapidly increasing, his cultivation was still proceeded at a snail's pace. In the end, he decided to stop thinking about it and went back to eating and drinking with his Seniors all day. Regarding the various matters of the sect, Naruto had gained a better understanding by listening to Fatty Choji these few months.

He knew that within the sect, there was a separation between Inner and Outer Court disciples. In the Miscellaneous Chores Department, one could undergo one of the peak's trials by fire after breaking through to the 3rd layer of Qi Condensation. If they succeeded, they would become an official outer disciple of that peak. Only once you became an outer disciple could you be considered a member of the Spirit Creek Sect.

However, this could be compared to a fish trying to transform into a dragon. Every month, each peak would only accept the top 3 disciples. Therefore, the amount of people who became outer sect disciples in the span of a year stayed consistent.

One day, Seventh Fatty, who was originally supposed to go down the mountain to buy materials, was late. As such, Fatty Choji waved his hand and ordered Naruto to go in his place. Naruto hesitated for a moment, remembering that he hadn't seen Xu Baocai for a few months. Although he reasoned that he would be fine, his heart wouldn't calm down. After returning to his room, he took out a couple of kitchen knives and dressed himself in several layers of leather, which made him seem more like a ball.

Still not feeling reassured, he found a sturdy wok and strapped it to his back. Only then did he finally decide to depart. Swaying, he walked out of the Hearthfire Kitchens and descended down the mountain.

While he was walking along the sect's limestone path, Bao Naruto looked around at his elegant surroundings, a deep sense of superiority coming forth from within his mind.

"How fast time flies! I, Naruto, have already cultivated for several back to when I was still a mortal, living in the village was so pitiful." He sighed as he muttered to himself. With his hands behind his back, a couple of kitchen knives around his waist, a wok on his back, and the several layers of leather he was wearing, he truly looked like a worn-out rubber ball. On his trip, he encountered many people working in the Miscellaneous Chores Department who all raised their eyebrows upon seeing him.

In particular, there were quite a few female disciples who would cover their mouths and laugh when they saw Naruto passing by. Their laughter was as pleasant as the ringing of bells.

Naruto's round face was tinged with red as he felt even more formidable. With a cough, he walked onwards with his head held high and his chest out.

Not long after, before he had even left the third peak's Miscellaneous Chores area, he suddenly spotted a group of Miscellaneous Chores disciples in the distance. They all wore excited expressions and were hurriedly running in the same direction. The place that they were heading towards was the mountain path of the Third Peak, where Outer Sect disciples could usually be seen wandering around.

More and more Miscellaneous Chores disciples were excitedly running over there. Naruto was taken aback at this scene and quickly grabbed the weakest and most timid looking disciple who passed by.

"Fellow disciple, did something happen? Why is everyone running over there?" Naruto asked in curiosity.

This youngster was clearly displeased about being grabbed, but when he saw the wok hanging on Naruto's back, the displeasure in his eyes turned into admiration and his expression relaxed.

The youngster explained, "So it was actually a Senior disciple from the

Hearthfire Kitchens. You go and take a look. I heard that the genius Outer Sect disciples Zhouhong and Zhang Yide are currently at the mountain, partaking in the trial by fire. It is rumored that despite both being at the Sixth Stage of Qi Condensation, they share mutual animosity. We shouldn't miss the opportunity to watch this kind of event. Perhaps by watching them we could comprehend some concepts and reap a few benefits." As he was afraid that he wouldn't get a good spot if he arrived late, he hurriedly ran towards the scene.

In his curiousity, Naruto also began running over, following the stream of people. He left the Miscellaneous Chores region and arrived at the base of the third peak. At the base of the third peak, he discovered that there was an enormous and vast stage.

This enormous stage was 3300 meters in length and was currently surrounded by countless Miscellaneous Chores disciples who even crowded the upper reaches of the mountain. There were quite a few

Outer disciples dressed in luxurious clothes who were also spectating.

On top of the towering stage were two youths clothed in similarly luxurious robes. One had a scarred face, while the other had a face as white as jade. Their figures intersected and a burst of explosions boomed.

Both of their bodies radiated with the light of shining treasures. The scar-faced youth had a small flag that was moving about freely, as if there was an incorporeal hand wielding it. It transformed into a mist tiger which released an earsplitting roar.

The figure of the youth with skin as white as jade scuttled back and forth with a small blue sword before slashing out with a spirit wave that whistled forth nimbly.

Naruto stared wide eyed at this scene as he drew in a deep breath. He could also control his wooden sword, but when compared to the youth with skin as white as jade, Naruto wasn't even close to his level.

These two opponents were completely unrestrained and full of bloodthirst. Their numerous clashes were all dangerous, and new injuries appeared with each one. Although neither of them had received a fatal wound, it was still a ghastly sight.

This was the first time Naruto had seen a battle between cultivators. His original impression of immortals had been completely different; this kind of vicious behavior instilled fear and trepidation in him.

"Cultivation…is it not only for the sake of obtaining longevity? What is the point in trying to kill? What am I to do if I lose this life of mine…" Naruto swallowed his saliva, and once he saw the scar-faced youth's small flag produce a misty tiger that wore a savage expression as it swallowed the other person facing them, Naruto wiped the sweat off the top of his head, feeling that it was too dangerous outside and that he had better return to the Hearthfire Kitchens for some security.

Thinking this, he hurriedly drew back, but a great roar resounded from nearby the very moment he started retreating.

"Naruto!"

Naruto turned his head and immediately saw Xu Baocai, who had originally written the letter in his own blood. His face bearing an evil grin aimed at him, Xu Baocai had rushed over with a wooden sword held in front of his body that emitted an extraordinary radiance. Coalescing a layer of qi was in no way comparable to this. At this moment it had cut out an arc, emitting spiritual pressure which headed straight for Naruto.

The moment Naruto saw the wooden sword approaching, his pupils contracted, and he immediately felt like he was in a kind of intense life or death crisis.

"This is an attempt to murder me!" His thought process came to this conclusion, and he produced a mournful scream as broke into a run.

"Murderer, murderer…" These cries were so loud that they caused many Miscellaneous Chores disciples all around to hear. Each one looked on in astonishment. Even Zhouhong and Zhang Yide, who were currently fighting on the tall stage halted for a moment, showing how loud the sound waves were.

Even Xu Baocai had jumped in fright, he had clearly only shouted for the other person's name while chasing after him. The sword still hadn't touched the other person, yet Naruto's scream made it seem like there were already several holes in his body.

"Naruto, if you have the ability, don't run away!" Xu Baocai had an ashen complexion as his hatred of Naruto began to stir. He went straight after Naruto.

"If I had the ability I would have killed you already; it wouldn't make sense for me to run. Murderer! Murderer!" Naruto's speed was extremely fast as he screamed, resembling a fat rabbit, and in the blink of an eye his image could barely be seen anymore.

Meanwhile, in a pavilion erected on the peak of this mountain were two practitioners, one middle-aged and one elderly, sitting across from each other as they played chess. The middle-aged one was precisely Toruho. The elderly man who was sitting across from him had a head full of white hair, a rosy complexion, and streaming light that flowed all over the place inside his eyes. With only a single look, it was clear that he was unusual. At this moment his eyes swept over the bottom of the mountain and he laughed.

"Qinghou. That child you brought back is quite interesting."

"Others will ridicule the sect leader for this; the disposition of this child truly requires even more polishing." Toruho had a slight headache and he shook his head as he placed down a chess piece.

"The children in the Hearthfire Kitchens are all proud and arrogant. To unify them is not simple." The elderly man stroked his beard, his eyes containing a mocking expression.

Brothers and sisters, this new novel beseeches favourites!

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - His Spiritual Energy Has Affected his Brain

At the bottom of the third mountain peak, Naruto's terrified wails had an almost musical quality to them, as each consecutive cry echoed around the mountain range, attracting questioning looks from numerous other handymen. You could clearly see Naruto's plump round figure, with a big black pot strapped to his back and swathed under seven to eight layers of leather jackets, sprinting down the mountain with all his might.

In fact, if you looked from a distance, you probably couldn't see Naruto's figure but you could definitely spot the large black pot scrambling across the ground like a beetle.

The seven or so knives that dangled from Naruto's waist knocked against each other as he ran, making noisy ding dang sounds.

"Murder, help! I don't want to die…" Naruto yelled loudly as he ran faster and faster. Behind him, Xu Baocai's expression was livid. His eyes shone with a strong killing intent, his heart filled with anxiety and fury.

The entire way as he chased after Naruto, the commotion attracted many surrounding handymen. Xu Baocai was worried that it would attract the attention of the Deacon. He started to get somewhat desperate.

"Stop screaming, damn you. Can't you be less noisy? Why the hell are you screaming, shut up!" Xu Baocai roared angrily as he ground his teeth. With a sharp gesture, instantly the wooden sword by his side flared with light. His speed became fractionally faster as he flew forwards, straight towards Naruto.

With a loud Peng! his wooden sword knocked against the black pot on Naruto's back. While an echoing Gongg resounded, Naruto had suffered no harm as he continued to run for his life.

Xu Baocai grit his teeth violently. The black pot that was strapped onto Naruto's back blocked more than half of his body, leaving him with no place to strike. Unwilling to give up, he set off in hot pursuit once more.

The two people, one in front and one behind, scurried back and forth endlessly in the Handymen District.

"This guy's carrying a pot but he still runs so fast!" Xu Baocai gasped for breath as he watched Naruto's shadow disappear in the distance, feeling more and more dissatisfied. He was a level two cultivator, but even though he had exhausted all his strength like a baby sucking milk, he still could not catch up with Naruto who was sprinting away like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on.

In the blink of an eye, Naruto saw the side path leading to the Burning Stoves Kitchen. His eyes filled with emotion. He felt like he had seen his home, as he almost began to cry hot tears.

"Brother, help me! There's a murderer!" Naruto yelled loudly. He ran into the Burning Stove Kitchen, leaving a trail of smoke behind him. When Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties heard the wretched highpitched cry, they were startled. Immediately, they walked outside.

"Brother, save me. Xu Baocai wants to kill me, I almost lost my life back there." Naruto hastily hid before Zhang Fatso One's body.

"Xu Baocai?" When Zhang Fatso One heard him, his eyes flashed. He looked around but was unable to see even a shadow. Opening his mouth to speak, he finally noticed Xu Baocai's figure in the far distance, huffing and puffing as he ran towards them.

Naruto had also noticed Xu Baocai's figure and felt somewhat suspicious.

"Eh, why is he running so slowly?"

Zhang Fatso One glanced down at Naruto before he looke

d back up to see the heavily gasping Xu Baocai who had just arrived. The meat on his face trembled.

Xu Baocai had chased him here with much difficulty. The moment he neared the Burning Stoves Kitchen, he could hear Naruto's suspicious words. As those words entered his ear, he only felt a furious rage trapped in his chest. As though his whole person exploded, he roared loudly. Waving his right hand, the wooden sword beside him shot out with a Whooosh, embedding itself directly into a large tree.

Baaang! The tree shook, as a large hole where the sword had passed through, appeared.

"Naruto, I will never forgive you!" Xu Baocai's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at Naruto with a death glare. He then glanced at Zhang Fatso One's hulking figure before he turned around and hatefully stomped away.

Naruto's heart thumped wildly. He peeked at the hole in the tree and then at the hysterical Xu Baocai. He swallowed hard as a sense of unease rose in his heart.

As Zhang Fatso One gazed at Xu Baocai's retreating figure, a fierce look flashed briefly across his face. He turned around and patted Naruto's shoulder.

"Ninth Brother, have no fear. This Xu Baocai might have a little bit of background but if he dares to show up again, we Brothers will beat him till his legs are broken!" At this point, Zhang Fatso One's tone changed.

"Nonetheless, Ninth Brother, if you can avoid going out for these few days, then it's best that you stay in your room. I can see that you've already lost weight. This Brother will fix that. It just so happens that in a few days' time, Elder Zhou is celebrating another ten years of age!" (TL: The word used here for ten years is 大寿. It's a special birthday celebrated when one reaches 70, 80 etc. years of age)

Naruto nodded absentmindedly, his gaze all the while fixed on the tree Xu Baocai had run through with his sword.

Even when he returned to the Burning Stoves Kitchen with his Brothers, Naruto sat in his room deep in thought. The more he pondered, the less secure he felt. His opponent's wooden sword had managed to pierce a hole in a tree. If it had been his body, he would have died a tortured death without leaving even an intact corpse.

"This won't do, unless I plan to spend my whole life in this Burning Stoves Kitchen. Otherwise, once I step outside and he catches me, what am I going to do then…" The image of Xu Baocai's scathing and poisonous parting glare just wouldn't leave Uzumaki Xioachun's mind.

"I came here to seek immortality. I can't die now…" The perturbation that came with a lack of safety had caused blood vessels to pop up in Naruto's eyes. A good long while later, he grit his teeth violently.

"Fuck, I give up! No matter what, I'm still scared!" Naruto saw red. His personality could be described as 'scared of death', but a better way to put it was 'severe paranoia'. This experience he had suffered today had greatly motivated him. The stubbornness in his personality flared up.

"I want to cultivate! I want to become strong!" Naruto breathed heavily as he made his decision. Immediately, he took the bamboo scroll containing Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique. He inspected the second diagram and began to train with bloodshot eyes.

Although he was scared of death, he possessed a streak of viciousness. Or else he would not have persisted in lighting the incense stick so many times even though he had been terrified of being struck by lightning.

Now, he had brought out this vicious streak. He followed the posture on the second diagram and held on with all his might. Usually he could only hold the pose for around ten breaths, but today he had persisted to fifteen.

Although his body ached all over and perspiration continuously dripped from his brow, the determination in Naruto's eyes had still not faded. In fact he had even managed to persist till twenty breaths and then thirty breaths. The flow of Qi in his body had rapidly doubled in size. Black dots clouded his vision as he suddenly exhaled after holding his breath for a long while. But he only allowed himself to relax for a brief moment before he began to cultivate again.

He trained in silence throughout the night. Two days passed, then three days, four days… For five consecutive days, apart from attending to his bodily needs, Naruto had not exited his room at all. This kind of dry training was difficult to endure for an amateur cultivator but the thought of giving up had not even crossed his mind.

Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties were shocked by Naruto's cultivation. It must be said that the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique was definitely not easy. In theory, learning it was simple but when the postures of each level were held for a prolonged period of time, it would result in indescribable pain. To persist in this technique required huge amounts of willpower. The ordinary handymen in the Sect had all only trained for a couple of days before giving up.

But they had watched Naruto train for half a month. When the fatties came over to observe him, the Naruto they saw was vastly different from the impression they had of him from several months ago.

His clothes were creased and his hair was messy. His eyes popped with blood vessels. His whole person looked extremely fatigued but he was still diligent in his training. No matter how much pain he suffered, he still refused to stop.

Even his body had clearly slimmed down several rounds. The spiritual authority that radiated from his inner body had greatly increased as it moved endlessly towards the completion of the first level of cultivation.

It was as though he had taken all the treasures of heaven and earth stored in his fat and through drastic measures, trained until their essence had assimilated and become part of his body. As a result, his body had become much sturdier than that of an ordinary person.

"Ninth Brother, take a break. Every day, every night, you've been training for more than a month now." Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties hurriedly tried to persuade him. But when Naruto lifted his head, they only saw the determination shining in his eyes. That kind of stubbornness caused their hearts to be greatly moved.

As time continued to pass, in the blink of an eye Naruto had already cultivated for an entire month. During this month, his fervour had greatly shocked the other fatties. To put it in Zhang Fatso One's words, Naruto wasn't so much cultivating as he was gambling with his life!

After this bout of intense training, the time that Naruto could hold the second posture for, had also surpassed one hundred breaths and reached one hundred and fifty! The spiritual Qi that flowed within him was no longer a narrow stream. It had evidently become much wider. As another month passed, Zhang Fatso One and the fatties were all greatly alarmed. They were terrified that one day, Naruto would train himself to death. When they had finally made up their minds to destroy Xu Baocai, a loud rumble was heard from Naruto's room.

As the rumble echoed, a spiritual pressure, characteristic of the second level of Qi-condensation, had immediately erupted from Naruto's location. It spread outwards in a circle with a radius of thirty meters, instantly alerting the fatties. They lifted their heads to stare in that direction, as their expressions changed one by one.

"Little Brother has finally broken through!"

"The second level of Qi-condensation! Although our Burning Stoves

Kitchen occasionally has added suppers, but to reach the second level of

Qi condensation in less than half a year, that's very seldom seen!"

"Back when I reached the second level of Qi condensation, I used an entire year's worth of time…" Just as Zhang Fatso One and the other fatsos began to lament, the door to Naruto's room opened with a creak. His face full of exhaustion, his clothes in tatters but his eyes shining with vigour, Naruto stepped out.

Just as the fatties wanted to greet him, they saw Naruto's body waver before he nimbly leapt onto the fence surrounding the kitchen yard. Clasping his hands behind his back, he stood there. His head was lifted high as he proudly surveyed his surroudings with a deep expression, looking like a expert seeking solitude.

"What is he doing standing there? He looks strange…"

"Little Brother, has he...entered the flames and become a demon?" Zhang Fatso One and the other fatties looked at each other. [TL: 走火入魔, walking into flames and becoming a demon refers to a kind of insanity born from obsessive training. Also known as Kundalini psychosis.)

Just as they were beginning to become suspicious of Naruto's appearance, they heard Naruto deliberately speak in an archaic fashion, as he stood on the fence.

"Xu Baocai, born in the Handymen District of the Spirit River sect. His peerless pride and illustrious glory, no one beneath this heaven shall deny. His cultivation has reached a shocking second level of Qicondensation. But I am also of the second level! This battle between him and me is an even match. Our names may spread to all corners of the Earth and stir the Sects. But it is unavoidable that this battle be smeared with blood and scattered with broken bones...Nay! This battle is of utmost importance. I must continue my cultivation!"

When he finished speaking, Naruto contemplatively gazed into the distance. With a swirl of his short sleeves, he once again returned into his room, closing the door with a Peng! One by one, the fatties swallowed their saliva. They looked at each other, unsure of what to do for a long while. Finally, Black Fatso Three ventured.

"Could it be that we have fed Little Brother something wrong?"

"It's over! It's over, Little Brother's spiritual energy has affected his brain; he has cultivated to insanity...We must not provoke him!" Yellow Fatso Two's entire body shuddered as he spoke with certainty.

Chapter 7 Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Tortoise Mark Recognizing Its Master

—-

Big Fatty Choji and the others looked at Naruto's thatched hut.

At any rate, there was at least one of them who was mindful of Naruto's cultivation as he had finally made a breakthrough to the second layer of Qi Condensation. After going outside and talking to himself, Naruto had returned to his house to continue cultivating.

Inside of his house, Naruto wiped the perspiration off his forehead. As he strove to assume the position dictated in the third diagram, his naked body experienced an acute pain to which he gritted his teeth and endured.

Within his body, the qi within his meridians was no longer simply a streamlet, but rather a small river wandering throughout his body. With every revolution, his body echoed kakasounds. His originally round body, at this moment, had already become completely thin. He had become even thinner than when he first arrived at Hearthfire Kitchen.

However, the bursts of spiritual power appeared to be stored inside of his body. In the wake of his persistent cultivation, the skin of his skinny and shriveled body seemed to faintly pulse. If one listened closely, one could hear his heartbeat – the peng peng sound echoed throughout the house.

The increasing spiritual pressure inside of his body continuously condensed. While undergoing the constant and strong pressure, Naruto's power had increased considerably. This process lasted for a few days, until Naruto's body unexpectedly felt as if it was being stabbed with pain. When compared to the previous acute pain, this stabbing pain was significantly greater and gave him no choice but to give up.

Naruto was panting heavily with bloodshot eyes. He was strongly aware that his body appeared to be unable to hold on. Although his cultivation unceasingly absorbed worldly power from his surroundings, it was obvious that his body could not keep up. In addition, obtaining extra meals from the Hearthfire Kitchen required luck; therefore, he could not have one every day.

Although others also cultivated this Violet Qi Cauldron Technique, cultivating once every few days was already considered diligent to them, and at most, they would cultivate once a day. Naruto cultivated every day and night incessantly; not to mention Big Fatty Choji's and the other's overwhelming shock, even the Inner Sect disciples would be gobsmacked if they knew.

However, Naruto did not feel safe, even after cultivating to this extent. His character was always keen to secure his own safety. Thus, he withdrew the once spirit refined Spiritual Rice he had stashed away previously. He held it in his hand and examined it. He used an ordinary wok to cook it, and as the spiritual aura spread out, he didn't hesitate and swallowed the Spiritual Rice immediately.

The Spiritual Rice promptly transformed upon entering his body, forming a strong spiritual aura that was several times greater than common Spiritual Rice. In his body, there was a loud explosion and an incomplete level of majestic power began to surge forward. Naruto hurriedly assumed the position dictated in the third diagram while adjusting his breathing, soon entering a state of cultivation.

One night half a month later, Naruto's body suddenly shook. As he opened his eyes, he was shocked to find that his cultivation had unknowingly broken through from the Second layer Qi Condensation to the Third layer Qi Condensation.

This change immediately made Naruto ecstatic. His eyes displayed his high spirits as he heartily laughed. He inspected himself; within his body, the qi meridian had already thoroughly transformed from a streamlet to a small river. This small river qui

ckly circulated throughout his body, with the speed rapidly exceeding the antecedent significantly. With just a thought, his spiritual qi would instantly spread out to any location within his body.

"Qi Condensation third layer! This once spirit refined Spiritual Rice is indeed extraordinary!" Naruto stood up and licked his lips thinking about the number of Spiritual Rice grains he could refine. However, he felt as if his meridians had swelled up a bit. By recalling what the bamboo scroll recorded, he knew that his body needed to adapt and that he should not continue cultivating in the near future.

Pressured by this idea, he walked up and down his house with smug appearance. His rapid pacing stopped, his eyes looked out the window and then the door. Despite it being very late at night, he could vaguely see the large tree on that path outside Hearthfire Kitchen with the assistance of the moonlight.

"This won't do. Xu Baocai's wooden sword is not normal. Even if I am finally at the Qi Condensation third layer, it is still not sufficiently safe!" Naruto furrowed his brows, contemplating for a moment and then looking at the multi-colored wooden sword by his side. He once again looked at the wok inside his house.

"If I can spirit refine it twice, maybe it'll be better," he thought. Having immediately made a decision, he walked away from the house to Hearthfire Kitchen to fetch some Spiritual wood.

His preparations finished, later that day and very late at night, Naruto stopped to the side of the mysterious wok, setting the wood on fire. Upon seeing the bright lines, he threw the wooden sword into the wok.

Waiting for a long time without seeing any reactions from beginning to end, Bao Naruto furrowed his brows and looked at patterns on the tortoise-patterned wok. He saw that the wood had already stopped burning, having become ashes. Muttering to himself, he left to look for more spirit wood. Several tries later, despite the flame burning, the wooden sword was not even slightly changed at all.

"This is all the same one color firewood, could it be that the temperature is too low? I need to make it even hotter….two colored flame?" Naruto pondered, walking out of the door and once more returning an hour later, in his hands a purple log of wood. The Hearthfire Kitchen did not have a lot of this wood left, so Naruto was only able to find one.

He placed it under the wok and immediately lit a fire. This fire was composed of two differently colored flames, and the dual-colored flame was hotter by several degrees!

When the dual-colored flame appeared, the second line on the tortoise shell instantly began to shine while the dual-colored flame rapidly dimmed in response. It seemed like all of a sudden, the fire was completely withdrawn. Shortly after, the second colored flame completely burned to ashes, and the second line on the tortoisepatterned wok brightly shined and rose.

"Success!" Naruto eyes shined brightly as he promptly place the wooden sword into the wok and a silver light suddenly radiated outwards. Unexpectedly, compared to the first spirit refinement, it had taken several breaths longer to refine.

The light gradually dimmed. Suddenly, a shining white light exploded forth and made a beeline for Naruto. Naruto was unable to react to this sudden change. An indescribable icy chill bloomed before his eyes, flash-freezing and entering his body. He was overwhelmingly shocked to find himself unable to stop its movement and could only look on helplessly as the icy chill ruthlessly pillaged his body from within.

His complexion paled, and his vision grew fuzzy. There seemed to be something inside his body that was sucked out it and assimilated into the patterned tortoise shell.

The bright light didn't begin to dissipate until this instance. The wooden sword appeared in the wok significantly sharper than before; simply looking at the wooden sword made the eyes feel sharply pained.

Although this sword appeared gaudy and tattered, the wood grain inside of it had already changed. If the paint was wiped off, it was possible to see the light given off by this grain. The sword had undergone a thorough, fundamental transformation.

At almost the same time as the wooden sword's appearance, a rumble of thunder resounded on the southern bank of the Spirit Creek Sect, shocking countless Spirit Creek Sect cultivators. Fortunately, this thunder left just as fast as it came.

As the thunder resounded, a second silver line appeared on the wooden sword's blade. It flickered a few times before disappearing under the motley of paint.

Naruto was unable to inspect the sword. His expression darkened, and he retreated a few steps. His body, near the point of collapse, required a significant amount of time to recover. Recalling that feeling he just experienced, traces of fear reemerged.

"What did it extract from my body…" His nervous gaze landed on the copper mirror on the wall, subconsciously glancing at his appearance. He rubbed his eyes and carefully examined himself. He gradually became dumbstruck like a wooden chicken.

His mirror reflection had several strands of white hair on his head. Although his appearance was unchanged beyond this, he still felt as if he had aged a year.

"Longevity!" Naruto muttered soullessly.

"The thing that I lost just now was my longevity, I… I…" He wanted to cry but couldn't find the tears. His purpose in cultivating was for a long life and before he could even obtain the long life, he lost one year of his longevity. This was a huge blow to him.

"I lost it…I didn't think that I, Naruto, who depended on that half of a lifetime, would unexpectedly lose such an excessive length of longevity…" He sat down there with a stupid expression, forcing a bitter laugh. After a period of tranquility, he raised his head to look towards the tortoise-patterned wok. His two eyes, however, slowly exposed a strange intention. He faintly realized after apparently having his life shortened, he and that patterned tortoise wok possessed some kind of existential connection. It was as if he could control the wok.

His heart stirred. He lifted his right hand and pointed it at the wok.

Immediately the tortoise-patterned wok flashed with a black light, actually shrinking instantly, and headed straight towards Naruto. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the middle of his fingertips. Naruto stared blankly. Suddenly, he stood up and backed away a few steps, lowering his head to look at his own fingers before once again staring at the empty fire stove.

"This…this…" His right hand once again pointed at the floor, and in a glint of black light accompanied by a peng sound, the wok reappeared.

Naruto continuously attempted this many times. Whether his expression was elated or gloomy, it was indeterminable. It was joyous, yet it was also melancholy. In the end, he exhaled a sigh all the same.

"Even though I can store it in my body now, the price is one year of my longevity. No matter how I think about it, it's still a loss."

In the afternoon of the next day, Naruto was pondering over how he could regain the longevity that had been sucked away when he suddenly sensed something. Raising his head, he sensed seven or eight figures speeding over towards him.

When Naruto was in the first layer of Qi Condensation he could not sense it, but as he was now at the third layer of Qi Condensation, he was able to immediately sense those seven or eight figures. This group of people was led by Xu Baocai.

At the same time, Xu Baocai's voice, carrying resentment, could suddenly be heard.

"Naruto, you have seniors to guard you. I, Xu Baocai, also have them. Today you and I will settle the grudges between us with this fight."

—

My wife brought my daughter out on a trip…and left me alone at home. It's like this every year…I feel I'm very pitiful and miserable. I beseech recommendation tickets as comfort, I beseech favorites as comfort~~

I'll continue to write later. Let's make an appointment for 12 o'clock tonight!

Chapter 8 Chapter 8

Chapter 8 – We will fight!

—-

Upon seeing Xu Baocai's imminent arrival, Naruto suddenly stood up.

"Arriving so fast…" His eyes revealed a trace of hesitation. Despite his ample preparation over these past six months, he still felt unprepared. Originally his intentions were to cultivate to the Fourth layer of Qi Condensation, just to be safe.

However, Naruto knew he couldn't hide anymore. He could only clench his teeth resolutely in the face of Xu Baocai and his gang of seven or eight.

"Fight!" Uzumaki Xaiochun sucked in a deep breath, put on seven to eight leather jackets, and then stored the Spiritual Rice into the wok. After placing the wok on his back, he tensely opened the door and walked out.

As Naruto was preparing to depart, Big Fatty Choji and the others were aggressively wielding cleavers and ladles in front of the door to the Heartfire Kitchens, making Xu Baocai and his companions pause.

"I say, I could've sworn I heard some crows cawing earlier this morning, turns out it was just you oppressive bastards from the Supervising House. Little shits like you only know how to suppress the brats of our sect. And yet you come here, to the Hearthfire Kitchen of all places, with the intent of acting wildly!?" Big Fatty Choji gave a cold snort. He stood unfazed like a small mountain, as his voice resounded throughout the surroundings like a rumble of thunder.

"Big Fatty Choji, other people might fear your Hearthfire Kitchen, but we from the Supervising House couldn't care less about you guys! We received a complaint from Junior brother Xu, because of this, we have come here today in order to exercise our power as the Supervising House. Do you dare to oppose us?" The seven or eight figures beside Xu Baocai were all wearing lofty expressions on their faces. Although both sides were wearing the same Miscellaneous Chores Disciples uniform, the disciples from the Supervising House had an obvious 'Supervising' character written on the cuff of their sleeves. This represented their authority and status as disciples of the Supervising House, as well as their extraordinary identity.

Among them, there was one who was particularly brawny fellow who was exuding the spiritual pressure of a Third layer Qi Condensation cultivator. A cold glint flashed through his eyes as he stared at Big Fatty Choji. Meanwhile, the people surrounding Big Fatty Choji were completely ignored.

"Bullshit! So it's perfectly reasonable for someone to chase after and attempt to kill my Junior brother then?!" Big Fatty Choji laughed coldly. "Hu!" After raising his right hand, the big black wok on his back floated up without assistance and began exuding an unstoppable pressure; causing each and every one of the men around the burly fellow to change their expressions. As for the burly fellow, both his pupils shrunk immediately. He quickly started making hand signs with his fingers, and a little flag immediately flew out. It gave off plumes of mist, and one could even vaguely hear the roar of a wild beast coming from within.

At this intense moment of the showdown, Xu Baocai caught sight of Uzumaki

Naruto who had just walked out of the grass hut. Newfound

vengeance and old hatred instantly filled the depths of his heart as he howled with rage.

"Naruto!" As he spoke, Xu Baocai furiously lunged forward, and the wooden sword in his hand immediately flew out with a whistle.

Big Fatty Choji and the others' expressions immediately changed. Just as they were about to go and block the attack, the burly fellow from the Supervising House sneered and quickly went to stop them. Right at the moment when Xu Baocai had charged forwa

rd and said those words, Naruto's eyes turned red with fury, and he also shouted loudly,

"Xu Baocai, you have forced me! I have no other choice but I'm going to fight you to the death!" Naruto's heart palpitated wildly. Never mind fighting a fellow cultivator, he had never fought with anyone at all in his life!

At this moment, the nervousness almost brought Naruto to the brink of insanity. Along with the shout meant to boost his own courage, the power of the Third layer Qi Condensation cultivation immediately burst forth. Putting all of his cultivation on the line, and pouring all of the spirit Qi in his body into the wooden sword, Naruto wielded the wooden sword in his hands and pointed it towards Xu Baocai.

With a 'weng' sound coming from the wooden sword, the two silver lines hidden among the different colours of the sword faintly flashed, immediately causing the sword's body to expand in diameter. A cold, oppressive aura exploded from the sword as it sprinted directly towards Xu Baocai.

The rapid speed and imposing aura of the sword stunned the people from both the Hearthfire Kitchen and the Supervising House. What led them to further suck in their breaths was the fact that the particular sword was exuding a sharp will that enveloped the surroundings. The sight before them shocked them so much that they immediately stopped fighting and looked over in astonishment.

Xu Baocai hadn't even gotten close to Naruto when the aura of the latter already made him jump in fright. The Naruto before him right now was entirely different from the one in his memory from a few months back- as if he was now an entirely different person. The sight of Naruto clenching his teeth and giving it his all sent a shiver down Xu Baocai's spine.

Soon after, Xu Baocai's eyes widened with a look of incredulity. He saw the rapidly approaching wooden sword of Naruto seemingly turning into a raging waterfall. The qi it was emitting in particular; he had only seen this type of qi before in the battles between the outer sect disciples. Xu Baocai was instantly struck dumb with disbelief as his scalp turned numb.

"Peng" Naruto's wooden sword directly struck Xu Baocai's wooden sword, causing the latter's to shudder vigorously. Without any resistance, the sword started to shatter from its tip. In the blink of an eye, the sword was blown into countless smithereens that flew back towards Xu Baocai.

As for Naruto's wooden sword, it did not falter one bit and continued to charge forward, straight towards Xu Baocai. Xu Baocai, who had just had his soul scared out of him, used all of his remaining strength to barely dodge the incoming sword. The wooden sword brushed past his shoulder and struck a big tree behind him.

With a loud 'hong', the tree was split in half, falling immediately and setting off a cloud of dust and mud. At the same time, Xu Baocai let out a painful shriek as fresh blood splattered from his right arm. With a pale face, he rapidly retreated from his previous position.

All of this bloodshed was still due to Naruto being unfamiliar with the control of external not, that sword would have been enough to kill Xu Baocai, only leaving an incomplete carcass behind. "Third layer of Qi Condensation! Impossible, this is impossible!" Looking towards Naruto, Xu Baocai had a face filled with terror, as if he had just seen a ghost. For a wooden sword to have that much power, it was only possible with a cultivation of at least the Third layer of Qi Condensation. That Naruto could have such a shocking change in just a few months was beyond his comprehension. The drastic difference between reality and what he had actually expected made Xu Baocai unable to come to terms with it and he felt as if he was living a nightmare.

It was not only him who was shocked with disbelief. At this moment, even the burly fellow and the others from the Supervising House all sucked in a deep breath. They all turned to look at Naruto with grim expressions on their faces.

"To transform Spirit into Sharpness, and allow Sword Light to be exuded, this is the hallmark of cultivating the Violet Qi Cauldron Technique to the realm of "Lifting Heavy as if Light", which can then form the basis of divine skills!" The burly fellow from the Supervising House sucked in a deep breath and looked at Naruto with a gaze showing a hint of wariness.

For the cultivators from the Supervising House to react in this way, nothing more could be said by Big Fatty Choji and the others. They all looked at Naruto with shocked expressions. When Naruto reached the Third layer of Qi Condensation, they had somewhat already noticed it, but for the wooden sword to emit Sword Light and have a distinct expansion of its diameter… this meant that Naruto had attained the realm of "Lifting Heavy as if Light", and this was the first time they knew about this fact as Naruto had said nothing.

Even Naruto himself was shocked by the power of his wooden sword. He looked dazedly at the collapsed big tree, and then turned to look at Xu Baocai again. Seeing his pale expression, Naruto immediately cocked his head back and started laughing.

"Xu Baocai, to think you are actually so weak, eat my sword!" Naruto wa brimming with enthusiasm after ascertaining that he was much stronger than Xu Baocai. With a hearty laughter, he immediately sprinted towards Xu Baocai.

When Naruto's gaze swept over his opponent, Xu Baocai's body uncontrollably shivered. Witnessing Naruto's hearty laughter and seeing his incoming figure, fear instantly gripped Xu Baocai as he halfstumbled and half-crawled his way towards escape.

However, he had barely taken a few steps when Naruto was already in front of him. Looking at Xu Baocai, scenes of being chased by this person and the bitter cultivation over this period of time filled Naruto's mind. Reminiscing the bitterness of those hardships had somehow turned into his strength as Naruto viciously lifted his leg and kicked towards Xu Baocai.

"Let's see how you are going to chase me again!" Naruto clenched his right fist and punched Xu Baocai in his eye. Xu Baocai shrieked as he fell onto the ground. As much as he wanted to fight back in his heart, with his Second layer of Qi Condensation cultivation, he had absolutely no form of resistance against the Naruto in front of him.

"This is for provoking me, and to let you know that your grandpa here is no herbivore!" Naruto jumped and mercilessly trampled on Xu Baocai, continuously punching and kicking with his teeth clenched, causing the latter to endlessly moan in pain.

'Peng peng' sounds echoed throughout the surroundings, and be it the fellows from the Supervising House or Big Fatty Choji and the others, all they could do was to stand there in a daze while their hair stood on end. They simply looked at Xu Baocai who was getting thrashed, and at Naruto who became more and more excited with each blow.

Xu Baocai had tears flowing down his cheeks and felt extremely wronged. He could hardly believe that Naruto was capable of becoming so powerful in just a few months. His strength and that 'Lifting Heavy as if Light' technique in particular; not even several years would be enough to attain this power.

From his perspective, Naruto clearly had someone influential behind him. Furthermore, he was this strong from the beginning, but due to his low and wretched personality, he'd pretended to appear weak and inferior. The most irritating part was that he had been so good at acting that Xu Baocai had seriously believed him!

Thinking of this, grief and hatred rushed to Xu Baocai's head, and he immediately fainted.

Looking at the unconscious Xu Baocai, Naruto gave his shirt a pat, and got off Xu Baocai's body. With a wave of his right hand, the wooden sword instantly flew towards him and was placed inside his sleeves. Putting on the expression of a lonely warrior, Naruto tried hard to conceal his excited gaze.

The burly fellow from the Supervising House threw a meaningful look towards Naruto, and with a capricious expression, he clasped his hands together.

"Junior brother Uzumaki sure has concealed himself well. You have my admiration," he said with an expressionless face. Without pausing, he turned around and signaled the others to leave, bringing the unconscious Xu Baocai along with them.

After the group had left, Big Fatty Choji and the others all came to Naruto's side and looked towards him with a hint of happiness in their eyes. After all, the guys from the Supervising House were outsiders to them, and Big Fatty Choji and the others knew the amount of hard work that Naruto had put in these past few months. At this moment, they only had respect for Naruto.

"You brat, not bad, looks like you didn't play with your life for nothing in these six months!" Big Fatty Choji patted Naruto on the shoulders.

"That is because, when I go all out and put my life on the line, even I get scared of myself." Naruto smiled and cocked his head like a proud little rooster, causing Big Fatty Choji and the others to throw another fit of laughter.

—-

This novel "A Thought Through Eternity" has started on its first full week, and what I wish for the most this week is to rise to the top of the two charts!

Brothers and sisters, give me a hand!

Thank you, everyone!

Chapter 9 Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Longevity Pill

Time flew as fast as a steed flitting past a crack! [1] A month passed, and chilling winds were beginning to blow; sending autumn leaves floating through the air along the Tongtian river, just past the Spirit Creek Sect. As the seasons changed, Naruto suddenly realized that it had been a whole year since his arrival at the Spirit Creek Sect.

For him, this year had been quite eventful. He had changed from an ordinary person, into a sect disciple with a cultivation base at the Third layer of Qi Condensation. This change absolved any conflicts that may have arisen due to him joining the Hearthfire Kitchens.

Xu Baocai never appeared before the Hearthfire Kitchens' doors again. Even when Naruto ventured down the mountain in order to procure materials for the Hearthfire Kitchens, to replenish all the materials the nine brothers consumed, he would almost always catch a glimpse of Xu Baocai hurriedly attempting to avoid him. It appeared as though Xu Baocai was absolutely terrified of him.

Despite that, for the past month Naruto would often be seen in a miserable mood. He would sigh from the bottom of his heart and say nothing to Big Fatty Choji and the others. For Naruto, this was something he had to deal with by himself.

"One year of my life… ah…" Naruto looked at a nearby tree, its leaves that had turned yellow were being carried away by the wind as they fell.

'I am just like this big tree. These falling leaves represent the one year of life I've lost…' thought Naruto, feeling rather sentimental.

This past month he had tried every method of nourishing his body, yet the strands of white hair that covered his forehead still hadn't regained their colour. He had indirectly asked Big Fatty Choji and the others about it, and discovered that there were actually some methods to supplement one's life. However, they either had some kind of restriction, or were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn gradually forgot about eating and drinking, causing even his small face became haggard. In the end he had no choice but to give up and accept the fact that his lifespan had shortened. After leaving one afternoon in order to purchase materials for the Hearthfire Kitchens, Naruto spotted a huge stele at the bottom of the third peak. The pace of his breathing gradually sped up.

At the foot of every mountain on the southern bank of the Spirit Creek Sect was a stele just like this one. On its side were countless rows of densely packed texts that flickered with light. From time to time some of the text would slide off the stele like running water, after which new lines of characters would appear to replace them.

This was where the Spirit Creek Sect mission reception area was located. Every disciple needed to complete sect missions in order to receive the spirit stones necessary for cultivation, as well as contribution points.

In particular, contribution points were needed for things such as listening to scriptures, entering the Technique Pavilion, and accessing any of the special training areas. Contribution points could be used to obtain nearly anything in the sect. To some extent, contribution points were more precious than spirit stones.

Currently, many outer sect disciples had gathered at the base of the third peak. They were all staring at the mission stele with unwavering eyes. Occasionally someone would select a task to complete, and then respectfully relay it to the cross-legged middle-aged cultivator who was sitting in front of the stele.

Furthermore, there were even some Miscellaneous Chores disciples among them. Amidst the sea of outer sect disciples who wore cloud-like cyan robes, they could be clearly distinguished due to their different clothing.

The only missions that were not specifically visible here, were the ones that required an inner disciple of the Spirit Creek Sect. As for the other missions, both outer sect disciples and Miscellaneous Chores disciples could choose them.

Some of the Miscellaneous Chores disciples who strove to advance would view this place as the first step for themselves, as a carp leaping through the dragon's gate. [2]

Naruto had been standing here for as long as it would take an incense stick to burn. His expression was indiscernible as he stared attentively at one of the lines of flickering text in the center of the stele. The look on his face betraying his apparent hesitation.

"Longevity pill…I didn't expect inner sect disciples to have this kind of herbal medicine. Going by the name, this pill should be able to extend one's life." After staring for a long time, Naruto mumbled as contemplated this matter for a short while before approaching the middle-aged cultivator who was sitting in front of the stele.

Many outer sect disciples surrounded Naruto on all sides. Even though they had all sensed his arrival, each and every one of them chose to ignore him. Due to his standing, and because he was a Miscellaneous Chores disciple, they didn't even consider him worthy of their attention.

Naruto waited until the people the amount of people between him and the middle aged dwindled. Then he cupped his fists to pay his respects, displaying an obedient countenance.

"Good afternoon, Senior Brother."

The middle-aged cultivator raised his head and swept a glance over Naruto, then slightly nodded his head without saying a single word.

"Senior Brother, there is a mission here that requires one to search for several strands of herbs in exchange for a longevity pill. Can this pill truly extend one's lifespan?" Naruto asked about this particular detail, as he was still concerned about his lifespan.

"Longevity pill… yeah, there is such a mission. And the pill you receive as a reward will extend your life, though only by one year. However, it comes with many restrictions. It can only be used at the Fifth layer of Qi Condensation or below, and it's only effective the first time one uses it; consuming it a second time is completely useless. It's considered precious, because it can extend a person's lifespan by one year, but it isn't very useful in the end." The middle-aged cultivator saw how obedient Naruto looked, and couldn't help but blurt out additional details.

"Generally speaking, it's only used by sect disciples to prolong the mortal lives of their family's elderly, however it has a considerable price. Do you still want to accept this mission?"

Naruto raised his head to eye the stele, pondered for a bit, and then nodded.

Seeing this, the middle-aged cultivator lifted his right hand and pointed at the stele. Promptly, the mission text turned grey. A smooth jade white strip appeared in his right hand shortly after, which he then threw to Naruto.

"Azure Spirit Leaves, Earthen Dragonfruits, and Stone Insect Shells. Once you've gathered enough of these three herbs, you can exchange them for a longevity pill." The middle aged cultivator said indifferently, and stopped paying attention to Naruto. Instead, he moved on to presenting missions to the other outer sect disciples – who were arriving at his side.

Naruto took the jade strip and left, as four words continued to echo in his mind, 'can extend your life.' His eyes slowly revealed his resolution.

"I must obtain this medical pill, in order to regain the year of life that I've lost."

With this newfound determination, Naruto sprinted towards the Four Seas House to seek out information. Among the resources available to Miscellaneous Chores disciples, Naruto found information related to the Azure Spirit Leaves. It was a type of medicinal herb that only grew in the habitat of a creature called the Climatory Spiritual Bird. As these Climatory Spiritual Birds liked to gather in flocks, and a single one was akin to a cultivator at the Second layer of Qi Condensation, trying to obtain the herbs was no easy feat. As such, its price wasn't low either.

As for the Earthen Dragonfruit and Stone Insect Shells, the Four Oceans House did not have any records of them. Naruto groped around in his pockets, and then left with a bitter smile. When Naruto returned to the Hearthfire Kitchens, he tried to obtain more information from Fatty Choji and the others. None of them had heard about the Earthen Dragonfruit before, but Third Fatty Hei knew of the Stone Insect Shell. This item was actually the carapace of a spirit insect called the Stone Insect.

According to him, this shell was incomparably hard. Furthermore, it was extremely heavy. They were rarely found here on the southern bank and would only be produced at the northern bank as their cultivation technique worked primarily to tame beasts. Even though both the Southern and Northern Shores were part of the Spirit Creek Sect, and one would only have the qualifications to cross the Main Peak's mountain bridge that stood between them when they became an inner sect disciple.

"Why are you asking about these medicinal herbs? These things can't be eaten, and their prices at the Southern Shore Marketplace at the bottom of the mountain are also ridiculously high." Big Fatty Choji inquired in puzzlement as he patted his stomach.

Naruto's eyes brightened the moment he heard the word 'marketplace'. He immediately sprinted down the mountain after giving the others a simple explanation. Although he had only stepped out of the sect a limited number of times in the year he had been in the Hearthfire Kitchens, he still knew there was a marketplace outside the sect.

Most of the shops in the Marketplace were opened by the families of the disciples in the Sect. There were even some shops that were owned by Sect disciples which exclusively provided services for the disciples of the Sect. Over time, these businesses had slowly grown to a considerable scale.

The everyday necessities required by the Hearthfire Kitchens were also bought from here.

When Naruto returned to the Hearthfire Kitchens after walking around the Marketplace and visiting the Medical Herbs sections, his brows were knitted and repeatedly sighed from the depths of his heart.

"This is too blackhearted, especially for that Earthen Dragonfruit. Isn't it just a fruit of a plant that grows underground? How can it be so expensive!" Naruto helplessly discovered that he simply had no means to exchange for a single Longevity Pill with his current abilities.

Naruto had no idea about the importance of money; when compared to his lifespan, he couldn't care less about how much wealth he had. While he was in this impecunious situation, he suddenly remembered that the only valuable items the Senior Fatty brothers had in their possession were already in their stomachs. Therefore, Naruto came to the conclusion that they were in fact no richer than himself.

As for the spirit food in the Hearthfire Kitchens, nobody could catch and punish them if they secretly ate it. However, if they tried to sell it outside, given the degree of strictness that the disciples from the Supervising House had, the punishment would not be light if they were caught.

Thinking back and forth, Naruto could not come up with any idea to earn money – unless he sold the items he had spirit refined.

But such a matter didn't sit well with him. Naruto was cultivating in his room after several days of contemplation, when suddenly a loud bell chime echoed throughout the Sect.

The bell chime wasn't extremely loud, and it disappeared quickly. Naruto opened his eyes with no expression of surprise. He had heard this bell chime every month since he had entered the Sect. And long ago, he had already known from Big Fatty Choji that this sound signified the day that the various Peaks opened their Trial by Fire to the Miscellaneous Chores disciples. This was their chance to be promoted to an Outer Sect Disciple.

To be promoted from a Miscellaneous Chores disciple to an Outer Sect disciple was akin to a fish transforming into a dragon. One must firstly have attained the Third layer of Qi Condensation cultivation, and secondly, choose a Road of Trial on one of the mountain peaks. Though the Road of Trial was simply a flight of steps that stretched all the way to the altar at the top of the mountain, this road has been layered with magical force, making it extremely hard for anyone to take even a single step. If one could walk successfully to the top, one could earn the right to become an Outer Sect Disciple.

However, the number of Outer Sect Disciple spots were limited, and each time every Peak only chose the three that had finished walking the road in the least amount of time. As there was an enormous number of Miscellaneous Chores Disciples in Spirit Creek Sect – just the southern shore alone had over 10 000 people – it made the competition extremely intense.

As for the disciples of Hearthfire Kitchen , they naturally followed the commandment of "rather starving to death in the Hearthfire Kitchen than competing for a spot in the Outer Sect". At this time of the month, they would only watch the show with excitement and without a single worry on their faces.

Naruto closed his eyes briefly, but soon opened them again with a weird look on his face, instantly turning into happiness A thought slowly formed in his head as he stood up paced back and forth in his room. After closely inspecting the details of this thought, his face immediately brimmed with joy.

"It can be done!" He immediately pushed open his room door and gathered Big Fatty Choji and the others who were busy discussing who the unlucky fellow that would become an Outer Sect disciple would be.

"Fellow Senior Brothers, I have an idea to make us rich. I'm asking for the assistance of my fellow Senior Brothers, let's get rich together!" Naruto smacked his lips and looked towards Big Fatty Choji and his group with a glint in his eye.

Such a look wasn't foreign to Big Fatty Choji and the others; when Naruto had suggested to thicken the base of the bowls which benefited the Hearthfire Kitchen, he had the exact same look on his face. Big Fatty Choji and the others immediately showed their interest.

"Ninth Fatty, just what kind of idea do you have? To tell you the truth, the rest of us are also very poor. It's all because of that damned Supervising House; if it weren't for them, we would have struck rich just by selling those things in the Hearthfire Kitchen!" Big Fatty Choji slapped Naruto on the shoulders and looked on with a gaze of anticipation.

—–

You guys are too ferocious….to think we actually got second place for recommendation votes! Brothers and sisters, be a bit more ferocious please~~

idiom: The general meaning is "How time flies!" as a horse would runvery quickly past a slit.

Mythical Dragon gate where a carp can transform into a dragon

Chapter 10 Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Brother, Wait Up!

Naruto noticed his fellow fatsos staring at him. Their small eyes were shining like spirit stones; especially Zhang Fatso One, whose eyes seemed like they would even spurt out flames. Naruto coughed dryly, feeling a bit proud.

"Brother, you see, every month, the three mountain peaks of our Spirit River Sect would have an outer sect Promotional Examinationt, allowing handymen like us an opportunity to become outer disciples, right?" Naruto said as he raised his adorable face. No matter how you looked at him, Naruto seemed like an "incomparably cute and nice kid".

"However, the sects will only select the best of the best. Therefore, no matter how many people take the monthly test, each peak will only select the top three, right?" Naruto said after licking his lips as his eyes began to shine brightly. After Naruto spoke, Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three seemed to have understood what he was thinking. Apart from them, none of the others had any idea about what Naruto was trying to say.

"You mean…" Zhang Fatso One said while staring at Naruto.

Gradually, his eyes began to shine brightly.

"With our level of cultivation, we could easily claim all three positions at each peak…" Naruto glanced at the few Brothers who had been standing beside him as he continued speaking. Every single one of them had reached the third level of Qi Condensation, especially Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three, who had already reached the peak of the third level. If they hadn't been intentionally suppressing their cultivation all this time, so they could keep a low profile and remain in the Burning Stoves Kitchen, they would have long since broken through to the next level.

"So, if we join all three tests, we could get to the mountaintop ahead of the others, monopolize the first three places, and then… sell those positions to other test-takers!" Naruto said while staring at Fatso One and the others.

Zhang Fatso One's body trembled when he heard Naruto.

"Too damn immoral…" He inhaled deeply, then fiercely slapped his thigh. His pupils shined with a dazzling radiance that had never been seen before. This plan was not complicated, on the contrary it was simple! One just had to change their line of thought and they could easily think of it!

Zhang Fatso One felt enlightened by Naruto's words, his head was filled with wisdom, as if a brand new gate had been opened in front of him. He couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"This method is extremely immoral, haha!" Black Fatso Three yelled, fiercely stomping his foot on the ground. Either due to of bashfulness or excitement, his face was blushing red.

The other fatsos had now realised what Naruto meant. They started breathing rapidly and could feel their blood boiling. When they looked at Naruto, their eyes were filled with admiration.

"This will work, let's do it!"

"Fxxk their grandmothers! Those bastards from the Administrative Office screwed us over for so many years that we're poor to the point of dying! Now that 9th Brother is here, let's get our revenge!"

Everyone immediately became excited and began discussing details about the plan until they all felt that the plan was perfect. When they had ironed out all the details for the next month, Zhang Fatso One happily patted his belly and yelled out.

"Tonight, we'll eat even more!"

Cheerful and boisterous sounds came from the Burning Stoves Kitchen. The following month, all nine fatsos were extremely motivated and worked very h

ard to ensure the success of their plan. They were even cultivating! All that was left was to wait for the day to arrive.

Finally, the day had come.

It was early in the morning and the sun was shining brightly. Under the three peaks of the Spirit River Sect, an unprecedented scene was taking place - at the entrance of each test, three humongous black pots could be clearly seen from afar.

Upon closer inspection, a fatso could be seen under each pot, with his head held high, giving off an extraordinarily mighty vibe.

These were the nine people from the Burning Stoves Kitchen. They were the first batch of handymen to arrive at the entrance to the tests of each three mountain peaks. According to their previous arrangements, they had evenly separated into three groups. Each group consisted of three people, and would take on a single trial.

At this moment, a large number of handymen were arriving at the location from all directions, each of them hopeful and tense. Some of them had failed many times already, while others were first timers, their faces displaying both anxiety and anticipation. They were hoping that they could have a sudden rise to prominence here, going from handymen to outer sect disciples.

As they moved closer to the entrance gates of each peak, all of them saw the fatsos from the Burning Stoves Kitchen.

"Burning Stoves Kitchen? Why are they here?"

"I've been a handyman for nine years and have taken this test no less than thirty times, but this is the first time I've seen people from Burning Stoves Kitchen here…"

As these handymen arrived and noticed the appearance of the Burning Stoves Kitchen's people, they contacted their friends and found out that the Burning Stoves Kitchen's fatsos had shown up under all of the three mountain peaks; after which, all of them immediately went berserk.

"Something big is going on! The Burning Stoves Kitchen's people intend to become outer sect disciples, how is this even possible…?"

Facing the shocked faces of the other handymen and hearing their discussions, Naruto, Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three, calmly stood under the third mountain peak, completely disregarding all of the discussion about them. It was as if their minds were one with the universe.

They focused on the entrance of each path. In their eyes, this was not a trial at all, this was a road that had been paved with shining spirit stones.

Naruto's expression was especially serious, his eyes fixated on the entrance.

Soon, a person gracefully floated down from each of the three mountain peaks. The one who had descended from the mountain peak that Naruto chose was a middle-aged man, who exuded an atmosphere similar to that of an Immortal. The moment he arrived at the trial, he saw the body of Zhang Fatso One, who looked like a mountain of meat.

As his gaze scanned past Naruto and the fatsos, this man who was the elder in-charge of the entrance test, immediately felt surprised.

"Did the sun rise from the west today? Usually, the Burning Stoves Kitchen's people would rather die than become outer sect disciples. Why have they come today?"

He couldn't help but give them a few more glances before his gaze revealed an encouraging look. Then, with a wave of his sleeves, he began talking in a resonant voice.

"The outer sect Promotional Examinations, begin!" After he spoke, a gong rang out, its sound echoing throughout the entire sect. At the same time, a beam of light flashed across the entrance of the path, swiftly opening the gates.

The instant the entrance opened, Zhang Fatso One, who was wearing a look of determination on his face, breathed deeply, and took off like a gust of wind, running up the mountain like he was being chased by a horde of furious wild beasts.

Starting right after Zhang Fatso One, Black Fatso Three's eyes shone with a fierce light. He ran like as though trying to snatch away his position in the trials, was akin to someone trying to take his life.

The third one to start running was Naruto. He ran even faster, leaping high into the air like a rabbit as he darted outwards. His head was filled with thoughts about the Life-prolonging Pill. As soon as the other participants noticed they were gone, all three of them were already on the stairs, going forward as fast as they possibly could.

At this time, other handymen finally realised what happened. Their facial expressions changed and all of them rushed towards the pathway one after another while gritting their teeth. They tried their best to catch up.

This wasn't the only mountain peak with such an occurrence, the other mountain peaks were exactly the same. Running right at the front were the fatsos from the Burning Stoves Kitchen.

Under the third peak, which was named Scented Cloud Peak, on the trial path, Naruto and the others were running like the wind. They were very far ahead of the competition. However, they gradually slowed down as the pressure being emitted by the path increased. They felt like their bodies were being crushed under heavy weights.

Naruto looked back, and saw that there were seven or eight people right behind him. He started to feel worried, as if his LifeProlonging pill was going to be taken away from him.

"Snatching my Life-prolonging Pill is the same as taking my life!" He held his breath as his face became redder and redder. All of his Qi rapidly burst out of his body, more than doubling his speed and propelling him forward like a boar that had its tail stepped on. This allowed him to overtake both Black Fatso Three and Zhang Fatso One.

At the same time, Black Fatso Three also let out a great roar and with an unknown method, his speed instantly skyrocketed, allowing him to overtake Zhang Fatso One and catch up to Naruto. Seeing Naruto and Black Fatso Three about to disappear from his sight, Zhang Fatso One started to worry.

He took a deep breath. Then his fat, meaty body quickly and visibly shrunk, as if he had suddenly burned out his body fat. Simultaneously, his speed suddenly shot up as well. Soon, he had caught up with Black Fatso Three and Naruto. The three of them then sped up once again together, only leaving puffs of dirt behind them.

The other handymen who had been running behind them were all shocked by their performances. Soon, their faces began to reveal expressions of hopelessness. They couldn't accept this. They had done their best but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't catch up to Naruto and the other two fatsos. Some of them with bad tempers had even started cursing.

"Those bastards should die! They must be on aphrodisiacs! Otherwise they couldn't possibly run this fast!"

After the time it took to burn a stick of incense passed, Naruto who had been running in the first place arrived at the mountaintop. He saw two outer sect disciples standing at the end of the path, waiting to admit the first three handymen.

"Congratulations Bro-…" Seeing Naruto arrive, the two outer sect disciples standing at the end of the path smiled slightly at him. They only had time to speak two words before their eyes widened because of what happened next.

They saw Naruto suddenly pause, take another few steps forwards, then abruptly stop again. He was only one step away from the the end of the stairs, where the exit of the path was located.

He looked at the two outer sect disciples standing in front of him, and the two outer sect disciples stared back at him. Naruto let out a cute smile, then turned his body around.

"Stop!" Naruto shouted as he turned around and raised his arms. Followed by his voice, Black Fatso Three and Zhang Fatso One who had been out of breath and closely following behind him suddenly stopped. All three of them stood right in front of the exit of the path, quickly gasping for air, looking at each other, and suddenly bursting into joyous laughter.

The two outer sect disciple who were standing beside them near the exit of the path glanced at each other, seemingly unable to understand what was wrong with them. They started to wonder if the brains of these three handymen were damaged. They had already come this far, but they just stopped right in front of the exit, instead of finishing the test.

"Three junior Brothers, you are the first three to arrive, you can now come over. As long as you walk past this path, the three of you will gain positions of outer sect disciples for completing this test." One of the outer sect disciples kindly said.

"Outer sect disciples? Who would want to be outer sect disciples?!" Zhang Fatso One said while waving his hand carelessly before sitting down on the ground along with Black Fatso Three. The two of them looked like two meat-hills, completely blocking the exit of the path.

Naruto sat down in front of the two of them, raised his chin with a face filled with proudness, while expecting other handymen to come.

"What? You don't want to become outer sect disciples? Then what are you doing here? What's wrong with you?!" The two outer sect disciples were annoyed.

Naruto and his companions turned deaf ears to the two outer sect disciples' words, all of them focusing their small eyes on the path.

In the time it took to burn another incense stick, they finally saw another handyman who had a face that was as long as a horse's. That handyman was panting like a buffalo, slowly approaching through the stairs that were located far away from the exit. The horse-faced handyman sighed when he saw Naruto and the other two, his eyes showing hints of frustration. This was the ninth test that he had taken, and the closest he had been to passing. However, he had encountered the Burning Stoves Kitchen.

When this handyman, whose face was filled with both frustration and anger, was about to turn around and give up, Naruto hurriedly stood up and started yelling.

"Brother, wait up! Come here, come here! Thinking about it, I can't bear to leave the Burning Stoves Kitchen. Therefore, I just decided that I'm not going to become an outer sect disciple, so, this position…"

The horse-faced handyman was dumbfounded for a very short while, then his eyes instantly shone.

Chapter 11 Chapter 11

He was saved! This was the first thought that popped up in the horsefaced handyman's head when he heard Naruto's words. However, he hesitated when he saw the two meat-hills standing behind Naruto with malicious grins on their faces.

"You…"

Naruto's cute and tender face was now filled with a bright smile. He seemed like a person who wouldn't even hurt a fly. He took a few steps forward, patted the horse-faced handyman's shoulder, grinned and said.

"Congratulations, Brother! You're about to become an outer sect disciple. Just like a fish leaping through the dragon's gate, you will soar from here, making rapid improvements. Your future is absolutely limitless! However, your junior Brother here spent so much effort to come this far, do you mind giving me a little reward for my efforts?"

The handyman's horse-like face immediately darkened. If he had not understood Naruto's meaning by now, his decades of life experience would have been in vain. He glanced at Naruto then looked at Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three, his facial expression constantly changing. He was quickly measuring the gains and losses, considering whether or not Uzumaki Xiachun's offer was worth it.

Soon, the horse-faced handyman gnashed his teeth. Indeed, he was unwilling to give up this opportunity, not because he had to wait for another month, but because he didn't know if he could make it next month. Who knows? Next time he might encounter competitors better than him again. Not to mention that the three standing in front of him would probably take the next test too.

Most importantly, he longed to become one of the outer sect disciples, and the best opportunity was now right in front of him. He abruptly stomped his feet against the ground.

"How much do you want?!" said the horse-faced handyman while gnashing his teeth.

"Not much, not much. It's just that I spent many months preparing for this test, so I'll just take twenty spirt stones." Naruto was enraptured, he hurriedly gave an exorbitant price. The horse-faced handyman's heart instantly quivered when he heard this price. Waving his hand, he was preparing to say no, but before he could open his mouth, Naruto began to speak once more.

"I wasn't being greedy, look at the three of us, you can't just compensate only me. My Big Brother and Third Brother starved themselves for the sake of this test!"

Regarding this, Naruto didn't lie. By rushing all the way up to the mountain top, Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three had indeed lost quite a bit of weight in order to raise their speeds.

The horse-faced handyman took a glance at the two fatsos, and started cursing in his heart. He then negotiated with Naruto for awhile before they finally settled on the price of sixteen spirit stones. Bearing great heartache, the horse-faced handyman threw a small bag to Naruto, his face filled with unwillingness.

"Are you satisfied now?" said the horse-faced handyman with a hoarse voice.

"We're good. Dear Brother, please wait by the side. We will open the exit after the other two lucky handymen show up." Naruto said happily as he threw the small bag that contained spirit stones to Zhang Fatso One.

When he heard that they would wait for another two handymen to come, the horse-faced handyman's face screamed schadenfreude. His facial expression was complicated, like he was hoping that others would feel as bad as he did.

Meanwhile, when the two outer sect disciples standing beside the exit saw what had happened in front of them, their eyes widened in disbelief.

ldquo;What…what are you doing?! How dare you sell the outer sect disciple positions!" The two outer sect disciples instantly yelled out in harsh and deep voices.

"Why are you yelling? We have climbed up here and are too tired to continue, so we decided to let others go ahead of us. What's wrong with that? And since we have worked so hard, our dear Brother rewarded us for all of our efforts. Again, what's wrong with that?" said Zhang Fatso One. He was happily counting the spirit stones when he became offended by the two disciples' words. He turned his head and threw them a vicious glare.

His words rendered the two outer sect disciples speechless. They didn't know how to refute him.

At the same time, seven to eight handymen were struggling to move forward through the stairs of the exam path, their heavy gasping was akin to rolling thunder. At the front of the group was a half-naked sturdylooking man ariound thirty years old, walking towards the mountaintop step by step.

Seeing him come, Naruto's eyes suddenly shone, and he hurriedly walked up to the man.

"This Brother here, you're a bit late. But my Brother abruptly decided to give up on becoming an outer sect disciple, do you want his place?"

The sturdy man paused for a second. After hearing Naruto's words, and seeing all the people on the mountaintop, he instantly realised what was happening around here. He gave out a scorn-filled snort.

"How dare you little bastards to blackmail an old-timer?! Screw off!" growled the sturdy man. He suddenly waved his right arm in the air, releasing spirit pressure indicative of the peak of third-level Qi Condensation.

Naruto yelped as he stepped back.

"Big Brother!"

Almost as soon as Naruto let out those two words, a huge meathill came crashing from the heavens.

The sturdy man's face instantly turned purple. He looked up in shock. Accompanied by a roaring sound, a huge meat-hill heavily crashed onto his body.

From beneath Zhang Fatso One's body, the sturdy man screamed.

Zhang Fatso One straight up sat on top of the poor man's body. After struggling for a while, the man failed to extricate himself from underneath Zhang Fatso One's body. If his constitution wasn't so strong and robust, he would have long since run out of air and fainted.

When the seven to eight handymen who were following closely behind the sturdy man saw what happened to him, all of them were stunned and began to feel fear creeping in their hearts.

The two outer sect disciples beside the exit were standing there blanky, staring at the poor sturdy man whose body was nearly bent out of shape and crushed by Zhang Fatso One's weight. They couldn't help but feel sympathy in their hearts.

"Big Brother, we have an audience." Naruto, who stood beside

Zhang Fatso One, said in a low voice as an idea popped into his mind.

Zhang Fatso One had been working together with Naruto for a whole year so he instantly got Naruto's point. He immediately glared at the man, then raised his huge, hammer-like fists and began throwing punches at the sturdy man under his body, creating thunderous booms.

"Trying to freeload off this fat master? You have guts!" yelled Zhang Fatso One while throwing another heavy punch down at the man.

"We Brothers have spent so much effort getting up here since we were planing to become outer sect disciples. But now that we have given up, and kindly offered the place to you, is it too much for you to give us some compensation?!

"Fxxk your grandmother! How dare you refuse our kindness?!" While yelling, Zhang Fatso One didn't just punch that man, but also lifted up his body and dropped it onto the man again. Letting out another series of screams, the sturdy man was nearly squished to death. When he saw Zhang Fatso One stand up again, his face instantly showed pure terror. He immediately thrust out an arm holding a small bag with all his remaining strength, while shouting.

"I'll compensate you!"

Zhang Fatso One paused, then hurriedly stood up before helping the sturdy man to his feet. He grabbed the small bag from the man's hand and peered into it. His face was instantly filled with happiness. He then faced the man, grinning from ear-to-ear, and gently patted the dirt off the sturdy man's clothes.

"Haha, good Brother. Why didn't you just do so earlier? Come, come, come, wait over there, just one more handyman, then we'll open the way."

The sturdy man's heart was now filled with endless grievance, but he did not dare complain. He could only carry a sour face and go stand beside the horse-faced handyman. Unlike him, the horse-faced handyman seemed to feel a lot better after seeing what happened to the sturdy man. He felt that he had been very wise earlier.

"Big Brother, you're too damn good!" said Naruto while laughing. He was so happy that his face looked looked like a blooming flower; he felt even happier when he saw that all of those handymen who had followed behind the sturdy man were now stunned, and staring at Zhang Fatso One in great fright.

Zhang Fatso One proudly and slowly walked back to the front of the exit before he sat down, blocking the exit once again.

The two outer sect disciples standing outside the exit speechlessly looked at each other. They thought that these three people were out of line before, for blackmailing the other test-taker, but now, they felt that what they did before was actually pretty nice.

"They…they…How could they rob other test-takers?!"

"That's daylight robbery!" yelled the two of them in anger. Deep down in their hearts, they felt more jealousy than anger as they blamed themselves for not thinking of this brilliant idea.

Contrary to the two of them who were having all kinds of complicated feelings, were the seven to eight handymen who came right after the sturdy man. They saw what happened to the sturdy man from beginning to end which had left them all stunned. However, a different kind of glow had gradually appeared on their faces.

Most of them were unlikely to have ever become outer sect disciples. However, what was happening now seemed to…offer them an opportunity…...

"Brothers, now we only have one place left. So how about this, whoever can offer the highest price will get this place!" Naruto was a cunning kid. When he saw the expressions of the surrounding handymen, he immediately said so. His voice was shrill, and echoed throughout the surrounding area, triggering the excitement of those handymen. The sound of their heavy breathing instantly grew louder.

The glow that had appeared on the few handymen' faces immediately grew brighter and brighter. Their hearts beat faster and faster, as the thought of joining the outer sect filled their minds.

"Ten spirit stones!"

"Eleven!"

"This place is mine! I offer fifteen!"

Within a short while, the shouts of bidding filled the air, as one faded and another rose. Naruto and the other two fatsos were thrilled by these bids.

However, these bids that went into the two outer sect disciples' ears were equivalent to oil poured onto a fire. They could tolerate the blackmailing, even the robbery, but right now, those three were actually running an auction here. Their minds churned chaotically, just like a stormy sea. They felt that this was ridiculous and unfair. They had finally realised that the most hideous one amongst the three of them was not Zhang Fatso One but the seemingly nice and innocent Naruto!

"Too immoral! Too shameless!" yelled one of the two outer sect disciples while gnashing his teeth. Be it because of rage or jealousy, his eyes turned red. He turned around in flurry, intending to inform the sect about this.

The bidding had been going on for quite a while. However, Naruto was dissatisfied with the current bids and yelled out again.

"My Brothers, please hurry! Don't waste too much time, or others will catch up. To the other handymen in our department, this is a great opportunity that they would even trade their lives for!"

Once he let out these words, a girl's excited voice suddenly came from the test-path behind the crowd.

"I, Hou Xiaomei, offer you thirty spirit stones! I come from a cultivator's family. The last thing we lack is spirit stones! Don't you dare bid against me!"

The owner of this voice was a young girl who had white, tender skin, and a slim body, looking pure and innocent. She was currently climbing the stairs while heavily panting.

Zhang Fatso One seemed dumbstruck when he saw this pretty young girl. He attempted to say something, but soon choked his words back. However, he could not resist taking a glance at Naruto.

Following Hou Xiaomei's bid, the others who had been bidding up against each other immediately started raising their bids. At the end, Hou Xiaomei, who claimed that she came from a cultivator's family had offered a price so high that made the horse-faced handyman and the sturdy man feel like their hearts leaped out of their chests. They immediately felt that what they gave Naruto was at a bargain price.

Soon after, Hou Xiaomei puffed out her well-developed chest and proudly walked out from the crowd. She glanced at the handymen behind her with disdain before taking the final step, along with the horse-faced handyman and the sturdy man who introduced himself as Mr. Wolf, hence completing the exam.

Naruto cupped his hands and deeply bowed to the three of them.

"Congratulations, my Brothers and Sister, you are the fishes who have leap the dragon's gate. You will all rise to greatness!"

The horse-faced handyman and the sturdy man stood on top of the mountain peak, in a trance. Although they had successfully become outer sect disciples, they were not as happy as they thought they would be. With Naruto's words still lingering in their ears, they glanced at each other, and let out bitter smiles.

Only Hou Xiaomei, who had bought her place with an unbelievably high price, was ecstatic at the moment. Her beautiful and delicate face was flushed.

"I never thought that I, Hou Xiaomei, would have this kind of great luck!" thought Hou Xiaomei proudly.

Chapter 12 Chapter 12

Chapter 12 – Up On the Wall

Thus, the trial of fire for promoting Miscellaneous Chores disciples to Outer Sect disciples ended in such a way. Including Hou Xiaomei, the three people proceded onwards to the peak, gradually fading into the distance. Big Fatty Choji gazed at Hou Xiaomei's disappearing figure, stroking his fat chin with a profound look on his face.

"Mn, pale, tiny, and pure…" he said, turning towards Naruto beside him.

Right at that moment, Naruto was also looking at Hou Xiaomei's disappearing figure with a heart filled with complex emotions after hearing Big Fatty Choji's words. Seeing Big Fatty Choji sneaking glances at him, Naruto couldn't help but shout.

"Don't look at me!"

Seeing Naruto get angry, Big Fatty Choji started laughing. He then took out a pouch full of Spirit Stones and changed the subject.

"Come, come, come, let's count the spirit stones. We've struck it big this time. Haha, this method isn't too bad at all!"

"What's so good about counting the spirit stones? Even if you keep counting, aren't they still the same spirit stones?" Naruto said with a hmph.

"This Ninth Junior Brother! You don't understand. They may be spirit stones, but what we're actually counting is our own life." Big Fatty Choji seldom said such words of appreciation for life, leaving Naruto to stare at him blankly for a moment. Then he took example this example from his Senior Brother to heart and also started counting spirit stones. In the end, he grew bored and tossed them back to Big Fatty Choji.

Right at this moment, there was a dazzling flash of light on the path of the trial by fire. It blinded everyone for a moment, and by the time their vision cleared, it had already reached the base of the mountain.

The middle-aged overseer who was in charge of opening the path to the trial by fire looked at Naruto's party of three and made an odd face. After quite a while, he shook his head, deciding to no longer pay attention to them. He felt that it would be better to let the sect deal with the matters concerning the Hearthfire Kitchens.

Naruto's party of three were still a bit nervous in the depths of their hearts. However, they gave a few dry coughs while glancing at each other when they saw that the overseer let them off. They quickly left afterwards, darting back to the Hearthfire Kitchens via a shortcut.

Big Fatty Choji minded his own business as he counted spirit stones, again and again, until they arrived back at the Hearthfire Kitchens. The other fatties had also returned, and each and every one of them was elated and unusually pleased with themselves when greeting each other.

After they had split their respective shares, Naruto decided to stay in his thatched house. His goal was longevity. If it hadn't been for the need to buy medical herbs in exchange for the longevity pill, he probably wouldn't have thought up such a plan in order to earn spirit stones.

No one in the Hearthfire Kitchens was able to fall asleep that night. After

Big Fatty Choji and the others had suddenly become rich, they were

too excited to keep still. They were overcome with trepidation and restlessness when they thought back to the days of the past, when their pockets were shriveled up, and then of the prosperity to come in the distant future. As a result, they all suffered insomnia that night.

Naruto was equally as sleepless as he continued thinking of the longevity pill.

The next day, the matter about the Hearthfire Kitchens brothers blocking the road to the trial by fire had spread to everyone in the Miscellaneous Chores area on the south bank of the Spirit Creek Sect. The wit

nesses told the story to ten people each, then those ten in turn told it to a hundred, and so on. In the end, few were left who didn't know about what had happened at the trial by fire.

"Did you hear? The Hearthfire Kitchens did something huge!"

"Have they gone insane, to unexpectedly engage in such a thing? Heavens, they're selling the quota for Outer Sect disciples! It's too much! How did I not think of this idea before?"

"Hearthfire Kitchens… I heard a long time ago that each and every one of them is actually very influential as they are all people with some connections within the sect. Otherwise, how could they afford to eat so appallingly if they didn't have someone backing them?!" Today,, almost every person in every room within the Miscellaneous Chores district was discussing the Hearthfire Kitchens.

The Hearthfire Kitchens were also a lot more subdued these days, none of them went out by themselves. This continued for a few days until Naruto heard the sounds of footsteps on the road outside of the kitchens when he was draining rice water bit by bit one evening.

"Come out disciples of the Hearthfire Kitchens! The Supervising House has ordered me to come investigate the matter of you waiting at the exit of the trial by fire!" As the cold voice resounded, the large doors to the Hearthfire Kitchens were directly kicked open by someone.

The doors were kicked open with a bang, and over ten Miscellaneous Chores disciples wearing uniforms of the Supervising House came rushing through the entrance. The leader of the group was the beefy guy who had previously stuck up for Xu Baocai.

"I say, I thought I heard crows crying this morning, but it's actually just you, Chen Fei. You've come here once again." Big Fatty Choji and Naruto looked at each other, and both assumed the air of an unconcerned person. Together with the other few fatties, they indifferently gazed at the aggressive people of the Supervising House.

Chen Fei sneered as gave Big Fatty Choji a glance, and then swept his gaze over Naruto. Suddenly, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. These Hearthfire Kitchens members before him were actually much too unperturbed.

He had been rather excited on the way here as he believed that he'd finally grasped the Hearthfire Kitchens' achilles heel and could finally topple them in one move. He would be able to end old internal strife between the two departments, which had already lasted many years.

"They're feigning calmness!" Chen Fei sneered internally, his eyes holding a tint of seriousness, and eerily said,

"Hearthfire Kitchen, let me ask you people. A couple of days ago, did the

9 of you participate in the trial by fire for promoting Miscellaneous

Chores disciples to Outer Sect disciples!?"

"Yes, we participated," said Big Fatty Choji with a laugh.

"That's good then. Take them away!" Chen Fei spoke no more. He only raised his right hand and pointed. Instantly, over tens of Supervising House's disciples rushed out, each of them equipped with iron chains in order to restrain the people of Hearthfire Kitchen.

Naruto looked over the situation and laughed.

"The Supervising House truly does have their hands in everything, they even want to restrict our right of becoming disciples of the Outer Sect… How amazing!

Chen Fei looked at Naruto. He couldn't help but remember the scene when Naruto had used his flying sword, so he signaled the people around him to stop. He stared at Uzumaki Xiao Chun, slowly squinting his eyes.

"Since Brother Uzumaki is not satisfied, then let me ask you another question. During the trial by fire, you disciples of the Hearthfire Kitchen blocked the exit and announced your name in front of the masses. Since you did it, I dare you to admit it!"

"Of course we did it!" Naruto was calm, looking as innocent as an angel as he quickly nodded his head and pointed towards Big Fatty Choji and the others.

"They did it as well."

"Thats right, we did it too! So what?" Big Fatty Choji laughed and admitted to it.

That scene made Chen Fei's appearance change. He had not expected the people of Hearthfire Kitchen to admit it so easily. In his mind, this was supposed to be a difficult battle of might and wits which would end with him making the people of Hearthfire Kitchen confess.

He thought for a moment that this was very strange, but he buried the feeling of unease deep in his heart, and thinking there was no need for too much talking, he roared.

"Good, good! Since you have admitted to it, this saves me from wasting my time with prodding. In this case, please follow me to the court house. If anyone dares to resist, according to the sect rules, that person will be expelled!"After Chen Fei finished talking, his body made a straight dash towards Naruto. The group of people who was behind him were rushing forward as well.

It was at this moment that Naruto suddenly raised his right arm and a sword light suddenly flew out of his sleeves. That multi-colored wooden sword instantly whistled past the Heartfire Kitchen disciples and met the disciples of the Supervising House. The cold tip of the blade threatened them, causing Chen Fei to stop in his tracks with an ugly expression.

"Naruto, you dare to resist!"

"Brother Chen, the Supervising House has the right to interrogate us, but does it have the right to arrest people?"

"Humph, you all admitted to going against sect regulations. Of course I have the qualifications to arrest you!"

"I don't know which sect rule we breached?" Naruto asked, all smiles. Big Fatty Choji and the others also narrowed their eyes, the corners of their mouths exposing sneers, as they looked towards Chen Fei.

"You sold Outer Sect places, thus breaching the sect rules… huh?" Chen Fei started explaining, but then suddenly stopped. Soon after, his complexion rapidly changed, his forehead had actually gone as far as to gradually break into a cold sweat!

He discovered to his horror, that sect rules did not actually forbid people from selling the Outer Sect spots from the trial by fire test… After all, this method was not something many people would think of, and even if it had been previously thought of, most wouldn't have the courage to go through with it…

"Senior Brother Chen Fei, you're perspiring. So which rule did we break? Contrary to what you are saying, ah, could it be that we haven't violated a sect rule? Is Senior Brother Chen Fei deceiving the law enforcement hall? Using the public office to avenge private wrongs, you come here demanding that we be illegally punished? Senior Brother Chen Fei, you have breached the sect rule chapter 9 article 11! According to sect rules, the punishment is not small!" Naruto assumed an astonished look, gradually getting to the heart of the matter with each sentence. His voice increased in volume, while his heart was secretly relaxing.

"You talk nonsense, I…" In this moment, Chen Fei's complexion changed completely. Behind him, the other Supervising House disciples also realized the problem, and each and every one of their complexions also changed in a flash.

Meanwhile, Big Fatty Choji laughed nastily and lifted both of his hands, cracking them. Ka ka!The other Fatty Senior Brothers' eyes also glinted with viciousness as they walked towards everyone from the Supervising House.

"Chen Fei, you have violated a sect rule, and what's more, you must take responsibility for the law enforcement hall for breaking down the door our Hearthfire Kitchen forged after sacrificing countless years! Now what should the compensation be? Today you must give us an explanation!" Big Fatty Choji smiled sinisterly; right now, he was suddenly towering over Chen Fei in an imposing manner.

They had been thoroughly began preparing since long time ago when Naruto had first proposed the idea two months ago otherwise they wouldn't dare block the gate at the end of the trial by fire. The sect rules were dissected by them and interpreted to suit their rotten purpose for this major event.

"Da!" Hearing Big Fatty Choji's words, Chen Fei's body trembled in fear in front of this meat-mountain figure..

All of a sudden, the courtyard gathering degraded into a brawl, sounds of ping and bangechoing in the chaos. Naruto's body flashed as he assumed his customary position on top of the courtyard's wall. He put his hands into his sleeves and he looked far away into the distance as he assumed the pose of a profound thinker. He looked like a lonely expert who had retired after a successful life.

"In the blink of an eye, I, Naruto, have scattered the ashes of the

Supervising House and dispersed their smoke…"

Chapter 13 Chapter 13

Chapter 13 - You can come too!

The conflict between the Burning Stoves Kitchen and Administrative Department had been going on for years. Although there had been many conflicts, they had always managed to prevent the situation from getting too out of hand. The worst that had happened was someone getting wounded.

This fight, occuring due to the Burning Stoves Kitchen's people selling the spots to become an outer sect disciple, lasted only about twenty minutes. Suffering from Zhang Fatso One and the others' punches and kicks, Chen Fei and the other Administrative Department's people were badly battered. Finally, it ended with each of them giving the Burning Stoves Kitchen some spirit stones to compensate for the damage done to the front gate. After issuing numerous threats, they finally departed, feeling extremely grieved.

Before leaving, Chen Fei looked back and took a glance at Naruto who had been standing on the fence wall and acting like he was cool. He felt his hatred intensify. Ever since Naruto had joined the Burning Stoves Kitchen, they had become even more immoral.

This fight had caught the attention of the entire Handyman Department.

When all the other handymen in the South Bank heard that even the Administrative Department could not deal with the Burning Stoves Kitchen, they became indignant. However, there were a few handymen, like Hou Xiaomei, who felt that the Burning Stoves Kitchen had been extremely astute in creating this opportunity for themselves.

Next month, when the Promotion Examination began, the Burning Stoves Kitchen's people had once again waited under the mountain peaks, in front of the entrance to the trials.

The surrounding handymen were giving them angry glares.

"My Brothers, if you can run faster than us, then you obviously don't need to buy these spots from us. We are only doing this to raise your competitiveness, and to help the sect select the best of the best!" Zhang Fatso One coughed intentionally as he spoke to other handymen. This method was taught to him by Naruto, but when he let these words out just now, all the other handymen gnashed their teeth.

When the bell sounded and the entrance to the test paths opened, each and every handyman as well as the Burning Stoves Kitchen's people darted forward with everything they had. Those handymen seemed as if they had been preparing to compete with the Burning Stoves Kitchen's people for a long time.

But as they watched the silhouettes of the Burning Stoves Kitchen's fatsos vanish from their sights, all of them let out bitter smiles. They were not willing to accept the truth, but could only gnash their teeth and continue onwards.

This… was somehow exactly as Zhang Fatso One said…

After successfully selling the places of the outer sect disciples once again, the three fatsos were extremely proud and confident. This time, they had thoroughly shocked the entire Handyman Department.

Countless handymen were frightened when they heard about this. But those few fatsos were gigantic and powerful, therefore, everyone could only choke with silent indignant fury.

This was never before seen in the entire Burning Stoves Kitchen's history. Although within the Handyman Department, the Burning Stoves Kitchen was quite famous in the past, but now its reputation seemed to have reached a new high.

Another two months had passed. Every time the test paths opened, the Burning Stoves Kitchen's people would get excited and energetically dart towards the test paths. In their eyes, every time the test paths opened, was the day that they would earn themselves another pile of spirit stones.

Naruto was excited as well. He had accumulated more and more spirit stones, almost enough to

buy those medicine materials that he needed, when another round of tests were about to begin.

This morning, Naruto, Zhang Fatso One, Black Fatso Three and the other fatsos had woken up very early. The nine of them separated into three groups, and rushed all the way towards the test paths. Naruto, Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three directly headed to the Scented Clouds Peak.

However, when they were rushing towards the test paths, the

Administrative Department's people abruptly showed up and started to pick a fight with them for no good reason. The Administrative Department's people had the advantage in terms of number, which allowed this fight to last for quite a while. When the bell sounded, Zhang Fatso One immediately became anxious, and his eyes turned red.

Right at this moment, all of the Administrative Department's people turned around and fled. Zhang Fatso One stomped his feet against the ground in anger. However, he didn't have enough time to chase them. Zhang Fatso One, Black Fatso Three and Naruto darted towards the test-path of the Scented Clouds Peak in a big hurry. Finally, upon arriving , they discovered that only a few people were still standing outside the entrance. Therefore, they rushed onto the path as fast as they could.

"Those Administrative Department's bastards! Later when I go back down, I'll call all of our Burning Stoves Kitchen's Bothers and tear the entire Administrative Department apart!" cursed Zhang Fatso One while heavily gasping. While he was cursing in rage, he went all out; the fat in his body seemed to have started burning, and he continuously shrunk smaller and smaller; along with which, his became faster and faster.

Naruto was angry as well. With just a few more, he could acquire enough spirit stones to buy the medicinal materials for his mission. He gnashed his teeth hard and doubled his speed; which was already quite fast. All three of them ran as fast as they could, overtaking the other handymen one by one.

When they got close to the mountaintop, their faces instantly darkened. This is because they saw that three silhouettes were standing on the mountaintops, very close to the path exit.

The one who was standing in the front was Chen Fei, the man from the Administrative Department. Another two strong men standing behind him, they were all in the third-level of Qi Condensation. The three of them stood right in front of the exit; when they noticed the appearances of Naruto and the other two fatsos, they laughed out loud one after another.

"Zhang Fatso One, Naruto, you're late! But it's fine, we happen to have some spare places, do you want them?"

"Dirty, shameless, villans!" cursed Zhang Fatso One with his teeth gnashing and eyes turning red.

"Since it's not against the rules, if your Burning Stoves Kitchen can do it, then so can our Administrative Department!"

"Haha! From now on, this business belongs to us!" yelled Chen Fei.

Chen Fei's proud and scornful voice landed om Naruto and the two fatsos' ears, Zhang Fatso One was burning with fury. Obviously, the Administrative Department had planned all of this long ago, which was why their people had shown up to block their way.

Zhang Fatso One let out a rage-filled roar and prepared to launch an attack on his three opponents. In his mind, this fight was inevitable. Moreover, these kind of things would probably happen again and again in the future. This was akin to robbing spirit stones from him, which threw Zhang Fatso One into a violent rage.

Black Fatso Three was as just as angry. However, right when the two of them were about to launch their attacks, an idea quickly came to Naruto's mind as he abruptly started talking in a low voice.

"Big brother, run as fast as you can and push them out past the exit. We'd rather give up on those spirit stones for this one time, than have those people attempt to seize our business in the future!"

As soon as he said this, Zhang Fatso One's eyes were instantly filled with wild glee. He increasingly began to feel that Naruto just had too many rotten ideas in his head. He threw his head back and laughed towards the sky as his body shot outwards. Black Fatso Three's eyes were similarly shining as he chuckled darkly. With a flash, his body moved beside Zhang Fatso One.

The test-path was not broad, Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three had darted out towards the exit beside each other. They looked like a wall that completely blocked the path as they started roaring gales.

Their speed was fleetingly quick, in an instant, they reached Chen Fei and his two Brothers.

Naruto started yelling in a high-pitched voice behind Zhang Fatso One.

Chen Fei and the other two who saw them coming, launched their attacks without any hesitation; however, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't beat Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three, who were charging like agitated wild boars; their eyes red with rage.

This strike that had been launched by the two fatsos with all of their strength could make even demons cry. They had rushed all the way and directly crashed into the bodies of Chen Fei and his two Brothers. The three of them instantly stepped backwards; their facial expressions instantly changed into shock, suddenly realising the intention of these two Burning Stoves Kitchen's fatsos; their heads started buzzing.

If they were in other places, they could still dodge and counterattack, but in here, no counterattack could help them, on the contrary, to fight back would probably make them step back even quicker.

The more steps backwards they took, the more fear their faces showed.

They didn't want to become outer sect disciples so soon. Once they joined the outer sect, they would become ordinary disciples instead of the Administrative Department's officers, greatly reducing their benefits...

"Brother Zhang, please stop! Calm down! We can talk about th-" said Chen Fei hurriedly, however, before he could finish his sentence, Naruto interrupted him in a shrill voice.

"Big Brother! Go! Push him to the peak!"

Hearing Naruto, Zhang Fatso One let out another great roar, and doubled his speed once again; so did Black Fatso Three. Once again, the two of them heavily thudded against Chen Fei and his Brothers' bodies along with loud booms. One of the strong men who had been standing behind Chen Fei couldn't take the force, and was the first to be sent flying out of the narrow stairs, falling onto the mountain peak. He stood on the peak, wanting to cry but lacking tears.

At the same time, when the man was bumped out, the other Administrative Office's handyman let out a howl, and took a series of steps backwards, stepping out of the test-path. Standing on the mountain peak beside his Brother, he beat his own chest hard and seemed extremely frustrated.

The last one was Chen Fei. He tried his best, but he eventually got directly forced out with a boom from the narrow path. His eyes thoroughly turned red; standing on the mountain peak, he turned around and stared at Zhang Fatso One with a murderous light in his eyes.

" Uzumaki ! Naruto!" the one he hated most wasn't Fatso One, but Naruto, who thought of this vicious idea.

At this moment, the two outer sect disciples, who were in charge of admitting new outer sect disciples, saw what just happened. They glanced at each other and let out a few dry coughs, took a few steps back and didn't say anything.

Standing near the test path's exit, Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three arrogantly laughed out loud.

"Chen Fei, bye bye! Haha, I will never see you again in this Handyman Department, I will miss you! I'm so jealous of you! You have become an outer sect disciple!" yelled Zhang Fatso One while slapping his own stomach; fat rose and fell on his belly like the waves of the sea.

Chen Fei and the two Brothers of his were about to vomit blood, they even wanted to kill these Burning Stoves Kitchen's bastards.

"My three dear Brothers, you don't need to thank us at all!

Congratulations, you're the fishes that leapt through the dragon's gate, you will all have very bright futures! I, your younger Brother, truly envy you for that." said Naruto while raising his chin, his face filled with proudness.

However, right after he said those words, a frosty and bland voice abruptly came from the top of the Scented Clouds Peak.

"No need to be envious, you can come too."

Naruto quivered when he heard this voice, his eyes instantly showed fright. A great force suddenly came from the mountain peak, directly shrouding Naruto, instantly rolled his body up and brought him to the mountain peak.

Naruto screamed out, grabbed a towering tree beside the testpath, tightly coiled his limbs around the tree trunk, and screamed even louder.

"Brothers! Help!"

This happened way too fast, before Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three realised what this was about, the tree trunk which was clasped by

Naruto had already been broke with a cracking sound. Naruto's body was then directly rolled up to the mountain peak by the force, like a kite but without a line. Meanwhile, a middle-aged man walked out. The man was wearing a light blue robe, giving off a natural air of power and prestige. That was no one else but…

Toruho—

Chapter 14 Chapter 14

Chapter 14 - Ninth Brother, be careful it could be a trap!

This scene brought Chen Fei and the others great satisfaction. As they looked at Naruto, they felt that justice was being served. He had it coming. As for the outer sect disciples, hatred could be seen on their faces. They had never felt this kind of emotion towards any handyman before.

"I don't want to go…" Naruto wailed as he collapsed onto the floor. His voice, filled with boundless grievance, was reverberating outwards. It was so strong that anyone who heard him would shed tears.

At the same time, after seeing Toruho, Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three hurriedly lowered their heads, preparing to escape while Toruho was not paying attention.

"Ninth Brother, it's not that Big Brother doesn't want to save you, but now that one of Scented Cloud Mountain's five grand elders has appeared, other than suffering in the outer sect, there really isn't much you can do anymore." Zhang Fatso One released multiple sighs of despair. However, while lowering his head in preparation for escape, he suddenly heard Toruho's voice from behind him.

"You two, you're coming as well." Almost at the same time as when Zhang Fatso One heard those words, an immense force suddenly dragged the two of them towards the mountain. They didn't even have time to grab onto a tree.

"I don't want to go up that mountain! I'd rather starve to death in the

Burning Stoves Kitchen than become an outer sect disciple!" Zhang Fatso One desperately protested. His wails were so much more intense than Naruto's that the latter forgot to continue screaming.

Black Fatso Three did not make a sound, but his face was filled with unhappiness. Pouting his lips, he looked at the bottom of the mountain with strong dismay.

"Shut up!" Toruho's expression darkened as he listened to Zhang Fatso One's wailing.

At that moment, Naruto immediately straightened his posture, his face solemn as he stood to the side, his stance dignified. His handyman's demeanor disappeared without a trace; it was as if he had changed into a completely different person.

Zhang Fatso One was momentarily nonplussed before he straightened his posture as well. Under that facade however, his heart was still flooded with an ocean of grievance. He didn't know why he was screaming like that, but he immediately scolded himself for it.

"Zhang Dahai, you will go to Purple Cauldron Mountain. From today onwards, you are an outer sect disciple of Purple Cauldron Mountain."

"Chen Qingrou, you're going to Green Peak Mountain."

"Naruto, you're staying at Scented Cloud Mountain, and you're going to become an outer sect disciple. Come!" Toruho glanced at Naruto and felt his head throb. All he did was shut himself in for closed-door cultivation, and the moment he came out, he was greeted with the Burning Stoves Kitchen incident. It even reached the ears of the sect elders, who treated it as nothing more than rare entertainment. Punishment never even crossed their minds.

Thinking that it would be bad if this continued, Toruho personally came to resolve the issue.

After he finished talking, he flourished his sleeves and walked towards the higher peaks of Scented Cloud Mountain, paying no more attention to Chen Fei and the others behind him.

Naruto was making a bitter face as he sighed, bidding farewell to Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three. Then, he suddenly remembered something and looked at Black Fatso Three with an odd expression. He uncertainly asked him a question.

"Third Brother's name is… Chen Qingrou? Heh, nice name. It makes you sound like a peerless beauty."

Black Fatso Three, feeling depressed, turned and walked away with a grunt. He was headed towards the bottom of the mountain.

"What's up with him?" Naruto asked as he turned to Zhang Fatso One.

Shooting Naruto a strange look, Zhang Fatso One patted his shoulder and spoke in a heavy tone.

"Ninth Brother, I've never told you this before but… Black Fatso Three isn't your Brother… in truth, she's your Sister." Zhang Fatso One said, giving a dry cough before hurrying away.

Naruto just stood there dazed and thunderstruck. He felt as if nothing made sense in this world anymore.

"S-sister?" Naruto said breathing deeply for a long while. When he was looking at Black Fatso Three's figure, he heard Toruho's ice-cold voice.

"You've been talking for too long! Still not coming?!"

Naruto hastened his pace as he followed Toruho, his face bitter once more. Every three steps he took, he would look back at the Burning Stoves Kitchen and sigh.

As for Toruho's identity, Naruto had found out long ago that in the sect's four peaks and three mountains, Toruho was one of the five grand elders in charge of Scented Cloud Mountain. He held a very high position in the sect.

The Scented Cloud Mountain may not seem big, but inside, there are four seasons, with chirping birds and fragrant flowers. It was like a land of immortals, and was incomparably larger than what its outer appearance suggested.

The exit of the road of trials was actually just a small part of the mountain. Looking at the entirety of the mountain, it was not even close to the peak, and could be considered part of the foot.

Along with the Scented Cloud Mountain's weather and climate, there was the soothing scent of medicinal herbs that warmed the body. Naruto felt great as he hurriedly inhaled deeply, his cultivation which had stagnated at the third level of Qi-Condensation for several months,improved with each breath he took.

Toruho, who was walking in front of Naruto, did not turn back, but joy could be seen in his gaze. He was pleased with the progress Naruto had made in a year.

"You'd better stop causing trouble after becoming an outer sect disciple. I'm going back into closed-door cultivation. You need to put in effort as though you are rowing a boat against the current. Otherwise, your cultivation will deteriorate." Toruho said lightly.

Naruto did not dare to refute his words, so he nodded his head like a good boy.

"For the cultivation of outer sect disciples, sect resources are just one part. They also need hard work and fortuitous encounters. So, there are many tasks for people to complete in the sect. Later, you should go take a look, and select some of them to temper yourself." Toruho explained.

At this point, Naruto suddenly felt his heart move, and recalled the time when he was looking through the sect rules. For outer sect disciples, a task was to be completed once every set period of time. Failure to do so resulted in the position of outer sect disciple being revoked.

Naruto was pleasantly surprised. However, immediately after he thought of it, Toruho managed to guess what was on his mind.

"Stop thinking about the sect laws. Others may only have their identity as outer sect disciples revoked and turned back into handymen, but if I ever find you slacking off, I'll kick you out of the sect and send you back to your village. Maybe if I remember you in a hundred years, I'll go burn some incense sticks for you."

The thought terrified him. It's one thing to be ignorant about the cultivation world and be uninvolved, but for someone like him who had already begun walking the road of immortality, it would crush his hopes and dream of living a long life if he was sent back to the village. So, he hurriedly pat his chest and swore that he would complete the missions without fail.

Not long after, a loft could be seen within the clouds at the center of Scented Cloud Mountain. It wasn't big but it was elegant. Through the window, a youth could be seen reading quietly.

Sensing a person's presence, the youth raised his head. It was a charming face. Seeing Toruho, he stood up and left the loft to salute him.

"Disciple greets grand elder."

"This is Naruto. Make the arrangements for him to become an outer sect disciple." Toruho said, glancing at Naruto. His body flashed and turned into a rainbow, shooting towards the peak of the mountain.

With Toruho's departure, Naruto let out the breath he had been holding. He felt a lot more relaxed and the sky seemed bluer.

The youth sized up Naruto, then suddenly laughed.

"You're the Naruto who blocked the road of trials of my Scented

Cloud Mountain and sold the positions in the past few months?"

"You praise me too much. A trivial thing like this isn't worth mentioning." Naruto let out an embarrassed laugh.

After hearing his words, the youth laughed even louder. His eyes shone with interest at this newcomer. Dropping the subject, the youth led Naruto around the mountain, introducing some buildings to him along the way.

"My Scented Cloud Mountain has a high position in the sect, because compared to the cultivation of Green Peak Mountain and the techniques of Purple Cauldron Mountain, what my Scented Cloud Mountain is good at is refining medicine."

"Even in the entire Skybridge River and the four big sects, my Scented Cloud Mountain has an illustrious reputation. Especially the head elder, he is even more renowned, being one of the only two medicine masters in the Donglin Continent."

"As a result, becoming an outer sect disciple of my Scented Cloud Mountain is the same as becoming a Spirit Child, so you need to learn knowledge of plants and how to refine medicine." The youth explained in detail as Naruto followed him. He led him to receive his outer sect disciple uniform as well as a storage pouch.

The space in the bag was small, but it fascinated Naruto nonetheless. After trying it out a few times, he kept it as if it was treasure.

What made him happiest was that the sect gave him twenty spirit stones after he became an outer sect disciple. Just a few more stones and he could buy the herbs he needed.

Dusk came. After the youth's introduction, Naruto understood Scented Cloud Mountain better. Later, the youth brought him to a place called Ten Thousand Medicine Refining Pavillion.

Here, he took out a jade tablet.

"This jade tablet contains information on ten thousand types of herbs.

You need to memorize them all before you can exchange it for the second part.

"Brother Uzumaki , the road to immortality is long, spirit medicine is indispensable to you on this journey, and if you can become a Medicine Master, you'll experience a meteoric rise."

"Spirit Child, Medicine Apprentice, Medicine Master…Brother Uzumaki , how far you go depends on your fate." The youth said with a kind smile. Upon nightfall, they sent Naruto to the courtyard the sect arranged for him.

"Junior Brother Uzumaki , tommorow I'm leaving the mountain. I won't be able to accompany you to the Scriptures Pavillion, so remember to wake up early tomorrow, and get the later parts of the Purple Cauldron Qi Manipulation Technique. Or, you could also choose to practice another technique. Every new outer sect disciple gets one technique for free. If you want more, you will have to pay for them.

"If there's anything you don't understand in the future, you can come look for me at anytime. My name is Hou Yunfei. I also have to thank you for looking after my little sister a while back." Hou Yunfei smiled, cupped his fists, and swiftly left.

"Hou Yunfei? Hmm." Naruto raised his head after he returned the gesture, and gazed at his figure leaving the place. After thinking about it, he suddenly remembered a girl's figure.

"Hou Xiaomei!" He blinked, feeling like he inadvertently did something good.

Eventually, he took a deep breath, turning to look at the courtyard, his eyes showed hints of life, his silhouette was tall and upright under the moonlight.

"Oh well, being an outer sect disciple doesn't seem that bad!" Naruto threw out his sleeves, and walked into the courtyard.

Chapter 14 (True Title): Third Brother? Third Sister?

Chapter 15 Chapter 15

Chapter 15-Unending Longevity Technique!

The bright moonlight was shining down on the Scented Cloud Mountain of the Spirit River Sect and dispersed the clouds and mist, baring half the mountain. The scene was extremely beautiful.

In the middle of its eastern side, at the end of a side path, was a yard an acre large, surrounded by trees and flowers. It was quite picturesque. A cabin was built in the yard. Within it, all the furniture was made from deep-purple coloured wood, filling the cabin with the faint scent of sandalwood. This house looked much better than any of the Handyman Department's houses.

A part of the yard was used as a field, and a well was located in a corner of the yard. At the moment, Naruto was basking in the moonlight, looking at the surroundings, his eyes showed satisfaction.

"Outer sect disciples are officially recognized by the sect as their disciples, naturally they get treated a lot better than handymen. This house is really nice, but, I've heard from Big Brother that, if we become inner sect disciples, we could live in 'caves'…I wonder what that would look like?" murmured Naruto as he raised his head to look at the Scented Cloud Mountain's peak.

Only inner sect disciples were qualified to live in the upper half of the mountain.

Soon after, he turned his head, lazily stretched his body, and took out a storage bag, then gently patted it. Following this movement, a bottle of round pills and a stick of cyan coloured incense instantly appeared in front of his eyes.

"Good~ stuff~." Naruto couldn't resist fiddling with the storage bag. After a while, He fixed his eyes on the bottle of round pills and the cyan incense. There was a sticker on the bottle, with the words - 'spirit condensation' - written on it, while the cyan incense was embossed with 'ascending cyan'. When he first became a handyman, he had received things like these; after he swallowed those pills, his cultivation showed some slight improvement. Incenses would have the same effect after the user lit them and breathed in their fragrance

"It's a bit of a waste if I just swallow them like this. Why not save them until after spirit refinement? They can probably help me to break through the higher levels." Naruto thought for a bit, then made a decision. At the moment, he didn't have the type of wood that could produce single-coloured flame, so he planned to go downhill and get some tomorrow.

After thinking up to this point, Naruto sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate. He never gave up on cultivating, not even a little bit. Despite his slow progress all this time, he never stopped cultivating.

He was doing this to attain immortality, therefore, he was extremely dedicated towards cultivation.

The night passed silently, the glow of the sun spilled onto the morning mist and dispersed into beams of multicoloured light, which glimmered like precious gems. Naruto, who had cultivated the entire night, felt very energetic after opening his eyes. He put on his outer sect disciple's uniform and swiftly left the cabin to head for the Scriptures Pavilion that Brother Hou told him about yesterday.

The Scriptures Pavilion was located on the other side of the mountain, far from where he lived. After walking for half an hour, he finally managed to see a tall tower in the distance. Streams of lights were swirling around the tower, along with spiritual pressure which was emitted by the tower, that covered the surrounding area.

He saw a lot of outer sect disciples on his way, most of whom seemed to be in a hurry. After sensing that Naruto was only at the third level of Qi-condensation, they disregarded him.

Naruto didn't mind this, but he did start to tread more carefully. All of the outer sect disciples he had passed on the way had a cultivation level higher than his. A few of them had an immeasurable cultivation and were surrounded by other outer sect disciples. They laughed and talked as they walked past Naruto.

The closer he got to the Scriptures Pavilion, the more outer sect disciples he saw. When Naruto was about to enter the pavilion, a rainbow streak darted over from a far away mountain peak, lapped the Scented Cloud Mountain and then flew away.

Within the rainbow streak, a young man was barely visible. He was standing on a wheel which was moving quickly.

"It's Qian Dajin from the Law Enforcement Department, Brother Qian!"

"Brother Qian is an inner sect disciple that has joined the Law

Department. He has become incredibly famous now! It's said that he has already reached the eighth level, which is the Great Circle of Qi

Condensation, and with the help of magic weapons, he is able to fly for a short while, so enviable!"

Naruto too, gazed at the rainbow streak in envy until it disappeared from sight, and sighed in his heart.

"One day, when I have learned how to fly, I'll fly circles around this Scented Cloud Mountain, when this place is filled with people, everyday!" he said to himself with determination. He then made his way through the crowd and got into the Scriptures Pavilion.

The Scriptures Pavilion tower was gigantic. The first floor was almost empty, only a single table was placed in it. An elderly man was sitting behind the table with his eyes closed and legs crossed. Every disciple who walked past him would put the plate that showed their status on the table, and wait until the plate gave out light, before politely walking ahead.

Naruto walked to the elderly man like the others and placed his plate on the table. Soon, it shone. Naruto hastily picked it up and followed the other Brothers upstairs, to the second floor of the Scriptures Pavilion.

Many bookshelves had been placed on the second floor. They contained large amounts of jade tablets and a few bamboo scrolls. Every single one of them was wrapped up in a faint and soft light, which made the entire second floor seem extraordinary.

Not far away from him, was a staircase. Naruto looked around first, then walked to it. When he was about to head up, a screen of light suddenly appeared, causing him to bounce back.

A young man, with a straight unibrow, who had been reading a bamboo scrolls, glanced at Naruto when he noticed what had happened.

"Brother, what qualifications do we need to go up to the third floor?" Naruto acted like a good child and asked curiously.

"You must be a new disciple. Only disciples at the fifth level of Qi Condensation or above can go up there." said that young man blandly. After which, he stopped talking, looked down and continued reading.

Naruto, realising that this young man didn't want to be disturbed, gave up on accessing the third floor and started to look around the second floor. He randomly chose some jade tablets and bamboo scrolls, then browsed through the many techniques in them. Every single one of them was attractive to him.

He especially fancied a fire-related magic that had been introduced in one of the books.

After a short while, he found the jade tablet of the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique that contained the method and pictures corresponding to the cultivation of fourth to eighth level of Qi Condensation. Naruto hurriedly grabbed it in his hand and continued walking around.

Time passed by quickly and, in the blink of an eye, dusk had arrived. Uzumaki

Naruto had only finished going through seven areas in the Scriptures Pavilion's second floor. By now, only a few people were still in the Scriptures Pavilion.

"Seven or eight techniques look great…" while he was still wondering which one to choose, he randomly picked up another bamboo scroll, this one was a bit dilapidated. However, after a single glance, Naruto's eyes popped out. They were overflowing with excitement and enthusiasm.

"The Unending Longevity Technique!"

He took a deep breath, carefully read through the introduction of this technique, and learned that this was a body-cultivation technique, claiming to be capable of making whoever reached its pinnacle live forever.

His breathing became rapid. After taking another glance at the name of this technique, he made the decision. He was going to choose this technique!

The very reason he started cultivating was so that he could to attain immortality, therefore, he instantly felt that this technique was meant for him, and that he was destined to find it. He laughed out aloud and took the bamboo scroll before going downstairs.

In the first floor's hall, the elderly man was still seated behind the table with his eyes closed, just the same as this morning. However, when Uzumaki

Naruto put the jade tablet for the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation

Technique and bamboo scroll containing The Unending Longevity Technique on the table, the elderly man slowly opened his eyes and threw a glance at Naruto.

This glance made Uzumaki Xiaoxhun's body instantly shake, he felt that this glance was like lightning, making him tremble with fear. Naruto hurriedly put on a polite face.

Fortunately, the elderly man soon stopped looking at Naruto, and instead, took a glance at Naruto's identity plate.

"New disciples are allowed to copy the instructions for the first eight levels of the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique, as well as one other technique." said the elderly man slowly, in a hoarse voice. While speaking, his eyes were fixed on the bamboo scroll of The Unending Longevity Technique and frowned slightly.

"Although this technique is described as amazing, only a part of it remains. Additionally, the cultivation of this technique is extremely difficult, it will bring you great pain that no ordinary person can bear. Very few cultivators have choosen this one, and most of them eventually gave up. This book has been burried in the Scriptures Pavilion for a long time, are you sure you want to practice it?" said the elderly man while looking at Naruto.

"Respected elder, disciple is very sure." Naruto hurriedly responded. Hearing the elderly man's words, Naruto had a feeling that, the reason this technique had been left in the corner of a bookshelf for so many years, was because it had been waiting for him. When he thought about the words 'unending longevity', he felt his blood boil.

The elderly man stopped trying to advise Naruto. He then raised his right hand and waved it in the air; after which, two blank jade slips flew out, and after copying the information, dropped in front of Naruto. The elderly man then closed his eyes again, not paying anymore attention to Naruto.

Naruto took the two jade slips, turned around and left, his eyes were filled with anticipation. He went directly back to his cabin.

Night had fallen before he returned. In the cabin, Naruto sat down cross-legged. After taking a deep breath, he took out the jade slip containing the Unending Longevity Technique and activated his Qi. After his Qi merged with the jade slip, the instructions instantly emerged in his mind.

Half an hour later, Naruto opened his eyes, as if he was thinking of something.

Just as the elderly man had said, the manual for The Unending Longevity Technique was incomplete. According to it, the cultivation method for this technique was divided into two parts. The internal refinement and external refinement. The external refinement was composed of three parts: skin, flesh and tendons, while the internal refinement had two parts: bones and blood.

This incomplete book only had the cultivation method for the skin, which indeed seemed very difficult; besides, the book also mentioned that the cultivation of this technique would consume great amounts of energy. However, the book had mentioned a few secret techniques which seemed a bit exaggerated; for example, one of them was called 'throat crushing hold', which the book claimed to be unbeatable.

Naruto hesitated for a second, but after looking at the words 'Unending Longevity', his eyes instantly showed determination. According to the manual, he stood up, raised his hands and started smacking every single area on his body.

He had an insurmountable desire for immortality, which was stronger than what ordinary people had by hundreds of times. It was the same for cultivation, so he wholeheartedly followed the manual's instructions, and smacked his body during the course of the entire night.

"Ouch, ouch…loose first, then tight…ouch…ouch…tight…then loose!"

Naruto gnashed his teeth while repeating a sentence from the The Unending Longevity Technique's manual. He had been jumping around the yard while constantly screaming, on the verge of tears. In the end, he made up his mind, took his spirit stones, and walked out of the yard, then went down the mountain.

He thought that if he was going to train, then why not go down the mountain and buy the medicinal materials instead, and trade them for the life-prolonging pill. That would be much better than just jumping around the yard.

Therefore, at the top of Scented Cloud Mountain, many outer sect disciples saw a white and tender young man, who was hopping in a strange manner, rather than walking. He let out strange screams from time to time. From afar, these screams sounded extremely creepy…as if Naruto was an extremely depraved person having his wedding night….

(ED NOTE: RAWs said ** which suggests sexual activity so i had some fun with the sentence)

"Ah…ouch…oh…oh…ah…ah…ah…ah…"

Naruto didn't want to make those sounds either, but it was just too painful. It was so painful that even when he didn't move, he still felt that he was being tortured. However, every time he thought about the words 'undying longevity', he would steel himself and then continue. Eventually, he made his way from the mountain top to the market located outside the sect's entrance.

After he unsteadily acquired enough of the required medicinal materials, he bought some wood that could produce one-coloured flame. As for wood that could produce two-coloured flame, it was very expensive so, he could only purchase a single piece before using up all his spirit stones.

After purchasing everything he needed, he gnashed his teeth in pain and went to the mission-monument. There, he completed the mission that he had taken when he was still a handyman, and obtained a life-prolonging pill.

This pill was only the size of a thumbnail, it was all yellow, and emitted a special fragrance. Looking at the round pill, Naruto was in so much pain that he couldn't say a single word. Sweat was pouring down his body in streams, completly drenching him.

Gritting his teeth with all his strength, Naruto climbed up Scented Cloud Mountain's stairs step by a step, leaving a trail of sweat on the road behind him. Quite a few outer sect disciples were shocked after they saw Naruto, some of them even showed disgust. After all, the sweaty stench emitted by his body was extremely strong.

Even Naruto didn't know how he made it back to his courtyard. By the time he arrived at the yard, one step at a time, it was already late at night. As soon as he stepped into his courtyard, he just fell on the ground, and passed out from the pain.

During the night, he had been woken up then knocked out by the pain multiple times. At dawn, he opened his eyes and discovered that the pain was gone.

"This is only an incomplete small cycle…"

Naruto thought of what was written in the Unending Longevity Technique's manual. A day and a night like this, without passing out, could be counted as a complete small cycle, and it required eighty-one small cycles like this to achieve a small circulation. This was equivalent to reforming the skin. When the skin became tough enough, the cultivator wouldn't feel such great pain.

"If this technique was easy, anyone could cultivate it, and then everyone would be immortal. The more difficult it is, the more I should continue cultivating it. If I stick with it, I can definitely gain eternal life!" Uzumaki

Naruto's eyes showed determination. His abnormaly strong obssesion with eternal life could shock anyone.

Now that he finally didn't feel any pain from his body, Naruto hurriedly took the life-prolonging pill out. After giving it a closer look, he was about to swallow it. However, he suddenly thought of something, looked at the surroundings to make sure that nobody was around, then rushed into his cabin and made a gesture with his right hand; following his gesture, the turtle-shell pot instantly appeared.

"Just swallowing it would be a waste, I should wait for after the spirit refinement." murmured Naruto while licking his own lips. He then took out the two-coloured flame wood piece, placed it under the turtleshell pot, then lit it. The piece of wood started to burn quickly, and in the blink of an eye, became ashes. After which, the two patterns on the surface of the pot lit up.

Naruto hesitated for a moment, then put the life-prolonging pill into the pot. The instant the pill was put inside, an eye-piercing silver light suddenly came out. Naruto, having experienced this before, stayed calm as he fixed his eyes on the pot.

A short while later, the silver light dissipated, and in the pot, two silver patterns had appeared on the surface of the life-prolonging pill. The pleasant scent of medicinal materials, far denser than before, was being emitted by the pill. Just by breathing in that scent, Naruto felt much more energetic than before.

"What a shame, I couldn't find any wood that produces three-coloured flame." Naruto grabbed the pill and threw it into his mouth. As soon as it entered his mouth, the pill transformed into heat and diffused into his body.

Naruto heard a boom from inside his head, then he felt as if his entire body was in an oven, everything inside was blazing. He even saw the white hair near his forehead instantly turn back to black, as if his life-force was being replenished. Quite a while later, this feeling hadn't weakened at all, on the contrary, it kept growing stronger, to the point where his nose started bleeding.

"Too much!" Naruto said as his eyes widely popped up. He hurriedly activated the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique, however, that didn't help at all, because what had been replenished by this pill was life-force, not Qi. More and more blood gushed out of his nose, and the hot stream of life-force inside his body started to expand, making him feel like he had become a balloon which was about to explode. He was instantly frightened.

In fact, after this pill went through two spirit refinements, its effects and value were hundreds of times more than what they used to be. Naruto was only in the third-level of Qi Condensation, it was impossible for his body to handle the effect of this pill.

In this moment of crisis, Naruto suddenly thought of The Unending Longevity Technique. He hurriedly leapt up and started smacking his own body with both of his hands using all of his strength.

Muffled popping sounds resounded about the room. Along with his movements, he felt that the hot stream inside his body started to cool down. However, he did not dare to stop. After smacking himself for half an hour, he finally felt the hot stream of life-force inside his body dissipate. His entire body was aching to the point where he immediately collapsed, panting. However, he felt better than he ever had before. An intense light could be seen flashing in his eyes.

"Although it's partially related to spirit refinement... it's still mostly the spirit medicine itself. Spirit medicine…is surprisingly miraculous…some can improve Qi, some can prolong the life…so, there might be one that can make people immortal!" thinking of this, Naruto became more and more excited as his eyes shone even brighter.

"The Scented Cloud Mountain is exactly for raising Medicine Masters…"

"I'm going to become a Medicine Master, and make... an immortality pill!" Naruto yelled to himself while panting.

At this moment, an incomparable and unprecedentedly strong interest in spirit pills had grown in his heart.

Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Chapter 16 - Attention To Detail

With this goal in mind, Naruto lay in the courtyard, his body aching and worn out. However, he faintly felt that his skin had hardened substantially.

This made him look forward to becoming a Medicine Master even more.

Having lain in the courtyard for half an hour, the aching in his body receded. Naruto sat up and crossed his legs. His eyes flashed as he took out the pills and incense he received upon becoming an outer sect disciple from his storage pouch.

After inspecting them carefully, Naruto took a deep breath and glanced at his surroundings, before turning around and returning to the cabin. There, he took out the turtle-shell pot.

"Although these pills can be taken now, after the spirit refinement, they should be enough to let me make a breakthrough from the third level of Qi Condensation to the fourth. It's a pity that the two-coloured firewood is so expensive. The Burning Stoves Kitchen has some, but I'm not a handyman over there anymore, so that would be inconvenient." Naruto now had a great interest in medicines, so after giving it a thought, he took out a piece of one-coloured firewood without hesitation. "Just refining it once is still good!" He lit up the firewood which burned with a one-coloured flame. Moments later, a single pattern brightly lit up on the turtle-shell pot.

Naruto opened the medicinal bottle cap and took out the three medicine pills that were the size of dragon eyes. He refined each pill separately.

Silver lights shone one after another and soon, three pills with silver patterns appeared in Naruto's palm. He had also refined the stick of cyan incense, then looked at the three spirit medicines that had each been refined once, placed in front of him. Naruto kneeled down, and after he placed the cyan incense stick in front of him, he picked up the three pills and threw them into his mouth.

Naruto then imitated the fourth picture in the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique manual and cultivated accordingly. Soon, the Qi in his body began circulating. This time, he managed to last noticeably longer. His cultivation base started to increase.

Within the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the river of Qi inside him began to rapidly flow through his entire body as he began to attack the bottleneck of the fourth level of Qi Condensation.

"Just a hundred more breaths and I will enter the fourth level of Qi condensation!" Naruto gritted his teeth as he imitated the actions shown in the fourth picture, which caused his body to curl into a ball. Cracking sounds could be heard coming from his entire person as beads of sweat fell to the floor, non-stop.

As he started to run out of Qi, he squinted his eyes. Suddenly, Naruto opened his mouth and spat a mouthful of Qi at the cyan incense stick.

As soon as his Qi hit it, the cyan incense lit up and produced wisps of cyan smoke which resembled snakes. Upon appearing, they creeped straight for Naruto, entering his body through his seven apertures and pores, transforming into thick Qi that bolstered the river of Qi inside him.

With a boom, a small blast wave erupted from Naruto's body and spread throughout the cabin before sweeping through the courtyard like a gust of wind. Naruto's eyes glinted with joy as he laughed.

"The fourth level of Qi Condensation!"

He immediately felt the Qi inside him thicken with vigor. As he walked around, his body felt lighter than ever. Looking down, he saw large amounts of black filth sticking to his body, and he immediately knew that these were the impurities forced out of his body. Moving his body, he exited his cabin s

o fast it looked as if he was flying, and did some cleaning in the courtyard. Naruto felt refreshed. Making a gesture with his right hand, a wooden sword immediately flew out from his storage pouch like a prismatic rainbow.

After manipulating the wooden sword and making it fly about in the courtyard, Naruto felt even more pleased with himself. Although it was not a sword fit for use at the fourth level of Qi Condensation, but under his control, it possessed a certain killing intent.

"Spirit refinement would be so much better if I had three-coloured flames, but medicine pills are just as amazing." Naruto's interest in spirit medicine had only increased. Whether it was medicinal pills or incense sticks, all were indispensable for cultivation.

"I have to become a great Medicine Master, refine a Longevity pill, and use spirit refinement on it ten… no, a hundred times!" Naruto's desire to become a Medicine Master intensified from the bottom of his heart. Thinking up to this point, he pat his bag and took out a jade tablet.

The jade tablet was given to him by Hou Yunfei when they had gone to the Thousand Herbs Pavilion earlier. It contained the introductions and images of ten thousand types of herbs. This jade tablet was unique, could only be found in Scented Cloud Mountain, and it was required that all Spirit Children memorised it.

However, mastering a mere ten thousand types of herbs still wasn't enough. Naruto thought about what Hou Yunfei said - only after memorising it could he exchange this jade tablet for the next one.

He enthusiastically circulated the Qi in his body. Many different herbs were flashing through his mind. He only got more and more entranced by it, as if he had opened another door in life. It even described the herbs needed to make the life-prolonging pill.

After roughly looking through everything, Naruto felt that memorising all the different herbs was not a difficult task. After all, he was someone who was aspiring to become the great Medicine Master that would make a longevity pill.

So, his overzealous personality exploded out once more. He wanted to more than just memorise the herbs - he wanted to scrutinize each and every single one of them to the absolute extreme before moving on to the next.

Naruto madly trained for half a year when he had been threatened by Xu Baocai, and now, before such a grand dream, the same potential burst out from within him.

All the images of plants and herbs were all scrutinized in minute detail, to the point where a realistic figure of the herb would form the moment Naruto closed his eyes.

However, he thought that it was not enough, and lamented not having the actual plants... Naruto wanted to dissect the herbs to examine them more thoroughly. Unfortunately, he could only closely examine what he had. Be it texture or other minor details, he would completely study them.

Still unsatisfied, Naruto did not spare even the roots, nor fruits. He studied the herbs as if they were enlarged an infinite amount of times, excavating them bit by bit.

Even after all of that, his heart still could not be put at ease. In the end, Naruto had even studied the villus and pores of each herb with that same dogged scrutiny.

Time passed quickly and soon, it had been a month since he started his daily training in the fourth level of the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique. His cultivation base had also become a bit more relaxed. At the same time, he didn't stop practicing the Unending Longevity Technique. Every day, Naruto endured unspeakable pain, while sprinting back and forth in his courtyard, and memorising the herbs. Currently, he was able to mix the herbs he had studied in his mind. He had already reached the point where he could only explore beyond what was recorded in the jade tablet.

(TLC note: raws say running. Most likely his jumping is completed and the manual told him to run)

In addition to this, whenever he was running, he would always stop at the upper right corner of the courtyard. Over there, was a spirit field. In that field, Naruto had planted the seeds of ten herbs.

(ED note: spirit field is the same as ling field from world of cultivation) The type of herb was known as Spirit Winter Bamboo, and planting it was the task he chose half a month ago at the outer sect disciple mission-monument. He had a hard time finding a mission that was not dangerous.

Naruto did not dare to take Toruho's words lightly. Every half a year outer sect disciples were required to complete at least one mission. Naruto would never forget this law.

The mission he chose awarded a substantial amount of contribution points, which would increase along with the products' quality. It was simple, but it was also a mission that consumed a great amount of time, requiring no less than three months for a passing grade.

The Spirit Winter Bamboo's growth could also be hastened using one's Qi too. However, Naruto, didn't have time to tend to its growth, so he chose to leave it alone in the spirit field.

"It grows so slowly." Naruto looked at the spirit field with a frown. From the description given in the jade tablet, Naruto knew that this herb was extremely dependant on Qi. Without a spirit field rich in Qi, the best way to nurture the herb was to supply it with his own Qi.

"It should be because the Qi in my courtyard's spirit field is too thin, that these Spirit Winter Bamboos grow extremely slowly." Naruto squatted down and scooped up a handful of soil from the spirit field as he muttered to himself.

"What can I do to make the spirit field's Qi richer…?" Naruto thought about it for a while, before his expression suddenly changed. He made a gesture with his right hand, causing the turtle-shell pot to appear.

Looking at the pot, then the spirit field, Naruto's eyes shined.

"This pot can refine anything, so…. It should be able to refine the soil too, right?" thinking about this, Naruto immediately became curious. After taking the Spirit Winter Bamboo seeds out from the soil, he immediately dug out a large amount of soil and threw it into the turtle-shell pot. He then took out a piece of one-coloured firewood and lit it.

Soon, silver light flashed as the soil inside the pot showed the same silver patterns as the previous refinements. Although the light from the refinement was dimmer, the Qi was visibly richer.

Naruto was instantly filled with delight. Not finding it bothersome at all, he refined more soil and repeated the process for about half an hour. When he had almost used up the one-coloured firewood, the entire spirit field had already been refined once.

(ED note: Hour in this story is written as 时辰 which is actually 2 hours since the author is using the ancient chinese time measurement, where one day is 12 hours)

It was just that, the refined soil was only at the exterior. As for the deeper layers of soil, Naruto did not refine them since he did not have enough firewood. This caused the spirit soil to be foundationless and thus unable to maintain that level of richness. As time passed, the field would slowly return to normal.

Even though this was the case, the difference between the Qi the spirit field had now and before, was as far apart as heaven and earth. The energy was so rich that the field gave off a stimulating fragrance.

Naruto hurriedly planted the Spirit Winter Bamboo seeds and stood to the side, his eyes never leaving the field. Soon, he saw sprouts popping up at a speed visible to the naked eye. The shoots grew like crazy.

With that speed, the sprouts grew into 3 chi tall plants within the blink of an eye. If any disciples specializing in herbs saw this, they would have their breath taken away. After all even if a cultivator used his Qi, it will still be difficult for the Spirit Winter Bamboo to grow so quickly. (ED note: 3 chi is approximately 1m)

Besides…... in the entire cultivation world, there was no one wasteful enough to refine all that soil just to speed up the growth of ten Spirit Winter Bamboo seeds…

Even if it was an accomplished refining master, they definitely wouldn't do something so wasteful.

Seeing that the seeds grew well, Naruto was finally satisfied, so he turned around and left them alone. Then, he continued sprinting while studying the herbs recorded on the jade tablet in the courtyard.

As the sun set and the sky darkened, the Spirit Winter Bamboo in Naruto's spirit field, had already shot up to 3 chi high… And it seemed like they were far from reaching their limit. Who knew how big they would have grown by the end of the third month…

On this same night, Naruto put down the jade tablet he had been holding. The ten thousand herbs in there were already completely memorized, down to the smallest detail, with that zealousness of his. He had even noticed some contradictions recorded in the tablet.

"The first thing I'm going to do tomorrow morning is to exchange this for the second jade tablet. I wonder how the Ten Thousand Herbs Pavilion tests the people who want to exchange their tablets. Am I be supposed to recite it by memoryl?

Naruto lifted his chin, threw out his sleeves, and just when he was about to boast, he had second thoughts. Giving a dry cough, he picked up the jade tablet and continued studying, in fear of the test questions he might have to face tomorrow.

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Chapter 17 - Little Turtle

On the dawn of the second day, Naruto walked out of his wooden hut early in the morning. He immediately noticed that the spirit bamboo planted in the spirit field had actually grown to half the height of a human. Only after nodding his head in satisfaction did he head out the yard and walk along the mountain trail towards the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

The morning sun rose in the distance, its rays illuminating a distance of tens of thousands of zhang. Mist swum amidst the sunlight like golden koi, an incredibly spectacular sight. Naruto's posture was relaxed and at ease as he walked forwards without making any stops. Gradually, he began to see many outer sect disciples along his path. Only, since he did not recognise a single one of them, he could not help but miss his Brothers of the Burning Stoves Kitchen.

[TL: One 'zhang' is equal to 10 feet.]

"I wonder how Eldest Brother is doing now, and also Black Fatso Three…" Naruto felt a sense of wistfulness in his heart. By the time the sun had risen completely, he could see the ten breathtaking stone steles of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion in the far distance.

These ten steles are the symbol of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. Every stele glowed with a soft blue light. They were at least ten zhang tall and as majestic as a rainbow, as though ten giants with an extraordinarily formidable presence were standing at that spot.

On the steles, rows and rows of characters could clearly be seen. They represented the rankings, from one to a hundred.

Only, there were no names written on the steles, just symbols. Each picture was a representation of the mark of a medicine master who was the pride of the outer sect and who had left an awe-inspiring reputation within the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

Every medicine master had a mark unique to themselves that they would carve on the spirit medicine that they had satisfactorily refined. Since these medicine would spread through the ages, the marks symbolised glory for the medicine master and were of great importance.

That day when Hou Yunfei had brought Naruto to this place, he had introduced it briefly. Now, Naruto had come by himself. As he closed in, he read the rankings on the ten stone steles.

The most eye-catching one was the first symbol on the stone stele right in front of him.

It was a treasure flask!

[TL: 宝瓶 in the raws can mean either the horoscope 'Aquarius' or a

'treasure flask'.]

Hou Yunfei had once told Naruto that this flask was the symbol of… Kurenai!

This name was not new to Naruto. When he had still been a handyman, there had been a time when he heard Zhang Fatso One speak about this Kurenai while he lamented and savoured ginseng roots under the moonlight.

That girl was originally from an ordinary family. Numerous years ago, a predecessor of the sect had sensed her shocking qualifications and persuaded her to enter the sect. After a careful examination of her qualifications, the entire Spirit River Sect had instantly been stirred into a furor.

In fact, she possessed the rarely seen foliage spirit pulse. Not only was her cultivation speed multiple times faster than a normal person, her had even greater potential in refining medicine. Eventually, she had entered the Scented Cloud Mountain and became Toruho's only disciple. She was seen as Toruho's successor and one of the medicine masters who would sustain the sect in the future.

According to the rules of the Spirit River Sect, no matter how high a person's qualifications were, they still could not directly become an inner sect disc

iple. Therefore, this girl, much like the pride of the other two mountain peaks, had started out as an outer sect disciple in order to hone her skills. Even so, it was the inner sect who granted her supplies for her cultivation.

And anyone could understand that it would not be too long before this Kurenai would justifiably become an inner sect disciple.

It just so happened that this girl was beautiful enough to move people's hearts, causing countless male disciples to admire her incessantly. Because of these reasons, her reputation among the disciples of the outer sect was monumental. There wasn't a single person who had not heard of her. Even the disciples of the inner sect had never considered her as an outsider. And even the traditionalist inner sect approached this girl with fear.

As he thought about this, Naruto was filled with curiosity towards Kurenai. He gazed at the stone steles and walked in a large circle around them. He inspected them one by one, feeling increasingly breathless.

"This Kurenai is too powerful! Ten stone steles, yet she's number one on eight of them. The remaining two didn't have her name, but that's probably because she hasn't competed for them!" Bao Naruto widened his eyes as he scanned the stone steles.

At this moment, the disciples surrounding the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion gradually began to increase. Very soon, a large sea of people had gathered. Naruto had been searching for the position of the second herb almanac but when he noticed that the number of people here was increasing by the second, he became very curious. He didn't understand why there were so many people here today so he pushed his way to the front. Suddenly, he heard an uproar spread from his surroundings like the waves of an ocean, moving in his direction.

"Senior Sister Zhou is coming!"

"Haha, to be expected, the rumors that have been circulating for the past few days are true. Senior Sister Zhou would definitely be coming here in these few days. Waiting here for so many days is worth it." "This time, Senior Sister Zhou is already first in the fifth volume of herbs and the third volume of spirit beasts. This time for sure, she's going to challenge the fourth volume of spirit beasts!"

As surrounding discussion suddenly surged, the crowd began to squeeze against each other. Naruto was trapped inside. It was fortunate that his body was not too fat. After being squeezed back and forth, he finally forced his way out of the crowd. He lifted his head to see a long streak of light flying rapidly from a distance.

That long streak of light was actually a blue damask. There was a girl dressed in the robes of an outer sect disciple on the damask. Her hair was floating in the wind like strands of silk, her eyes were like the stars and the cold moon. Her beauteous complexion and delicate figure were elegant and refined.

In an instant, the streak flew straight towards one of the ten stone steles. Amidst the cheers of the surrounding outer sect disciples, the girl landed. She did not even glance at her surroundings as she seemed to only have eyes for the ten orderly wooden huts lined in a row beneath the stone steles. She picked a hut and walked inside.

It was only now that Naruto noticed that below each of the ten stone steles, there was a wooden hut. At this moment, apart from the stone stele that the girl had chosen, there were many other people entering and exiting the wooden huts beneath the other steles.

"Finally I've seen Senior Sister Zhou again. This time, Senior Sister Zhou will definitely succeed in becoming rank one on the ninth stele-!" "Senior Sister Zhou's goal is the unprecedented feat of first place on all ten steles. Only she can possibly do that. Since she's going to be assessed for the fourth and fifth volume spirit beasts, she's definitely going to be first!" While the surrounding disciples rapidly became excited, a frail-looking outer sect disciple standing beside Naruto first loudly shouted "Good luck, Senior Sister Zhou" a few times. Naruto latched onto this opportunity to ask him a few questions. Since the disciple was in good spirits, he provided a detailed answer.

Naruto confirmed that if he wanted to attain the second volume of the herb almanac, he would have to go to the wooden hut beneath the stone stele to be assessed. Only if he succeeded could he take the second volume. Hence, he hurriedly began squeezing his way towards the first stone stele. As he closed in with great difficulty, he discovered that this wooden hut was already full. After waiting briefly, when he saw someone walking out of the hut with an air of depression, he immediately stepped into the hut without hesitation.

The moment he entered the hut, it was as though the outside noise had been completely barricaded. It became extremely quiet. The wooden hut was not big. In the middle of the hut, there was a futon, and in front of the futon, there was a stone stele one size smaller.

Following the instructions he had asked for, Naruto knelt on the futon and took out the jade tablet containing the first volume of herbs. The moment it came into contact with the stone, it was instantly absorbed. The stone stele shook slightly before a ray of light diffused outwards.

"Just now, that fellow Brother said that I need to draw a mark which represents my future medical mastery onto the stone stele now." Naruto thought briefly before he chuckled and drew a turtle on the stele. He really liked turtles. Although this drawing of a turtle was rather crooked and looked somewhat ugly, he felt that it was relatively good.

The turtle-shaped mark disappeared with a flash. Naruto took a deep breath before he focused his concentration, his eyes flashing with acuity. Lifting his right hand, he slowly pressed his palm against the stone stele. Almost at the exact moment he touched the stone stele, a loud boom resonated in his mind as his vision blurred. When his sight cleared, his surroundings was no longer the wooden hut, but rather, he was standing in the middle of an empty space.

Before Naruto even had time to size up his surroundings, a bright light suddenly flashed before his eyes. In front of him, there instantly appeared countless medical herbs that enveloped the sky and covered the ground.

These herbs were incomplete. Rather, they had all been ruthlessly broken apart. Split into more than ten sections, all the fragments had been mixed together. They spread out in a densely-packed mess.

Looking around, there were so many fragments that it was impossible to count them all.

This was the fear-inducing assessment of the Ten Thousand Medicine

Pavilion that terrified the outer sect disciples to the extent that their hair stood on end. All these years, countless people have had their hopes dashed and their spirits shattered by this assessment. This was why, whenever someone entered the first hundred rankings and had their names appear on the stone, it was natural that they would be admired by numerous other people.

This was especially so for the tenth position till the first, whose achievements won them well-deserved fame.

"In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn out, patch together the stalks of spirit herbs. You will be assessed on how many you complete. Begin." An ice-cold voice seemingly without the slightest trace of emotion resonated in the air.

"This simple?" Naruto felt that this was inconceivable. After just a sweeping glance, with the extent of his understanding towards the herbs listed in the jade tablet, he picked out fragments of more than a hundred kinds of herbs he could piece together.

He had pondered a lot before he came. But now, when he saw this kind of assessment, he instantly heaved a sigh of relief in his heart. But immediately afterwards, he became anxious again.

"This won't do. With such an easy assessment, the number that I need in order to pass must be really high." Naruto began to panic and raced for time. Raising his right hand, he pointed ten times in rapid succession. Every piece of herb that he pointed towards would combine instantly according to his thoughts. In the blink of an eye, he had assembled two stalks of medical herbs.

His hands moved without pause as he pointed again. Without even a moment of respite, numerous fragments flew outwards and combined with similar fragments, forming numerous stalks of herbs. Gradually, more and more stalks of herbs were formed, soon surpassing a hundred.

Naruto's gaze did not waver. His spirit was entirely focused as he forgot about everything that was happening around him. He only had eyes for those fragments of medical herbs as his hands moved at lightning speed. In a panic and worry that he might fail the assessment, he was totally ruthless at that moment. Blood vessels slowly began to appear in his eyes as his hands moved even faster.

One hundred stalks, two hundred stalks, three hundred stalks, five hundred stalks...One thousand stalks!

Naruto's forehead dripped with sweat. White smoke was even being emitted from the top of his head as the speed of his movements increased. He only needed a single glance at those fragments of herbs to instantly identify what kind of medicine they were. This was because when he was memorising from the jade tablet, he had even wanted to grind those herbs into powder in order to study them.

But since he did not have that option, he could only observe the herbs to their smallest detail, understanding them completely.

If this scene was seen by the outer sect disciples, it could have caused them to inhale sharply with disbelief. In their minds, this assessment could be considered terrifying. But they could not have possibly imagined that what was truly terrifying was Naruto's insight towards the ten thousand kinds of herbs in the jade tablet.

Time passed. Two thousand stalks, three thousand stalks…

Naruto's eyes were filled with blood vessels as his hands struggled to keep up with the pace of his thoughts. If it weren't for his cultivation at the fourth level of Qi-condensation, he would have long since been unable to keep up.

Since it had come to this degree, Naruto did not know whether ultimately, he could pass the exam or not. He could only grit his teeth forcefully and continue to persist.

Four thousand stalks, five thousand stalks, six thousand stalks, seven thousand stalks…

After an unknown amount of time, when there were not many fragments of medicine left, all the medicine suddenly disappeared with a flash. His vision blurred, and when it cleared up, he found that he had already returned to the wooden hut. On the stone stele, there appeared a jade tablet, exactly the same jade tablet containing the first volume of herbs that had assimilated with the stele.

"There's still some left, only so little was left…" His heart was unsettled. As he picked up his jade tablet and depressedly walked out of the hut, he heard the loud cheers of numerous people outside.

Naruto raised his head and immediately spotted Kurenai coincidentally walking out of her hut at the same time. And on the stone stele behind her, the treasure flask that represented her name had already appeared at the number one position.

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Manipulating the Atmosphere

That was the stele for the fourth volume of spirit beasts, and also the ninth stele that had the Aquarius symbol appear in first place.

Countless cheering and shouting sound suddenly resounded throughout the crowd.

"Haha! Sister Zhou did it, I told you that Sister Zhou was going to become an unprecedented champion on the steles!"

"Kurenai truly is a talented girl who possesses the flora spirit pulse! I bet she will have a limitless future!"

"Sister Zhou, we're expecting that next time, you will be the first one to achieve the top-ranking on ten steles, and sound the Spirit River Bell, shocking the entire sect!"

The surrounding outer sect disciples in the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion let out cheers one after another. Even though there were those who spread rude remarks while wearing unsightly expressions, their voices were drowned out by the others. In the eyes of these outer sect disciples, Kurenai's status was like the sun during daytime. All of Scented Cloud Peak's outer sect disciples were now seeing her as the representative of the Scented Cloud Mountain.

Kurenai faintly smiled. Although she had always been cold and detached, seeing all these outer sect disciples cheering for her, she couldn't help but feel proud of herself. Seeing her smile, all the outer sect disciples cheered even louder.

Naruto was also standing in the crowd and looking at Kurenai with admiration. He silently sighed, then raised his head and took a glance at the stele for the first volume of herbs. After which, he suddenly widened his eyes. After being stunned for a while, he hurriedly took out the jade tablet of the first volume of herbs, and took a closer look at it. He found that apart from the ten thousand herbs of the first volume, there were another ten thousand herbs. He stuck his chest out and raised his head in surprise, his face filled with pride.

He was stunned because he saw that on the stele for the first volume of herbs, a good-looking turtle was now positioned right above the

Aquarius symbol. No matter how he looked at the stele, Naruto felt extremely satisfied.

Earlier, he intended to leave. However, he now stood in the crowd, trying very hard to hold in his excitement, prepararing for the surrounding people to cheer and hail him. Sadly, after waiting for a while, everyone's attention was still on Kurenai. No one noticed the change on the stele for the first volume of herbs, even when the people surrounding Kurenai were starting to to disperse.

Seeing this, Naruto was overcome by anxiety and suddenly shouted.

"Look! First place on the first volume of herbs' stele is no longer Sister Zhou's anymore! Somebody else took it! So strange. Such a beautiful turtle, who drew it?!"

Despite the sounds of cheering and hailing, Naruto's shrill and high-pitched voice was easily heard. Especially because of its shocking content, many people subconsciously looked at the stele. Soon after, all of their expressions changed, and they immediately exclaimed.

Thus, more and more people heard the exclamations and looked at the stele. All of them instantly quivered when they saw the stele and showed disbelieving expressions. Soon, everyone who was on the scene had noticed the change on the stele for the first volume of herbs.

"The…the… the first stele…, someone has actually surpassed Sister

Zhou on the first stele!"

"How can this be?! My God! There's actually someone who could surpass

Sister Zhou! That turtle is incomparably ugly! Who is this person?!"

"Surprisingly, there are people who can comp

ete with Sister Zhou on the subject of herbs. Something big has happened! This time, Sister Zhou was unable to achieve the top-ranking on nine steles. She is still only the first for eight!"

The surrounding people instantly fell into an uproar. Their discussions were even louder than the cheers from before. After all, no one could have predicted this, so everyone found this extremely shocking.

In the crowd, Naruto was so proud of himself that a smile almost bloomed. However, he was worried that if he admitted to beating Kurenai, no one would believe him. Therefore, he did his best to keep himself from laughing out loud. However, he shouted out in shock like the others from time to time. His voice especially noticeable.

Even Naruto himself had never thought that he would achieve first place.

At this moment, Kurenai, who was turning around and preparing to leave, suddenly stopped when she heard the cries of the surrounding people. She then turned around and saw the stele for the first volume of herbs, as well as the turtle which was now positioned at the top.

She slightly frowned before relaxing her eyebrows again, seemingly disinterested in this change. In her thoughts, the top place on the stele for the first volume of herbs was achieved when she had just become an outer disciple; she hadn't given her all for this spot back then, not to mention that right now, she was completely different from years ago.

"Good, it seems that a talented disciple has emerged from our sect." she said lightly in a condescending voice as her body suddenly flashed, darting towards the stele for the first volume of herbs.

She thought that she had just barely been surpassed, and all she need to do to regain that position was simply put in a little more effort.

Once she moved, all of the surrounding outer sect disciples grew excited. They turned around and fixed their eyes on her. When they saw that Kurenai walk into the cabin under the stele for the first volume of herbs, their eyes were instantly filled with anticipation.

"Sister Zhou is going to take her first place back. The young Brother who has drawn the turtle is good, but, it's such a shame that he can only hold the first place for the time it takes a stick of incense to burn.

"That's true. This young Brother can definitely be considered as genius in herbs, but he just had to encounter Sister Zhou. It can only be considered his bad luck."

Hearing the words of the surrounding disciples, Naruto became nervous. On one hand, he didn't have enough time to match all the pieces together. On the other hand, Kurenai was so famous, that even he himself, felt that he belonged in second place.

"It's fine, I'll just take the second place. Men shouldn't fight against women." Naruto consoled himself and thought about leaving. However, he was unwilling to leave like this, so he stood still, anxiously waiting for what was about to happen next.

Soon, the time it took to burn a stick of incense had passed, but the ranking on the stele didn't change. Naruto's turtle was still on top. Kurenai walked out of the cabin with an indifferent face. She was hundred percent confident about taking the first place back. This time, she had used eighty percent of her abilities and completed a whole four thousand herbs amongst the ten thousand.

In her eyes, this was more than enough to surpass that unknown talented disciple.

However, when she walked out of the cabin, she didn't hear a thing. When she looked at the crowd, she found that they had strange expressions on their faces, and quite a lot of them were staring in disbelief.

Kurenai stopped, abruptly raised her head, and looked at the stele. She saw that her Aquarius symbol was still beneath the turtle, which looked uglier the more she stared at it.

The entire area was dead silent and every disciple, including Naruto was stunned. Soon after, Naruto looked at Kurenai in surprise, then felt that this girl was not only pretty, but also…not as frightening as he thought.

Kurenai's pupils shrank slightly, before quickly returning to normal.

"This person is indeed talented with herbs. I'm now a bit curious about him." said Kurenai as she turned her body around in a flash and under everyone's stares, unexpectedly walked into the cabin once again.

This time, Naruto did not even consider leaving. He stood in the crowd eagerly awaiting the results. As for the other outer sect disciples, they had stopped talking loudly, instead, they had started discussing in hushed tones. Everyone who saw this unprecedented occurrence could not believe their eyes.

As they looked at the turtle, they began to feel that it was mysterious. After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, this sense of mystery intensified as they saw Kurenai walk out of the cabin again.

The turtle…was still on the top!

"My god! Who is this?!" Naruto widely popped out his eyes and shouted, his shrill voice immediately intensified the surrounding disciple's excitement.

"Sister Zhou failed to surpass this person twice, how is this possible?! How many herbs did this person complete?!"

"Did anyone see which Brother went in and took the assessment?"

The silent crowd was finally unable to supress their excitement, and flew into a frenzy. Kurenai stood under the stele with a frown on her face. She had done her best just now and completed nearly six thousand herbs. However, she never thought that even after this, she would still be below that turtle.

She narrowed her eyes, coldly snorted, then turned around and walked into that cabin once again, her eyes filled with determination.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Kurenai walked out with an extremely serious expression. She then turned around and walked in again. Another stick of incense later, she walked out once more, her face was pale but still filled with diligence and competitiveness. Then, she turned around again.

One time, two times, three times, four times…

All the other cultivators' breaths grew heavier with each of Kurenai's continuous assessments, until finally, the crowd fell completely silent again.

Simply because, the meaning of this scene was too terrifying. They couldn't even imagine how many herbs the person, who had drawn the turtle, had completed, that Kurenai couldn't surpass him no matter how hard she tried.

At this moment, the turtle had left an extremely strong impression on the mind of everyone watching this.

Especially when they saw Kurenai walk out again, her pretty eyes filled with streaks of blood. Everyone couldn't help but deeply gasp in shock.

In the crowd, Naruto could only cough dryly. He couldn't tell anyone that he was the one who took the first place. He felt like a cat had been scratching inside his heart, and could only silently cheer in his head.

(Ed note: "...felt like a cat had been scratching inside his heart…' means that Naruto really wanted to do something but knows that he shouldn't)

"No, I can't stand this. One day, I will find a chance to have the attentions of hundreds of thousands of people, and to tell everyone that the first place of the stele for the first volume of herb is I, Naruto!" Naruto murmured. He lazily yawned, looked at the sky which was turning dark, and then made a lonely master look.

"I, Naruto, can make Kurenai vanish with only a flick of my finger…" said Naruto while waving his sleeve. Afterwards, he turned around and proudly walked out of the crowd, before gradually disappearing.

While Naruto walked away, Kurenai stood under the stele, gritted her teeth and walked into the cabin again. She was very determined…

Kurenai kept trying until the bright moon rose. Her face was full of exhaustion as she stared at the turtle; she never thought that this kind of thing would happen to her. Then, she walked away in silence.

After she left, the surrounding people followed suit. That night, the legend of the turtle swept through the entire Scented Cloud Peak.

Everyone thought that the matter had concluded. However, after the sun rose on the next day, the disciples in the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion saw, to their surprise, Kurenai continuously challenging the record. She kept rushing into the cabin under the first stele, coming out, failing, and challenging it once again.

One day, two days, three days… for three whole days, Kurenai continued in this manner. This pushed the discussions about the mysterious turtle in Scented Cloud Mountain to new heights.

Everyone had heard about the mysterious turtle and Kurenai's assessments, even some inner sect disciples.

Seven days later, Kurenai silently stood under the stele staring at the turtle, her eyes dim for the very first time. During the past seven days, she had challenged the record with everything that she had, performing even better than what she had previously expected, reaching seventy thousand herbs. However, she still failed to surpass this mysterious disciple.

"Who the hell are you?!" Kurenai murmured. She took a deep breath, gnashed her teeth, turned around, and stopped challenging the test. That turtle had deeply engraved itself in her mind, so much that she couldn't stop thinking about it.

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Chapter 19 - The Legend Of The Weasel

During his time in Scented Cloud Mountain, Naruto, now an outer sect disciple, lived a very relaxed and comfortable life. Other than his longing for the food back at the Burning Stoves Kitchen, he was very content with everything else there.

At the rate that his cultivation and research on herbs were advancing, Naruto felt like he was living life to the fullest. Only, he occasionally felt bored since the yard that he lived in was rather isolated without anyone he knew living near him. He didn't even have a single person to talk to.

"Could it be that all cultivators feel this lonely?" Naruto lamented as he raised his head to the sky, old beyond his years as he stood in the courtyard.

The fall winds had passed, and the winter flurries had started. On the horizon, snowflakes could occasionally be seen falling to the ground as the temperature dropped. With the descent of the winter chill, the Spirit Winter Bamboos were growing at a faster rate than in the previous seasons, already surpassing Naruto's height. They created the image of spring with their jade-green leaves.

It has been more than a month since he took first place in the assessment. The problem now was that the difficulty of the second examination far exceeded his expectations. The progress of his research had slowed down a bit, but the important thing was that despite Kurenai's failure to take back first place, Naruto felt pressured as he remembered the unassembled herb fragments that were left when the first assessment ended.

"My reputation must not be surpassed by that little lady, Zhou Xiaoqi." Naruto quietly made up his mind to work even harder until he achieved his dream of proudly announcing before ten thousand people that he was the Turtle Medicine Master. It was a dream that had already taken root within his heart.

Though he was slower at studying the second book, his Unending Longevity Technique had almost reached a small circulation.

Every time Naruto trained, the pain reached new heights, but his obsession the words "Unending Longevity" kept him going until now.

"Three more days. Three more days, and according to the Unending

Longevity Technique's manual , one small circulation will be completed," Naruto took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and continued sprinting back and forth in the courtyard as he studied herbs.

Three days passed quickly. On the dusk of the third day, snowflakes floated down from the sky, wrapping the Spirit River Sect in a cloak of silver.

Naruto was doing his running routine as usual, when suddenly his body trembled violently, making him abruptly stop in his tracks. The throbbing pain in his body vanished as soon as it came.

It was followed by sudden bursts of heat which spread throughout his body. When they finally reached the surface, his skin turned as hot as iron fresh out of a furnace.

The snow that landed on his body was instantly evaporated, and transformed into steam before floating up towards the sky.

"Done!" Naruto's mouth was dry, and the burning heat was killing him, but he couldn't be happier. He lowered his head and looked at his body, immediately noticing the black radiance that gradually dispersed as it circled him.

Naruto poked his arm, and the hardness akin to the skin of a bull made his eyes shine. He stretched his body a bit, feeling an obvious improvement in speed. Excited, he flashed forward, appearing a long distance away.

This was double his old speed. Seeing this prominent improvement, Naruto felt even more pleased with himself. He tested this newfound speed a few more times before he was satisfie

d.

Soon after, Naruto continued his cultivation according to the Unending Longevity Technique's manual. This time it was a training that involved blocking the nose and mouth, using the body to breathe instead. Each breath counted as a small cycle, and he was to do it eighty one times every day, for eighty one days before a circulation was completed.

If he could manage to achieve this, combined with the painful circulation he just completed, his body would become nearly invincible!

Naruto tried for quite a while before slowly beginning to understand the method. Standing in the courtyard, he started breathing with only his skin, but just as he barely managed to finish a small cycle, his body had already visibly thinned.

At the same time, waves of intense hunger surfaced, causing Uzumaki

Naruto's stomach to rumble. Ignoring the rumbling sounds, Naruto continued his breathing. His body gradually got skinnier. When he finished the fifteenth breath, his body almost looked like a skeleton wrapped in skin.

It was as though all the nutrients in his body had been sucked out.

However, at this moment, his skin looked even tougher than before.

But Naruto was at his limits. His head started spinning the moment he opened his eyes his eye whites nearing turning kind of indescribable hunger caused him to feel as though he could swallow an elephant whole, if one appeared in front of him.

"I can't take it anymore, I'm about to starve to death!" Naruto swallowed his saliva with difficulty, his vision blurry and his legs wobbly. There wasn't any food around him, except the juicy, green bamboos that looked irresistibly delicious at the moment.

He tried to control himself, but the sense of starvation was too much for him. Dashing to the winter spirit bamboos, he took a huge, savage bite.

A snapping sound could be heard as he bit off a huge piece, chewing it loudly in his mouth. Naruto's expression suddenly twisted as the bitterness of the bamboo hit his tongue, his entire body shivered.

"Too bitter…"

"I want to eat rice…" At this moment, Naruto's desire for the food back at the Burning Stoves Kitchen, was amplified to the extreme. He was hungry. He had never been this hungry in his entire life. At this moment, he had starved till his head felt faint. His eyes turned increasingly green and his breathing was rapid. As his body involuntarily lunged forward, Naruto sprinted out of the courtyard.

At this moment the Burning Stoves Kitchen was preparing food. After Zhang Fatso One and Black Fatso Three's departure, Yellow Fatso Two became the head of the place. He was pouring rice soup as a gust of wind blew in, the bowl disappearing from his hand. Under the soup was Naruto with his mouth wide open.

"Ah?" Yellow Fatso Two jumped up. The other fatsos were also momentarily stunned. By the time they realized that it was Naruto, before they even managed to speak, he had already lifted a huge pot of soup. With eyes burning from hunger, he gulped the entirety of the contents down loudly. Unsatisfied, he plunged his whole head into another pot, finishing the soup inside within seconds.

One, two, three gulps… Naruto took more than a hundred gulps of soup, his body like a black hole, not feeling full at all.

"Hungry… I can't, I'm still starving… I need meat!" Naruto was frantic, sweeping his eyes around, the first thing he saw was the huge mountain-like bodies that belonged to his fatso brothers. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

The fatsos in Burning Stove Kitchen stared at Naruto with wide eyes and gaping jaws. They had seen starving people before, but this was on a whole new level. This was not Naruto anymore, it was some ghost that had died of starvation.

Yellow Fatso Two especially, lost it when he realized the horrible fact that Naruto was swallowing his saliva as he stared at him and his brothers with hungry eyes. Immediately backing away, he roared loudly. "Fatso Nine, there is spirit food prepared for Elder Zhou in the kitchen!" Hearing this, Naruto charged into the kitchen with ferocity in his eyes.

The fatsos outside all looked at each other before they sucked in a breath.

"Did you see that? That's what happens when you become an outer sect disciple. Poor brother, how did he starve to this state…?"

"I would sooner be beaten to death than become an outer sect disciple."

The other fatsos all made up their mind, pitying the crazed Naruto.

As he ate, Naruto did all he could to control himself from eating more than the edges, remembering the six codes of Burning Stoves Kitchen. He knew that eating all of it would only bring trouble to his brothers. He could never bring himself to do something like that.

After finishing the soup and the edges of the meat, Naruto wasn't starving as much as before. Feeling his self-control return, he felt like crying but could not shed any tears. He was terrified by the Unending Longevity Technique's training methods. Although the pain had already disappeared, the hunger was enough to drive a man insane.

"Second Brother…" Naruto looked anxiously at Yellow Fatso Two.

Only after seeing that Naruto had calmed down did Yellow Fatso Two dare to approach him. Patting his shoulder, he gave him a look of sympathy.

"Don't worry, little Brother. We can always make more food for Elder Zhou. Look at how hungry you are. Oh… do come back next time, you need the nourishment."

Upon hearing his words, Naruto was touched. Gritting his teeth, he decided against coming here often. Otherwise, with his current

condition, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't lose control someday and bankrupt the Burning Stoves Kitchen.

As Yellow Fatso Two and the other fatsos bid their farewells, Naruto sighed as he climbed up Scented Cloud Mountain. The pleasure and comfort he just experienced, dissipated without a trace in an instant, replaced by despair and hopelessness. He feared that he would really starve to death someday.

"I don't know if any disciples have died of starvation in the Spirit River Sect, but I really don't want to be the first one." Naruto's face drooped as he thought of ways to solve this starvation problem in the long run. Just then, the sounds of chickens' clucking suddenly came from a place not far away.

Upon hearing the clucking, Naruto slowly turned his head fixed his gaze in the direction of the clucking noises. His vision had already tunneled, his stomach already rumbling.

"Chickens…" Naruto looked around, to make sure that no one was watching, before diving into the bushes, as fast as a weasel, disappearing with a whoosh.

After a moment, Naruto appeared, crouching outside the fences of Scented Cloud Mountain's chicken coop. Staring intently at the prideful chickens that walked about with their triple coloured tails. They were as big as baby cows, and Naruto was unable to count how many times he gulped.

"Meat…" Naruto laughed. It was an incredibly eerie laughter.

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Floor was Covered with Chicken Feathers

The Spirit Tailed Chicken, which had harder feathers and a larger body compared to an ordinary chicken, was born ferocious. An adult Spirit Tailed Chicken was comparable to a cultivator at the second-level of Qi Condensation.

This kind of chicken was edible, their eggs were nutritious, their blood as well as their bones were excellent medicinal materials, and their tails could be used as rare fuel to produce three-coloured flame. Therefore, Spirit Tailed Chickens were mass reared in all three peaks of the Spirit River Sect's South Bank.

However, these chickens did not belong to the sect. They were the personal properties of Toruho and the grand elders of the other two mountains, so only a few disciples were responsible for taking care of these chickens. On the Scented Cloud Mountain, three territories were enclosed for rearing Spirit Tailed Chickens.

Naruto hunkered in the shrubbery while looking at those Spirit Tailed Chickens. He had never seen a live Spirit Tailed Chicken before, but he had tasted one in the Burning Stoves Kitchen and he knew that this kind of chicken was extremely delicious. He had also heard from Zhang Fatso One that this kind of chicken liked to eat spirit bugs.

Eventually, Naruto's body flashed away. Instead of acting rashly, he chose to go downhill to buy a bag of spirit bugs with his dwindling supply of spirit stones, before returning to his yard.

The moment he returned, he felt hungry again. Forcibly repressing his hunger pangs, he searched around, seemingly looking for some materials.

Soon after, when his gaze landed on the Spirit Winter Bamboos, his eyes suddenly lit up. These bamboos had grown to over a zhang tall and were as thick as a fist. Glowing with spirit light, they looked quite extraordinary.

(ED note: One zhang is approximately 3.58 meters, or 3.645 yards)

Naruto hurriedly walked up to those bamboos and circled around them a few times before he laughed out loud. Using the herbal knowledge he had acquired, he cut off two sections from the head of a bamboo stalk, which was also the toughest part of the bamboo.

As for how to steal the Spirit Tailed Chickens, Naruto had his own special way. The most important thing about stealing a chicken was 'weaseling out.' Weaseling out, or escaping the notice of others, was indeed an art.

With the two sections of bamboo, Naruto quickly made a bamboocicada. This was something he had learned from his father when he was little. According to legends, this kind of bamboo-cicada was a useful tool in catching any fowl, be it chicken or phoenix. He then weaved a rope with the bamboo fibers. After tightening the rope to test its tautness, he tied the bamboo-cicada to it, then darted out under the cover of night.

"I want to eat chicken!" Naruto's belly was rumbling, but his eyes were shining with a bright green light. His starvation pushed him to run faster, straight towards the nearest Spirit Tailed Chicken coop.

He slowed down when he neared the chicken coop, sneakily approached the fence, and threw the bamboo-cicada with spirit bugs hanging onto it into the chicken coop. Afterwards, he held the rope that had been tied together with the bamboo-cicada and silently waited, while enduring his hunger.

A few cabins were built within the yard. Beyond them, were the training grounds and living areas of Outer Sect Disciples. Inside the broad hennery yard, were hundreds of Spirit Tailed Chickens. Most of them were lying on the ground, while others were walking around.

Occasionally, they pompously raised their heads high up in the air. After a short while, a Spirit Tailed Chicken seemed to notice something. It turned around and took a glanc

e at the surrounding area, before approaching the bamboo-cicada. The chicken instantly noticed the spirit bug that had been hung on the bamboo-cicada. As it came closer, it then unconcernedly opened its beak and pecked.

But at the exact same moment the chicken's beak pecked the spirit bug, it triggered the mechanism. Instantly, the bamboo rod bent by the chicken's pull violently sprang apart and ingeniously trapped the beak of this Spirit Tailed Chicken. It forcibly propped the chicken's beak open.

The Spirit Tailed Chicken tried to make a sound but failed because of the bamboo stuck in its beak. It then tried crushing the bamboo, however, it failed again due to the sturdiness. At the same time, a strong pull came from the shrubbery.

No matter how hard the chicken struggled, it could only be dragged to the fence in a quick and silent manner. After that, the rope suddenly shook and lifted the chicken into the air. Naruto grabbed the chicken in his hands and gathered the power of his fourth-level Qi Condensation into his palms. Together with his tough skin and great strength, he easily twisted the chicken's neck, then threw it into the storage pouch. This series of moves was extremely skilled, as if it had been an old trick that he had completely mastered.

The entire process had spanned less than thirty breaths, if he hadn't waited for so long, it would have been even quicker.

Naruto was very excited. He dashed back to his own yard, and soon, a delicious scent came out of his cabin. By the time dawn arrived, the entire chicken had ended up in Naruto's stomach.

The only things left were feathers and bones covering the floor…

Having finished the Spirit Tailed Chicken, a large portion of Uzumaki Xiao's great hunger had vanished. He clearly felt that his body had been replenished a bit, and it was filled with warmth, making him feel quite comfortable.

Even the amount of Qi his body contained had improved slightly. The most obvious improvement was that after he finished that chicken, Naruto could operate the Unending Longevity Technique for seven to eight cycles of breathing without pause.

Every single breath had brought Naruto waves of warmth. It spread all over his body, before gathering on his skin. This made his skin look stronger and tougher, with black lights flashing from time to time. However, if one looked closer, his skin was still as white and tender.

"This Unending Longevity Technique, first with pain, then starvation. It's indeed not that easy, but its effects are excellent." said Uzumaki Xiaoxhun as he raised his right arm and pulled out the wooden sword, before carefully touching it with the back of his hand.

When this wooden sword, which had gone through two spirit refinements, touched Naruto's skin, he clearly felt some resistance. He didn't continue, but he was even more convinced that he should keep cultivating the Unending Longevity Technique.

"According to the Unending Longevity Technique, the impentrable skin is divided into four stages, which are gold, silver, copper and iron; I am currently at the the basic level, but if I breathe like this for eighty-one days…I will gain an initial success on the invincible skin." murmured Naruto while glancing at the chicken bones on the ground. He had already come up with a good plan which could help him achieve the final stage of the invincible-skin.

(ED note: Er Gen is being realistic with the skin rankings. IRL in terms of hardness, goldsilvercopperiron. Copper could also be TLed as bronze however bronze is harder than iron so we used copper.)

"Fortunately, there are enough Spirit Tailed Chickens on this mountain," laughed Naruto. He was now even more interested in Spirit Tailed Chickens.

He didn't know that during the past ten-thousand years, quite a lot cultivators had tried cultivating the Unending Longevity Technique. Amongst these people, most had given up because they couldn't bear the great and terrifying pain during the first eighty-one days, and only a few of them had stuck to it. However, after the first eighty-one days, the difficulty of the technique stemmed from the large consumption of resources.

If he intended to achieve the highest stage of the invincible skin, the amount of materials he needed to consume for his cultivation would be so terrifyingly large, that even an entire sect couldn't afford it easily. After all, although cultivating other techniques using the same amount of materials couldn't gain a cultivator an immortal life, it would still be more cost-effective.

This was the biggest reason that this technique had been buried in the bookshelves for years, with no one even sparing it a glance.

Cultivating for a while, Naruto cleaned those chicken bones before burying them in his spirit field, together with the chicken feathers.

After that, he walked out of the yard, headed for a place where outer sect disciples congregated, mingled with the crowd, and carefully listened to people's conversations, trying to find some useful information. With the experiences that he gained in his old village, he understood that he couldn't steal a chicken everyday, every three to five days would be the best.

Listening to people's conversation for a while, he hadn't heard anybody talking abount any missing chickens. Surprisingly though, he learned that the Spirit Tailed Chicken's tail were fuels of three-coloured flame.

Naruto hurriedly rushed back to his yard after hearing this, dug the three-coloured chicken tail feathers out of the spirit soil, held them in his hand and stared at it for quite a while, seemingly thinking of something.

"No wonder these Spirit Tailed Chickens are mass-reared." Naruto hurriedly placed the feathers in his storage pouch. To others, these feathers were nothing more than fuel of three-coloured flame, but to him, these feathers meant three spirit refinements.

He didn't use them right away. He was planning on saving them till he had spirit medicines, then refine the medicines to improve their effects.

A few days later, Naruto, who had quietly stayed at home for a few days started to feel hungry again. This night, he put down the jade tablet of the second volume of herbs and sneaked out again, under the cover of the night. When he returned home, another two Spirit Tailed Chickens had been added to his storage pouch.

As time went by, a month had soon passed. During the past month, gradually, more and more Scented Cloud Mountain's disciples had heard of the Spirit Tailed Chicken heists.

Even Toruho himself had heard of this. After all, during the last month, the number of lost chickens in all three henneries were in the dozens. However, this didn't catch too much of his attention, besides, he had to leave the mountain for other affairs, and as a result, he didn't look into it.

The ones who were angry the most about this were those outer sect disciples, who were responsible for taking care of those chickens. These seven to eight people were not angry because of the lost chickens, after all, those chickens didn't belong to them, and the elder didn't blame them for this either. They were angry because they felt humiliated. They couldn't believe that a thief dared to steal the chickens from right under their noses. Every time they thought about that thief, they would find themselves grinding their teeth.

However, they had absolutely no idea about how to prevent the chickens from being stolen. No matter how hard they tried to guard them, there were always one to two chickens lost every couple of days. What they couldn't understand the most was how every single chicken was stolen so silently, not a single noticeable sound was made. It was as if those chickens had disappeared into thin air.

As for Naruto, his body had fully recovered during the past month, and had even slightly fattened. No matter how much the Unending Longevity Technique exhausted him, he had enough chickens to replenish his body. His face now had a healthy flush, as if he had returned to his happy life from back then.

While happy and full, his efficiency in learning the second volume of herbs was raised. Finally, the day he had thoroughly studied the entire second volume of herbs arrived. After what he had experienced previously, this time he was even more careful in his research. He was now familiar with all of the leaves, stems, roots and even villus. He was confident in his ability to recognize a herb with a single glance, even when it had been split into dozens of parts.

After he felt confident enough, he walked out of his yard in large strides with his head held high and his chest puffed out.

"This time, I'll let everyone know that I am the turtle who had topped Kurenai!" Naruto rushed towards the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, his face filled with anticipation.

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Chapter 21 - Big Bro Naruto

The Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion was one of the most popular places in Scented Cloud Mountain and was frequented by outer sect disciples almost every day. Part of the reason was the ten stone steles located there, and another was the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion itself. Centred between the steles, outer sect disciples could exchange contribution points and herbs or medicine pills there.

Moreover, on fixed days, this place even had promotional examinations to become Medicine Apprentices where medicine pills that they refined were reclaimed by the sect. Hence, due to various reasons, this place was always noisy.

With the passage of time, the popularity of this place also caused it to become a secondary information center where disciples traded information regarding their experiences. It started from simple discussions about herbalism, then eventually grew to a place where people gossiped and chatted about the events happening within the sect, both big and small.

When Naruto arrived at the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, many outer sect disciples could be seen either walking in and out or chatting with hushed voices in groups of three to five. In front of the surrounding stone steles, many disciples were also lining up to challenge the rankings.

After a long time spent squeezing past the crowds, Naruto finally neared the second stele. Just as he was going over to the stele, he noticed the three outer sect disciples in front of him having a conversation, and apparently, it was about Naruto himself.

"Did you guys hear? Something weird has been happening recently regarding Elder Li's spirit tailed chickens. It's said that more than a hundred of those chickens have disappeared."

"Not just more than a hundred. From what I have heard, Elder Li might as well have no chickens left. A disciple looking after the chickens has caught the culprit already - the chicken thief is going to be cut into pieces and fed to the chickens. How cruel."

"First a mysterious turtle appears, then this great chicken thief? What's with Scented Cloud Mountain these days?"

Naruto unconsciously withdrew his neck, feeling guilty. Wasn't it just some chickens? How did it turn out to be such a big deal? From the looks of it, everyone knew about the chicken disappearances.

And after hearing that the chickens belonged to Elder Li, Naruto was even more frightened.

"I didn't steal that many…" Naruto felt wronged, and was thinking of how he could change the Great Chicken Thief's image when he heard some noise from behind him.

"Little girl! Why the hell are you shoving? Are you in such a rush for your next life?"

"So what if I'm shoving? Get out of here if you're afraid of a little squeezing, you should be honored that it's me who's shoving you."

"You…"

Naruto thought the voice seemed familiar, so he turned around to take a look. It was a lady with soft white skin, her chest was puffed up and a hand was on her hip. She was proudly arguing with a huge man.

"Hou Xiaomei?" Naruto blinked.

Upon hearing her name, Hou Xiaomei turned and saw Naruto, her expression changing from prideful to surprised.

"Big bro Naruto! It's you!" Hou Xiaomei twisted her hip and hurriedly rushed towards Naruto's direction. Her kind demeanor made it seem like she was warm and pure.

"Ah, Lil' Sis Xiaomei." As Naruto looked at the energetic girl before him, he thought that she was extremely cute.

"You're so mean, teas

ing me and all. Brother Naruto, I'm called Hou Xiaomei!" Hearing her words, Naruto blushed a little at her innocent cuteness.

When she said this, this girl who was filled with energy from the start became even more alluring, attracting the glances of many of the surrounding outer sect disciples. The big man from before instead felt his his skin covered with goosebumps. He felt that the change in attitude of this girl was too drastic, the shift from anger to happiness was unnatural.

"Big Bro Naruto, my brother hasn't returned from his trip away from the mountain, and it's my first time here. Where should I go if I want to exchange my first bamboo scroll for the second?" Hou Xiaomei asked. It was indeed her first time here, after all, it had always been her brother who did these things for her. Fortunately, she found Naruto just when she didn't know what to do.

Naruto smiled and introduced the basics to her, speaking in precise detail. She kept nodding throughout his explanation and by the time he finished explaining, felt that Naruto was not only kind, but was also very knowledgeable.

After explaining the basics, Naruto glanced at Hou Xiaomei. Unable to control himself, he raised his right hand and pointed at the first stone stele, putting on an air of nonchalance.

"See that stone stele over there? People who manage to leave their names there are the pride and joy of the entire sect. Anyone whose symbol is on it will attain achievements that will shake the whole world."

"Forget about everyone else, let me tell you about the person who is in second place. Look at that Aquarius symbol, that's the pride of our Scented Cloud Mountain - Kurenai!"

"This symbol shows her talent for herbs, and she has already been taken in as a disciple by a grand elder. She's destined to become the main sect's Zhou Mistress!" Hou Xiaomei's eyes shined brightly as she raised her head to look at the Aquarius symbol, her expression full of respect. She heard Hou Yunfei mention Kurenai's name multiple times, which filled her with respect and admiration for Kurenai. With Naruto's praise, she only felt even more admiration for Kurenai.

Naruto continued acting nonchalant. He stood there for quite a while before realizing that she was still staring at the Aquarius symbol, completely oblivious to the turtle above it. He was instantly irritated.

After all, wasn't the point of his introduction to move onto this topic and discuss the beautifully drawn turtle?

"Hey hey, this Kurenai is indeed extraordinary to place second on the first stone stele!" He emphasized on the word second, reminding her that there was one more person above her.

Hou Xiaomei perked her head and took a closer look, frowning.

"Second place? Who's that turtle above her, it sure is an ugly symbol."

Hearing this, Naruto only felt even more irritated. Feeling a strong urge to educate this little girl before him, Naruto put on a serious face, and spoke solemnly.

"This is where you're wrong. Xiaomei, you should know that this beautiful turtle represents the greatest, most mysterious, and most extraordinary disciple of the main sect."

"There are many rumors about this person. Every time he appears, he would attract cheers and stares from the disciples, envied by all, cheered for by all."

"Ah?" Being the innocent girl she was, Hou Xiaomei stood there stunned, doubting the words Naruto spoke.

"You should know that this guy is a legend born from thin air only two months ago. He snatched away Kurenai's first place, shattering her dreams!"

"You should know that this person, after appearing, instantly snatched away first place with great ease."

"You should know that when Kurenai witnessed this with her own eyes, she couldn't sleep for seven days straight. She took the examination multiple times but placed second in all of them. She was completely defeated."

"You should know, I, Naruto… heh." Naruto got more and more excited with every word, almost spitting out the fact that he was the great turtle. He took control of himself, remembering his dream to reveal his identity before a vast audience, and not in front of a single little girl. To achieve that dream, he had to wait.

"Really?" Hou Xiaomei's eyes shone like stars at night, staring intently at the turtle, her cheeks were red and her face was full of respect once again.

"Of course." Naruto was pleased. He was convinced that he did something good; guiding the lost girl to the right path. With a sense of success, Naruto flourished his sleeves as he walked to the second stone stele, leaving her behind.

Squeezing past the crowd, he waited for a vacant wooden hut before disappearing into it with proud strides.

The hut was old. Naruto sat in front of the stone stele, drawing the turtle once again. His vision blurred as a roaring sound echoed in his ears. He appeared in a familiar imaginary space, but this time, without the ice-cold voice; just endless herb fragments.

Naruto was very confident. His eyes shone and his two hands moved with great speed. Within the blink of an eye, he finished assembling the tufts of spirit herbs.

In the time it took for an incense stick to finish burning, less than five thousand fragments were left in front of him. This was a considerably better result than his first examination.

But unfortunately, time was up. His vision blurred and he was once again inside the wooden hut. Even so, he was filled with confidence. Picking up the third scroll, his heart started beating faster in anticipation as he pushed open the doors of the wooden hut.

Looking at the outer sect disciples who were still oblivious of the change in the rankings, Naruto felt proud.

"This time I'm going to shock the entire sect. I'll tell them all that I, Naruto, am the great master turtle!" Naruto was already picturing the scene of having ten thousand people worshipping him, especially the image of Hou Xiaomei's shocked face.

While imagining the scene, Naruto chuckled a bit, before holding up his right hand to give a big yell, taking the initiative to reveal to everyone that he was that great turtle…

But just then, he heard the outer sect disciples queuing up outside.

"You think that turtle who took Kurenai's first place will dare show himself again?"

"Probably not. Kurenai's admirers are all over the place looking for him in the entire southern river bank. They're all so angry, it's crazy. They even said that they'd skin him alive if they found him."

"Yeah, I heard that too. Even inner sect disciples are involved."

Naruto had just raised his right hand when he heard these words. His heart skipped a beat, especially when he heard that inner sect disciples were also looking for him. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead as he pulled his hand back to his face, and acted as if nothing happened, before quickly putting it down. He was furious, his face bitter as he sighed. He squeezed into the crowd.

"This is too much, it's just absurd! All I did was acquire first place, is all of this really necessary? Even inner sect disciples are looking for me." His expression this time was genuine.

Just as he walked into the crowd, someone noticed the change in the rankings on the second stone stele, and sounds of disbelief filled the air as the news spread throughout the outer sect disciples in the Ten Thousand Medicines Pavilion.

Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Chapter 22-Senior Sister,Don't Worry,!

"All of you,look at the second stone small turtle...It has appeared again!"

"First again…Just who is that turtle?That turtle has already attained first place on two consecutive steles!"

"Sister Zhou can't even hold on to eight different records!It has already dropped to seven!"

The surrounding disciples instantly burst into an uproar as countless exclamations the crowd,a particular young girl's voice cut through the chatter with a loud cheer.

"You can do it,little turtle!"

That girl was Hou under Uzumaki

Naruto's"guidance",she had already begun to worship this small that moment,when she suddenly saw the little turtle appear in the first place on the second stele,her admiration immediately reached its her heart,the position of the turtle had already been elevated beyond that of Kurenai.

Waves of heated clamour rose and fell in quick the end,everyone at the scene exchanged exclamations of all,this small turtle was really too famous and at this moment,he was proclaiming that he would continue challenging Kurenai's standing through his actions.

Some people had even begun anticipating that perhaps not too long after this,the small turtle would surpass Kurenai on every one of those ten stone steles.

Naruto,who stood within the crowd,could still feel the lingering depression from at the same time,there was also a hint of pride secretly swelling inside of ,it was a pity that nobody else knew of his identity.

" will definitely come a day when I reveal myself as the master turtle in a place with more than ten thousand spectators!"Naruto swore to himself in his heart.

But even after consoling himself with that promise,he was still unsatisfied,so he also participated in the time to time,you could hear his shrill voice leading the loud chatter permeating the surroundings.

"Oh my god,who is he?We should all start worshipping him!"

"The idol of ten thousand people!Master turtle is undefeatable!"

Under the influence of Naruto's strained high-pitched cries,the discussion of the surrounding disciples gradually increased in seemed as if waves of loud clamouring would arise once at this moment,a cold'hmph'could be that,a person's figure leapt out from the crowd and landed on a wooden hut.

"Never let me know who this damned turtle I ever find out who you are,I'll definitely make you regret stealing Junior Sister Zhou's limelight!"The one who spoke was a young had a dark expression on over his face and his icy-cold voice resonated in all directions.

"That's right!The turtle should be concealed in the crowd right now.I will definitely find you!"Another voice belonged to another youth who leapt onto the wooden hut and coldly scanned the especially focused on the area around Naruto whose shrill voice was very the youth did not believe that Naruto was the turtle,his gaze towards Naruto was still unkind.

Soon,this type of figures showed up one after another as a total of seven to eight people and every one of them was radiating a powerful cultivation them,the strongest that appeared actually appeared to be at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.

These people were precisely the leaders of Kurenai's fan their appearance,the surrounding audience immediately stopped their discussions

and gradually fell ,their hearts remained more they looked at these few people,the more they felt disdain for them.

Although the audience supported Kurenai,this kind of goodwill was ultimately limited to Kurenai ,everyone was clear on the fact that this kind of event,where a person challenged Kurenai relying on nothing but his own talents,was worthy of great respect.

When Naruto sensed the youth glaring at him,his heart because he was surrounded by so many people,he realized that they wouldn't risk angering the ,he raised his head and glared right back with a-"Come and beat me if you dare,I'll fight you to death"-expression on his face.

Just as the atmosphere stiffened,a rainbow streak rapidly closed in from this rainbow streak,there was an alluring figure-it was precisely Kurenai.

"It's Sister Zhou."

"Sister Zhou is coming."The stiff atmosphere on the ground instantly those outer sect disciples spotted Kurenai,they immediately smiled.

Those seven or eight admirers immediately restrained their by one,they revealed what they considered a relaxed expression as they cupped their hands towards Kurenai.

The reasons Kurenai had come here this time was firstly,because she had heard of the rankings on the second stele,and secondly,because of some other she came closer and scanned the surroundings,she immediately noticed the awkward another glance,she could instantly guess the reason behind this towards those seven or eight admirers,a sense of unhappiness and disgust was visible in her eyes.

"Does my,Kurenai's business,require inteference from other people?After all,the fact that a prodigious disciple has appeared on my Scented Cloud Mountain is good news for our something like this happens again,don't blame me for being impolite to you."Kurenai spoke with an icy voice which was as sharp as the edge of a caused the seven or eight admirers'faces to instantly their countenance was bitter,they dared not say anything.

"This junior Brother who has surpassed me on the first and second stone steles of herbs,perhaps you are in the you do not want to show yourself,then dont,you are free to do as you wish."Kurenai's tone was disinterested and infused with a faint sense of raised her head to glance at the small turtle on the second stone ,once again gazing at the crowd as she tried to suppress the dissatisfaction in her heart.

Upon hearing these words,the surrounding disciples burst into cheers for of them felt that Kurenai,the one they supported,was their Scented Cloud Mountain's sole prodigy.

Within the crowd,Naruto silently thought that it was no wonder why she was deemed a speech had been delivered had naturally heard the arrogance in the other party's voice and lamented not showing himself,not because he didn't want to,but because of Kurenai's admirers.

"The reason I have come today is because there is another thing I hope my fellow sect disciples can help me with."Kurenai's expression was serene as she gazed at the audience,her tone bland.

The moment these words left her mouth,the surrounding people instantly became expressions showed that they were attentive,and had all eagerly perked up their ears to listen.

"Recently,things have not been peaceful on the Scented Cloud Toruho's Spirit Tailed Chickens have been disappearing in large the respected grand elder is still away,he might not care much for this as his disciple,I must take responsibility.I hope that everyone can work together to help me catch this chicken anyone is able to catch the thief,I am willing to reward you with a treasured jade tablet!"As Kurenai spoke,she retrieved a piece of green jade from her jade tablet glowed with a soft light and appeared to be extraordinary.

"This object possesses a certain defensive is something I fortuitously obtained a few years ago."Kurenai's voice disciple at the scene instantly looked towards the piece of jade and soon,an enthusiastic look had appeared on everyone's faces as they pledged their assistance one after another.

"Don't worry Sister Zhou!We'll definitely give that chicken thief no place to hide!"

"To dare to steal the chickens of a grand elder,this chicken thief has some guts.I will definitely be alert when it comes to this matter!"Voices rang out in ,everyone in the crowd had promised to was especially the case for Kurenai's admirers whose eyes shone with ferocity,their passion-filled voices were resonating in the air.

Naruto who stood within the crowd was he gazed at the people around him who were so zealous that they seemed to have been injected with chicken blood,he felt a cold chill run down his spine.

But he was unsatisfied!Just thinking about the severe hunger that accompanied cultivation of the Unending Longevity Technique made him feel accumulated on his ideas flew through his mind before suddenly,his eyes lit cut his way through the crowd and afterwards,he suddenly patted his chest as his voice echoed loudly.

"Sister Zhou,I,Naruto will complete your task to catch this chicken thief even if I have to climb a mountain of knives and descend to the bottom of a pot of oil!"His shrill voice gave out his location even rushed out of the crowd and stood right in front.

His sudden secession from the crowd instantly drew the attention of the given the thumping noises originating from the violent patting of his chest,this act was enough to put even Kurenai's admirers to a matter of fact,even Kurenai involuntarily glanced at him.

When she saw the support her fellow sect disciple had for her,Kurenai's face broke into a smile and she nodded her head as she was preparing to leave,she once again heard that high-pitched voice penetrate the clamour and ring out.

"Sister Zhou,I have a don't we form a small thiefcatching team?With cooperative efforts,we can definitely nab that despicable thief and protect our grand elder's Spirit Tailed Chickens!"Naruto's expression was filled with a sense of demeanor implied that he would sacrifice everything to accomplish the task set by Sister Zhou.

Kurenai was momentarily the surrounding people heard Naruto's words,many of them felt that his idea was not by one,they voiced their approval.

"That's also my main focus is still on regards to this,do what you wish."Kurenai nodded her head before looking at Naruto once felt that although this disciple looked rather amateurish,he was dressed cleanly and appeared innocent and importantly,his pious support had given her a good impression and she even smiled slightly at Naruto.

"Since this kind-hearted disciple has come up with this suggestion,then all of you should form a small team to catch the thief.I have with me ten ribbons that'll serve as the keepsakes for the representative of this group."As she spoke,she retrieved ten blue ribbons from her storage a gentle wave,these ten ribbons flew towards Naruto and landed in his hands.

"Sister Zhou,don't worry!You can count on me!"Naruto puffed out his chest as he held the ribbons expression on expression on his face was that of"For the grand elder's Spirit Tailed Chickens,nothing will stop me,not even a cruel death."

A hint of praise was revealed in Kurenai's thought to herself that such responsible little disciples were already few in after commiting Naruto's obedient appearance to memory did she turn around and leave.

When they saw Kurenai gaze at Naruto with newfound respect,her admirers were all discontent as they regretted that they had not thought of this idea to ingratiate themselves with her.

After Kurenai left,those disciples in charge of rearing Spirit Tailed

Chickens hurriedly walked out and thanked the audience,especially stuck out his chest and harshly denounced the chicken the end,all of the chicken-rearing disciples had been Naruto's command,the thief-catching team which consisted of several disciples,whose cultivations were inferior to his,was finally formed.

On his way home,Naruto wiped the perspiration from his forehead and heaved a long sigh.

"Just now was really too dangerous!I almost lost all of my future 's fortunate that I,Naruto,am so smart and heh."When Naruto thought of this,he felt proud a small tune,he returned to his yard and glanced at the Spirit Winter speed of growth of these spirit bamboos were of now,they had already grown to almost one zhang tall and were as thick as a person's appearance was quite startling. (ED note:one zhang is equal to 3.58 meters,or 3.645 yards)

That night,dark clouds smothered the sky and an inky darkness enveloped the opened his eyes,awakening from meditation as he licked his lips.

"Under the dark moon and the towering skies,I seem to be hungry once again…"

Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Chapter 23 - The Mad Chicken-Stealing Devil

Late into the night, the Scented Cloud Mountain was enveloped by inky darkness. It was so dark that if one extended their hand, they would not be able to see their fingers. Apart from the wailing winds which swept through the valley, the surroundings were quiet, as though even birds and beasts were afraid to break the silence.

In the inky darkness, Naruto took out the ribbon given to him by Kurenai and tied it to his arm. He nonchalantly walked forward, straight along the small path leading towards the Spirit Tailed chickens' yard. His shadow was rapidly shifting from one place to another. It wasn't long before he had passed through the bamboo shrubbery, arriving close to the chickens.

From there, he could see the Spirit Tailed chickens resting in the yard. Still, there were a few which would occasionally wander about, most notably, a certain Spirit Tailed chicken that was heading in his direction.

Naruto squatted amidst the shrubbery and licked his lips. After waiting for a short while, when that Spirit Tailed chicken had come closer, he slowly approached the enclosure. Just when he was about to take out his bamboo rod, he was suddenly startled and his eyes turned serious.

At that moment a low bellow suddenly resounded from behind him. Silhouettes appeared one after another, some of them even producing fireballs, brightening the surroundings with blinding light.

"Damned chicken thief! You've finally appeared!"

"I've waited here for many days and have laid traps all over the place.

Let's see how you're going to escape!" The bellow resonated in the air. Seven to eight shadows instantly shot towards Naruto, surrounding him completely.

These shadows were the disciples in charge of rearing the chickens. They had been painstakingly waiting for numerous days, and never imagined that today, their efforts would actually pay off. Hatred had accumulated deep within their hearts, so every sinlge one of them wanted to execute this chicken thief on the spot.

After hearing their words and seeing their approach, Naruto was initially shocked. Then he rolled his eyes, before humphing coldly. (ED Note: rolled his eyes means that he suddenly thought of an idea.)

"Be quiet! All of you lower your voice!" He unceremoniously spoke with a serious tone. Without even trying to conceal himself, Naruto swaggered as he stood up. Then, he purposefully revealed the ribbon tied on his arm.

This sudden and unexpected sight stunned the seven to eight people that were rushing towards him.

"All of you look carefully. I am the leader of the thief-catching group." Naruto furrowed his brows in dissatisfaction as he looked at the people standing in front of him.

Some of the disciples in charge of rearing the chickens had seen Naruto before in broad daylight. At that moment, as they inspected him carefully, they started hesitating.

"It's Junior Brother Uzumaki ...It's already so late. What are you doing here?" Among these disciples, there was one whose face revealed suspicion as he fixed his gaze on Naruto. Following this question, the others also cast him suspicious glances.

"Since Sister Zhou has asked me to lead the small group of thiefcatchers. I must give it my all to nab this chicken thief. Even if that includes sacrificing my cultivation time, I will still come here in the middle of the night to guard the chickens. But with your shouting, even if there really was a chicken thief here, he would have been scared away." Naruto unhappily spoke with a flourish of his sleeves. He furrowed his brows, looking as though he had spared no efforts

towards catching the thief.

The disciples in charge of rearing the chickens glanced at each other before embarrased expressions adorned some of their faces. The disciple who initially questioned Naruto also looked a lot less suspicious of him, but still seemed doubtful.

When he saw that the suspicions of the other party had not been fully dispelled, Naruto coldly humphed. Without giving the disciples a chance to raise another question, he seized the opportunity to speak first. His voice was filled with dissatisfaction regarding the disciples' efforts.

"No wonder your Spirit Tailed chickens always go missing. You're too careless! You're all waiting here but this fence is already broken!" Naruto pointed at the fence behind him. There was indeed some damage on the fence which was hard to notice. It had been Naruto himself who broke it when he had tussled with a Spirit Tailed chicken during his first theft.

Hearing his words, the disciples in charge of rearing the chickens looked towards the direction of Naruto's finger one by one. When they inspected closely and noticed the damage on the fence, they were all shocked. Previously, they had never paid too much attention to these kinds of subtle and minor details.

"Also, that Spirit Tailed chicken just ran all the way here! Just how have you been guarding this area?" Naruto displayed his displeasure and even raised his voice which caused discomfort to the surrounding disciples.

"According to my observations, this place is the most isolated part of the territory. You should have focused more on guarding this place, but I've already been here for quite a while and only now do you guys show up." The more Naruto spoke, the angrier he became. When he finished speaking, he heaved a long sigh.

"If you're all like this, how are we going to catch the thief? With my thiefcatching experience, if I'm guessing correctly, this is the place where you have lost the most chickens." The moment he said this, the disciples in charge of rearing the chickens were all dumbfounded. They looked at each other and saw shock in each others' eyes. According to their knowledge, this was precisely the spot where the largesst number of chickens had disappeared.

This was why they had chosen to guard this place. Naruto had actually unravelled their entire plan at first glance. As they looked towards Naruto, their gazes now exposed a sliver of respect.

Even the disciple who was previously suspicious had been humbled. He thought about Naruto sacrificing his training time to help them catch the thief, as well as the eagerness to help he had displayed during the day. Then, he quickly sucked in a breath and cupped his hands before bowing deeply.

"Junior Brother Uzumaki , please do not take our actions to heart. We are sincerely grateful for your generous assistance. We will definitely repair this fence as soon as possible, and from now on, we will definitely guard this place more carefully!"

One by one, the other disciples also cupped their hands. From the bottom of their hearts, they truly felt that Naruto's kindness was rare and precious, and that he was truly trying his best to assist them. They felt even more apologetic for their thoughtless behaviour earlier.

Naruto humphed lightly before he gave a few more detailed instructions. Only then did he walk away. Behind him, those seven to eight disciples bowed again. As they looked at Naruto, they had already been moved by Naruto's compassion.

"Junior Brother Uzumaki is a good person!"

Just as Naruto exited this piece of territory, a gust of wind blew past and he felt a chill run down his spine. In his heart, he silently exclaimed that the situation just now had been too dangerous. However, his stomach was still hungry. After some thought, he decided to try his luck in other places.

As he walked along the small path, Naruto glanced around with a grave expression. In his heart, he contemplated how he should steal chickens from the next place.

Suddenly, with a gust of wind, the ribbon on his arm was blown far away. At the same time, there was a feminine figure floating in midair in the inky night sky, her presence concealed from passers-by. The girl was standing on a blue damask overlooking the entire Scented Cloud Mountain, suddenly she had a change of expression when she noticed

Naruto looking about. Slowly, the respect in her gaze increased.

"This junior disciple is truly a sincere and responsible person." This girl was naturally Kurenai. She had already investigated all the territories. In the beginning, there had still been people patrolling about, but as night fell, most had left to complete their own training. Only this Naruto had really gone out in earnest search for the thief.

"With him being here, the chicken thief's actions will certainly be heavily restricted." Kurenai looked away. With her heart now set at ease, she flew back towards her cave.

After some time, Naruto had circled around and returned to his own yard. With a pat of his storage pouch, two Spirit Tailed chickens appeared. Chuckling to himself, he plucked and cleansed the chickens before throwing them into a pot. Soon, an aroma floated outwards, causing Naruto to swallow a mouthful of saliva. He didn't even care that the food was still burning hot as he began to shove it into his mouth ravenously.

Finally, with a burp, he patted his stomach and lay beside the pot. On his face, a look of elation could be seen.

Soon, a month had passed. In this month, Naruto had been rather dilligent. His shadow could often be seen in various chicken-rearing places during the night.

But even so, chickens continued dissapearing. It was as though their opponent came without a shadow and left without a trace, mysterious and unpredictable. The disciples in charge of rearing the chickens increasingly felt like they were losing face so they spared no efforts and swore numerous times that they would definitely catch the chicken thief.

They depended on Naruto who seemed to be even more dutiful than they were. He had tenaciously guarded the territory, as though he would never rest until he had caught the thief. He even went as far as guarding the area for a consecutive four days and nights.

This kind of persistence and determination seemed to have acted as a strong deterrent since the chicken thefts had vastly decreased. However, they still did not disappeared completely. The Spirit Tailed chickens' population of the Scented Cloud Mountain had already dwindled to less than half. Not many were left, and most of them were immature chicks.

In the end, even the disciples in charge of rearing the chickens sighed at their incompetence. They constantly lamented that if all the disciples of the thief-catching group were like Junior Brother Uzumaki , then they would definitely catch the chicken thief.

Kurenai was also getting worried. One afternoon, Naruto was sitting cross-legged in the chicken coop, vigilantly observing his surroundings, when a streak of blue damask suddenly came closer and Kurenai's figure appeared.

"Sister Zhou." When Naruto saw her, he stood up and obediently greeted her.

"Junior Brother Uzumaki has worked hard." Kurenai's beautiful eyes looked towards Naruto as a smile appeared on her face.

Soon, the other disciples in this area had all hurried over, clustering around Kurenai. Naruto was also among the crowd.

"Thank you very much for your help over these past few days. I appreciate your efforts but the thief remains impudent. In the following days, I have decided to guard this place together with you." Kurenai said softly. After scouring the surrounding area again, she furrowed her brows.

"Perhaps this chicken thief has a history with Master? After all, the other mountains have Spirit Tailed Chickens too, but he solely targets my master's!"

Upon hearing this, Naruto's eyes lit up and he almost slapped his thigh. The expression on his face showed complete agreement with her words, it was as if those words were very reasonable and he himself had reached the same conclusion.

In the next moment, Naruto's line of sight involuntarily shifted towards the Purple Cauldron Mountain in the distance. His eyes slowly narrowed, hiding the cunning glint deep within his gaze.

The moment Kurenai had come here, the surroundings had quickly been filled with numerous admirers, causing the entire chicken-rearing territory of the Scented Cloud Mountain to be filled with a sea of people.

Apparently, the chicken thief could no longer find a way to steal. So in the following days, there was not a single Spirit Tailed chicken which had gone missing.

Even so, this incident of the mysterious chicken thief had already become well-known, and the person behind it had long been named "The Mad Chicken-Stealing Devil" as it circulated among the disciples. Some people had even compared this thief to the small turtle as they became two of the most mysterious people of Scented Cloud Mountain. Even the outer sect disciples of the Green Peak Mountain and the Purple Cauldron Mountain had also heard of them.

When she noticed that the chicken thief disappeared, Kurenai was pleased. Although they did not manage to catch the thief, she remembered Naruto's earnest efforts throughout this period of time. In the end, she had ordered people to bring the jade tablet to him as a reward.

(ED Note: period of time is just over a month)

The matter had finally come to a close. Furthermore, Naruto's tenacity and sincerity had caused plenty of outer sect disciples to remember this pure, tidy, obedient and incredibly compassionate Brother.

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Chapter 24 - Who are you?

In his yard within the Scented Cloud Mountain, Naruto was looking at the jade tablet in his hand. With a shift of the Qi inside his body, the jade tablet immediately radiated a soft green light that enveloped his entire body.

Naruto made a couple of signs with his left hand and a wooden sword instantly flew out. After it flew in a large circle, it shot straight back towards Naruto. However, the moment it touched the cyan light, it suddenly slowed down as though it had been submerged in water.

"My precious!" Naruto muttered to himself. His expression was a little embarrassed as he put away his wooden sword and held onto the jade tablet.

"Nah, it'll be fine. Toruho might be Kurenai's master, but he's my guide on the path to immortality. According to this relationship, I should, by rights, call him uncle. I should be much closer to him than Kurenai." Naruto coughed. He put the jade tablet away and stood there as he stretched lazily.

By the time he ate most of Toruho's spirit tailed chickens, his Unending Longevity Technique had been improved greatly. Currently, it was already seventy percent completed. However, the spirit tailed chickens' meat only helped in boosting his body's vitality but not his Qi. Although his cultivation was still at the fourth level of Qi Condensation, his condensation technique had become more profound, as though it had been thoroughly compressed.

As for the chicken bones, he had buried them all in the spirit field. By now, the whole field's spirit soil had been infused with extremely rich Qi.

In fact, it was already overkill to the extent that the Spirit Winter Bamboo planted there had already grown to over two zhang tall. Furthermore, its trunk which was bright green color had already started to darken.

(TL note: one zhang is equal to 3.58 meters, or 3.645 yards)

As for all the important three-coloured flame spirit tails, Naruto already had several hundred. Upon thinking about the fact that these tails, when burnt, would produce three-coloured flames, Naruto's heart would be filled with anticipation..

"There's no rush to train in my cultivation. As long as I have enough medicine pills that I can refine thrice with three-coloured flames, the speed at which my level rises will be comparable to the speed of light. Successfully taking small steps is firmer and safer." Just as Naruto thought about this, his belly suddenly growled. He glanced towards the chicken-rearing yards in Scented Cloud Mountain but soon shifted his gaze to the Purple Cauldron Mountain in the distance.

"First Brother is in Purple Cauldron Mountain, I wonder how he's doing right now." Naruto sank into reminiscence as he recalled everything that had happened during his time in the Burning Stoves Kitchen. He stood up, walked out of the yard, headed down the mountain and rushed straight towards the Purple Cauldron Mountain.

There were three mountains on the south bank of the Spirit River Sect.

The Green Peak Mountain focused mainly on sword manipulation, the

Scented Cloud Mountain excelled at creating spirit medicine, while the Purple Cauldron Mountain was famous for its techniques and spirit refinements. All of the basic techniques as well as the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique originated from the Purple Cauldron Mountain.

Naruto walked along the small road that went through the sect. He arrived at the foot of Purple Cauldron Mountain at dusk. As he looked up at the Purple Cauldron Mountain swathed in clouds and mist, he saw several figures as small as black dots floating in the sky turn into streaks of rainbow-coloured lights. As he watched those figures, complex emotions fill

ed his mind.

"I don't know when it'll be that I too will be able to fly. Only when I have mastered this can I explore the vast outside world and truly consider myself as having stepped onto the path of immortality." Naruto's eyes revealed anticipation as he climbed up the Purple Cauldron Mountain.

Even though he was not a disciple of the Purple Cauldron Mountain, as an outer sect disciple, he was still qualified to enter all the mountains. On his way up the mountain, he asked everyone he met for the location of Zhang Dahai's house. Because his face was filled with an angelic innocence that easily endeared people to him, it didn't take long for him to find out the place where Zhang Dahai was living. Following the directions that was given to him, he quickly arrived at his destination. (ED: for those of you who can't remember, Zhang Dahai is Zhang Fatso One's name)

Unlike his yard on Scented Cloud Mountain, Zhang Fatso One's house was located on the sun-facing slope of the mountain peak. The Qi there was evidently richer and only a few houses were built there. One next to the other, all the lofts there looked like a sky ornately decorated with stars, seemingly in some sort of a pattern.

As dusk arrived, it was getting dimmer, but the surroundings wrapped by thin clouds and mist were still visible. Coupled with the spirit plants that were growing everywhere, it looked like a fairy's land.

"First Brother must have some great backing to actually be able to live in such a place. It's so much better than mine." Naruto took a deep breath of the surrounding Qi as an envious expression was written on his face.

After searching for a while, he finally found the Zhang Fatso One's house. When he saw that the yard inside was overgrown with weeds and seemed like it had been neglected for a long time, Naruto was momentarily confused, then he knocked on the gate. But even after waiting for a while, nobody responded.

"Did I make a mistake?" Just as Naruto was wondering about this, within the yard, the main gate of the loft creaked open. A man with skinny figure and a flying sword in his hand came out. A silver glow on his left hand dimmed as he walked out wearily. In the next moment, an even voice resounded.

"Who is it?!" Just then, the skinny man's body suddenly jerked when he saw Naruto across the yard. His face instantly revealed a surprised glee, as though he had spotted a dear family member. He jumped up quickly and pulled open the door. As he gazed at Naruto, he began to laugh loudly.

"Ninth Brother!"

"Who are you?" Naruto opened his eyes widely as he immediately retreated a few steps. He felt like he vaguely recognised this guy standing in front of him, but why was it that he looked so unfamiliar?

The person's appearance was ordinary and his body was as thin as a stick. It couldn't be called skin and bones yet but it was almost at that level. Even though his eyes were bright, his sockets were deeply hollowed. As waves of Qi radiated from his body, it seemed like he had already reached the peak of the fourth level Qi Condensation.

"Fatso Nine, I am Fatso One!" When the skinny young man saw Naruto, he felt like weeping but no tears came out. As he continued speaking, intense indignation and grief were exposed on his face.

"Fatso Nine, you can't imagine how much suffering I've undergone this year! My master has been very harsh to me! The first time she saw me, she told me that she didn't like fatsos and willingly starved me for half a year!"

"Half a year already, Fatso Nine! Do you know what that half a year did to me? What you're seeing now is the outcome of having spent a long time to recover my body." It was true. This skinny young man was indeed Zhang Fatso One. By the time he finished speaking, his tears had already flowed out.

"You must have some enmity with your master, right?" Naruto looked sympathetically at Zhang Fatso One.

"That old bitch, I…..." Zhang Fatso One grinded his teeth in anger, but after a few words, he stopped and shuddered, not daring to continue. He pulled Naruto into the yard.

"Ninth Brother, I miss the Burning Stoves Kitchen. This place is really not suitable for people to live. From the day that I arrived here, I haven't eaten a single fulfilling meal and haven't earned a single coin. I'm starving!" Zhang Fatso One was so full of grievances that he couldn't help but pull on Naruto's hand and tell him of all the pain and suffering he had endured from the moment he had first arrived on the mountain till now.

Naruto carefully listened to the other party's ordeals. Compared to Zhang Fatso One, he suddenly thought that he was absolutely correct in his decision to steal those spirit tailed chickens. He couldn't help but sigh whenever he looked at the skinny body of Zhang Fatso One. Naruto could only grimace as he patted Zhang Fatso One's bony shoulder.

"With First Brother in trouble, I, your junior brother, will naturally help you. I'll be back in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn." As Naruto finished his words, he immediately turned around and left the yard, leaving Zhang Fatso One standing in a daze. Before Naruto went up the mountain, he had already noticed and memorised the locations of several chicken coops on Purple Cauldron Mountain. In the darkness of the night, his figure soon disappeared.

Zhang Fatso One didn't understand what was happening and he didn't know where Naruto had gone. The only thing that he could do was to wait at the door. But before the time it took for a stick of incense to burn had passed, Naruto crept back with two spirit tailed chickens in his hand.

The moment he saw the spirit tailed chickens, Zhang Fatso One immediately widened his eyes. Before he could open his mouth and say anything, Naruto grabbed him by the arm and pulled him inside the yard. Leaving Zhang Fatso One aside, Naruto skillfully took out a pot, boiled some water, then plucked and cleansed the chickens. Finally, he just dropped the chickens inside the pot before he flourished his sleeves, raised his chin, and looked up at Zhang Fatso One.

Zhang Fatso One pointed at the chickens inside the pot and then pointed towards Naruto.

" You… you…heavens! Could it be that you're the Mad Chicken-Stealing

Devil from the Scented Cloud Mountain?!"

A laugh rang out from Naruto while he lifted his right hand skillfully and pressed on the pot. At this time, rich streams of Qi roiled around, cooking the chicken meat inside even faster. Soon, when waves of aroma wafted out, Naruto grabbed a drumstick and dropped it in front of Zhang Fatso One.

"Try it!" Naruto proudly said. His expression was the same as the look Zhang Fatso had when he had held the hundred-year ginseng at the Burning Stoves Kitchen during the time Naruto had first arrived there.

Zhang Fatso One's mouth was watering. He stared at the chicken drumstick, before grabbing it and swallowing it whole. Without saying anything to Naruto, he instantly rushed towards the big pot and nearly submerged his whole face inside it. The two of them ate those two chickens very quickly. Reluctant to waste the slightest bit, even the bones were consumed. In the end, they had even cleaned up the broth that was left.

At the end, Zhang Fatso One pat his stomach contentedly and laid down with a delighted expression. He and Naruto looked at each other for a good while before they both burst into laughter.

"That was awesome, Fatso Nine. In the Burning Stoves Kitchen, you are the one with the craziest ideas. But I could have never guessed that the infamous Mad Chicken-Stealing Devil would turn out to be you, my Brother." Zhang Fatso One said with a prideful expression as if he were ennobled by it as well.

"Cultivation has always been an act of defiance against nature. For junior cultivators like us who oppose the heavens, we need to rely on each other. Mere spirit tailed chickens are nothing compared with our combined might." Naruto flourished his sleeves, unable to hide his pride and complacency. His identity had been kept secret for a long time and he was happy to finally share it with someone. He thought of himself as extremely cool when he saw Zhang Fatso One's expression.

"It's just a pity that all of those spirit tailed chickens in Scented Cloud Mountain have nearly been depleted by me. The ones who are left are too young to eat, unpalatable. Otherwise you could come live with me and I would take good care of you. I'll definitely find you something to help you get fat again." Naruto said with a sigh.

As Zhang Fatso One heard this, his eyes quickly brightened and he got up immediately.

"There are also spirit tailed chickens on the west, south and north of the Purple Cauldron Mountain. But there are disciples who take turns keeping watch. Two shifts a day, and each shift has seven people." Zhang Fatso One quickly opened his mouth and provided extremely detailed information. As he did, he discovered that Naruto was looking at him with a surprised look. Then he intentionally made a dry cough to let him finish his words.

"After hearing of the Mad Chicken-Stealing Devil, I was planning to learn from him. But these spirit tailed chickens are too alert to catch. Everytime I get close to them, they start crowing. As a result, I had no success and nearly got caught instead." Zhang Fatso One said with a little embarrassed.

Naruto went wild with joy and leaned closer to Zhang Fatso One. Then two people started plotting, causing Zhang Fatso One's eyes to glow brighter and brighter. At this moment, he was already breathing heavily. A few moments later, the two people were beaming with joy as they laughed.

In the deep dark night, ghastly sounding laughter echoed from the yard.

Since that day, Naruto simply moved in together with Zhang Fatso One. The spirit tailed chickens of Purple Cauldron Mountain started disappearing one after the other.

When night came, the two chicken thieves would come out, one stealing and one keeping watch. Disciples on the Purple Cauldron Mountain soon burst into an uproar with everybody talking about the recent events.

"Did you hear that Purple Cauldron Mountain has been targeted by the

Mad Chicken-Stealing Devil from Scented Cloud Mountain?"

"I saw it with my own eyes. The Mad Chicken-Stealing Devil is not a single person. It is two!"

When this information spread throughout the whole Scented Cloud Mountain, all of the outer sect disciples couldn't help but take a deep breath and watch the Purple Cauldron Mountain with pity in their eyes.

"Finally, this Mad Chicken-Stealing Devil is going to play fairly. Thank god, Scented Cloud Mountain will no longer be his only target."

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Chapter 25 - Impenetrable Iron Skin!

After a month, there were still rumors. Even the Grand Elder of Purple Cauldron Mountain, Xu Mei, the old woman Zhang Fatso One claimed to be his master, had heard about it. At this point, Naruto and Zhang Fatso One had no choice but to leave Purple Cauldron Mountain. Following Zhang Fatso One's suggestion, they went to Third Sister Black to rescue her.

(ED Note: Black Fatso Three has been changed to Third Sister Black after

Naruto learned of her gender.)

And so, the two headed for Green Peak Mountain.

Black Sister Three had thinned down a bit. It wasn't very obvious, but her body had started showing some slight curves, which stunned Naruto and Zhang Fatso One. At that moment, the duo could barely recognize her. Even that dark face of hers now had some grace to it, if she lost all her fat, Black Sister Three would definitely be a beauty.

Merely hearing the cry of a Spirit Tailed Chicken caused Third Sister Black's eyes to light up.

From that moment onwards, Green Peak Mountain's Spirit Tailed Chickens started going missing.

At the moment, the name of the Mad Chicken-Stealing Devil had spread far and wide. All of the outer sect disciple knew about it, even the handymen did.

But before long, just when the elders started taking notice, the great thief suddenly vanished, never appearing again. Black Sister Three and Zhang Fatso One were both recovering, and though they were unable to go back to their former glory, they had grown a lot stronger.

On the other hand, Naruto had finally completed the eighty-one day circulation. His hunger wasn't as intense as before, so the three refrained from stealing any more chickens.

The eighty-one cycles of the Unending Longevity Technique were not completed in one go. Instead, it was accumulated overtime, however, the result was exactly the same.

On that day, Naruto's skin gained a metallic luster as he stood in the courtyard. His eyes burned with tenacity as black light shone from his body, emitting a strong aura.

Eighty-one days of pain, eighty-one days of hunger. At that moment, everything culminated into the birth of an overwhelming power that continuously bursted from within his body.

Each burst held immeasurable vitality that merged with Naruto's skin, enhancing the metallic color and black light. His skin rapidly hardened as the black light increased in intensity.

If an outsider were to see him standing there, he would mistake him for a metal statue instead of a human made of flesh and blood.

By the nineteenth burst, his mind was already trembling, yet the bursts showed no signs of stopping.

Naruto didn't move an inch, barely even breathing. If one were to take a closer look at him, they would discover that his pores were ceaselessly expanding and contracting, condensing the energy of the sky and earth.

"After the eighty-first burst, I'll have an impenetrable skin. I'll enter the world of metallic skin!" The formula appeared in his mind as he stared forward. All the efforts during the past year, all the starvation and all the excruciating pain he had endured, all of it was for these final bursts.

FWOOM!

The Qi inside him exploded once more, the metallic color of his skin became deeper as Qi spread to every inch of his body, tempering it in the process.

The Naruto now was like a weapon of the gods. The bursts were like the booming strikes of a forging hammer that clanged inside him twenty, thirty, forty, forty-eight times…

Three days had passed. Naruto still stood there, the surroundings tranquil and peaceful. The outside was quiet, but in his ears, Ba

i Naruto could hear the roaring thunder-like explosions from inside his body.

When his Qi burst for the forty-ninth time, the force of the impact amplified. His body shook as thin cracks formed on his skin, and it seemed like he was unable to withstand the bursts any longer.

"As expected, an unfortunate situation has arisen…" Naruto frowned. He had once read that during the impenetrable-skin-tempering, cracks would inevitably appear. The longer the person could endure the bursts, the stronger the skin would become once the tempering stopped.

Even if Naruto didn't continue struggling, the impenetrable-skintempering would still be successful. However, he wanted it to be as perfect as possible. If he could endure a complete eighty-one Qi bursts, the resulting skin would be utterly flawless.

Closing his eyes, Naruto continued to endure the bursts as they spread throughout his whole body. Fifty, sixty, seventy… With a single breath, Naruto lasted for five more days. At which point, the Qi bursts numbered in the seventies.

The cracks on his skin had spread over his entire body, and a lot of them had even connected in various parts of his body. His body was like a shattered vase glued together.

It seemed as if it could shatter at any time.

"Seven more left!"

With bloodshot eyes, Naruto clenched his teeth under rapid breaths.

Seventy-four!

Seventy-seven!

Seventy-nine!

Naruto raised his head up to the sky and roared. It wasn't loud, but it helped his trembling body survive one more Qi burst, finally reaching the eightieth Qi burst..

Qi rapidly flowed into his skin, cracking it to a shocking degree. Though his skin was filled with cracks, it still looked like it was made of metal.

"Last one!" Naruto did not want to give up. As the last Qi burst was released, he raised his right arm and viciously slammed it on the ground.

The smash formed a deep pit as the final Qi burst ended. An immense quantity of Qi flowed into his body as the cracks which completely covered his body vanished along with the black light, leaving pure, white and glossy skin. However, this seemingly normal skin had already achieved unbelievable toughness.

After a long while, Naruto raised his head as he breathed heavily.

He looked at the pit which his fist made, and then he looked at his skin. He laughed, excited.

Lifting his right hand, he pulled out his wooden sword and shot it at his arm. Upon contact, an astonishing "clang" echoed as the sword was reflected. On the contrary, his arm felt nothing more than a mosquito's bite, it was completely uninjured.

"Impenetrable skin!" Naruto was unable to control his excitement. He knew the sword wasn't a very good one, and its material was very common. However, it was refined twice, and the power that came with those refinements made it comparable to a higher quality sword. Even so, it did not hurt him in the slightest.

With a swing of his body, Naruto shot out with all of his strength, his surroundings quickly disappearing far behind him. In the next instance, he had appeared a great distance away. This speed was multiple times faster than before.

As for strength, Naruto knew what level he was at when he looked at the hole his fist had made. Right now, his body was essentially a new one.

"Only this type of defensive power is capable of aiding me on my path to immortality." Naruto was very pleased. Looking at his cultivation, he had already reached the peak of fourth level of Qi Condensation.

It wasn't merely the fourth level of Qi Condensation. After the suppression of his inner Qi, the quality of the Qi inside him was not something a cultivator of the same level could compare with.

He was very pleased. Walking back and forth in the courtyard for a while, he finally stopped and stood completely still. Naruto's eyes brightened as he raised his right hand, arranging his thumb and index finger together to form a half-mouth shape. He squeezed the two fingers together and black light shone from within them. There was nothing in front of him, yet cracking sounds could be heard.

He repeated this action again, and this time, he aimed at a boulder.

Black light shone as he pinched, destroying the boulder as if it was tofu.

He turned around and did the pinching motion once more on one of the bamboo shrubberies that had grown quite tall. Choosing the sturdiest of the bamboos, he once again pinched, shattering it in the process.

This scene made even Naruto himself fall down as he took a deep breath. Looking down at his two fingers as the black light dissipated, he exhaled.

"So this is the throat-crushing grasp…" Naruto mumbled to himself. This was one of the mystical abilities of the Unending Longevity Technique that could only be brought out from the impenetrable-skintempering.

Naruto had only used half of his strength just now. He couldn't even imagine its terrible destructiveness should he not hold back.

For Naruto, this mystical ability was a lethal weapon. He silently contemplated for a while, realizing the viciousness of this ability. After much contemplation, he still continued to train in it. Within the courtyard, his figure could be seen dashing about, sometimes accompanied by a black light and cracking sounds.

Half a year had passed, Naruto had not left the courtyard even once. He was constantly training. While ceaselessly training, Naruto was of course oblivious that Toruho has finally returned to the peak of Scented Cloud Mountain after being away for months, flying in a rainbow streak of light.

Before Toruho even had the chance to rest, two more rainbows came from Green Peak Mountain and Purple Cauldron Mountain, all towards the peak of the Scented Cloud Mountain, searching for Toruho. In one of the rainbows, the form of an old man could be seen. His body had an intimidating aura special to cultivators at the Foundation Establishment.

As for the other rainbow, a woman born with a natural allure could be seen. She was beautiful, but on her face, a complex mix of emotions could be found. It was complex since she seemed to be sad and happy at the same time.

These two were the Grand Elders of Green Peak Mountain and Purple Cauldron Mountain. The two conversed with Toruho privately before leaving. At the peak, Toruho sat there rubbing his forehead, sweeping his eyes over the chicken coops. After realizing that only chicks were left, he didn't know whether he should be laughing or crying. With a sigh, he threw back his sleeves, left the hall, headed down the mountain road…

Straight towards Naruto's courtyard...

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Chapter 26 - Does the Spirit Tailed chicken taste good?

Although Toruho had never been to Naruto's cabin, he had always kept him in a corner of his mind. He kept walking down the mountain trail as he noticed the surroundings gradually grow desolate. Soon, a courtyard showed up in front of him.

Before even arriving, he noticed a white and tender figure on the trail from afar. That figure was holding a charred piece of meat, and taking a bite from it while walking. The person seemed to be eating quite happily, even humming a melodious tune.

Toruho's face instantly darkened. With a single glance, he recognized the piece of meat concealed in the person's hand to be a chicken leg. He couldn't help but explode in anger.

"Naruto!"

His shout was not loud at all. However, it seemed like roaring thunder once it had reached Naruto's ears. After hearing the shout, Uzumaki

Naruto, who was sucking on the chicken bone, nearly jumped in fright. "Elder Li!"

Naruto widened his eyes and gulped. He subconsciously shoved the entire chicken leg into his mouth. With his mouth just like a ball, he chewed hard a couple times before swallowing the chicken leg whole, his face turning purple as he choked on it.

The person whom he was afraid of the most in the sect was Toruho. Especially after he had eaten so many of his chickens, Naruto was now even more tense in front of Toruho. As sweat gushed out of his forehead, he quickly wiped it off with his sleeve then hurriedly approached Toruho, made a nice and cute face, and greeted him.

"Esteemed Grand Elder."

Toruho stared at Naruto without any expression. Looking at Naruto, Toruho really felt helpless. Naruto's ancestors had helped him once, and Toruho greatly valued their kindness. Looking back, what they had done was only a small favor, however, he had always felt indebted to them.

A while ago, the grand elders of the Green Peak Mountain and Purple Cauldron Mountain came and spoke with him about the disappearance of the Spirit Tailed chickens. Although these chickens weren't particularly valuable, he didn't want the others to criticize his own disciples. Therefore, he had compensated the other grand elders.

Looking at Naruto now, Toruho felt more exasperated by Naruto's failure to improve his attitude.

"Barely half a year has passed since you became an outer sect disciple, yet you have already improved your Qi Condensation from third-level to fourth-level, you should be quite proud of yourself." said Toruho with a snort.

Naruto blinked his eyes and coughed dryly, unsure of how to respond. He could only keep up the nice and cute face, thinking that as long as he kept showing a good attitude, he would certainly be fine. But then he remembered how moments earlier, he had been holding one of Toruho's Spirit Tailed chicken's leg. Sweat immediately surfaced on his forehead once again.

Toruho felt a headache just by looking at Naruto. Thinking for a moment, he continued in a flat voice, "Since you have so much time to do all this nonsense, you should join the small competition held amongst the Scented Cloud Mountain's outer sect disciples, who have reached fourth to fifth level of Qi Condensation, three months from now."

Naruto's heart raced as soon as Toruho let the sentence out. He had heard about this kind of small competitions. He knew that although the winners could win prizes, it was also said that the fights were ferocious and the competitors could easily get hurt. Thinking about this, his cheeks instantly turned sour.

Esteemed Grand Elder, I'm only in the fourth level of Qi Condensation, how could you send me to compete against them, what if they beat me to death…"

"In this competition, you must get into the top five, otherwise, I will get you…" said Toruho with a harsh look, disregarding Naruto's words. Before he finished his speech, Naruto let out a long sigh.

"I know, you will kick me out of the sect…"

Toruho glared at Naruto. He knew that Naruto was stubborn and unruly. Perhaps threatening him with expulsion wasn't enough to spook him anymore. He then thought how this kid was very afraid of death. With this thought in mind, he abruptly raised his right arm, pulled Naruto closer with a wave of his sleeve, and they both flew straight towards the mountaintop.

Naruto's heart was racing. He stared at Toruho's expressionless face, feeling that something bad was about to happen. In the middle of the air, he could feel gales blowing right against his face. Before he could even see clearly, Toruho had brought him to the back of the Scented Cloud Mountain.

This was considered as a forbidden area of the Scented Cloud Mountain since it was filled with all kinds of plants. Normally, none of the disciples were allowed here.

Once they landed on the ground, Toruho grabbed Naruto and darted towards a valley in the back of the mountain. A frosty atmosphere immediately attacked Naruto after they entered. The colors of the surrounding plants could barely be distinguished as they swung from Toruho's movements.

Looking at those plants, Naruto's heart heavily pounded. Sensing danger, he opened his mouth to say something, but in the next moment, he suddenly noticed a blood-red venomous snake which slowly raised its head from a brushwood and thrusted out its forked tongue, staring at him coldly.

"Snake!" yelled Naruto as his scalp turned numb. Right after which, along with Toruho's advance, the entire valley entered Naruto's sight. He immediately noticed that the ground of the valley, as well as all the branches and brushes, were filled with all kinds of snakes.

Red and blue, all of these snakes were in bright vivid colors, clearly indicating that they were all venomous. Every single one of them thrusted their forked tongues out and coldly stared at Naruto.

Naruto trembled. He had been afraid of snakes since he was little. Even more frightening was that many of those snakes opened their jaws and exposed their venomous fangs, showing signs of aggression. A few of them even started to spew venom.

However, Naruto quickly remembered that he had the impenetrable skin which these venomous snakes shouldn't be able to break through. Thinking of this, he suddenly felt that no matter how many snakes this valley had, they would all be as weak as a chicken in front of him. In his mind, he told himself that there was nothing to be afraid of.

But then he rolled his eyes, realizing that if he acted fearlessly, Li

Qinghou might take him to somewhere even more dangerous, therefore, he immediately let out a high-pitched scream, pretending to freak out.

Toruho snorted with scorn then released his power. Those snakes instantly wriggled their bodies and slowly moved away, opening up a trail. At the end of the trail, a dark cave constantly emitting an odor capable of making people sick could be seen.

"Uncle Li…You…help! I have never violated any rule!" yelled Naruto with a trembling voice. Toruho remained expressionless as he grabbed Naruto and rushed straight towards the cave. After they entered the cave, Toruho waved his sleeve, and the inside of the cave instantly lit up.

With this light, Naruto quickly noticed that inside the cave, there were even more venomous snakes than outside. Every one of these snakes were bigger than those outside. These snakes let out hissing sounds, which seemed to contain some kind of mysterious power, that could make people temporarily stunned. Seeing this, Naruto widened his eyes.

A strong sense of danger made him unable to breathe. Even more astonishing was that these snakes had power similar to cultivators. In the distance, he even saw a four-coloured venomous snake with Qi that was equivalent to the fifth level of Qi Condensation.

Being stared at by this snake, Naruto felt chills run down his spine. He realized that even his impenetrable skin wouldn't last too long in this place. This time, without pretending, he really freaked out.

"This place is called Ten Thousand Snakes Valley. It is where our cultivators acquire toxins. Every single one of these snakes is highly toxic and a single drop of venom from any of them can easily kill a hundred cows." said Toruho.

"Without a timely rescue, cultivators below Foundation Establishment would be poisoned to death just by touching the venom. Especially the snake king deep inside the cave, which is as powerful as a cultivator who has achieved the Great Circle of Qi Condensation, once poisoned by its venom, even people like me would have no chance of survival."

"If you failed to get into the top five in this small competition among the outer sect disciples, you needn't worry about getting kicked out of the sect. I will just send you here to fetch some toxins for me." continued Toruho blandly as he stared at Naruto.

"Th…this…Uncle Li, trust me, it's nothing but a small competition in the sect, and the top five should be easy! I, Naruto, can certainly do it!"

Naruto's face had turned deathly pale, and he felt that his mouth had turned dry. He swore that he would never come back to this place upon learning that there were even scarier venomous snakes deeper in the cave.

Having heard Naruto's words, Toruho smiled inwardly, however, he kept his face expressionless. He snorted once again before bringing Naruto out of the valley. After they returned to the Scented Cloud Mountain, Toruho dropped Naruto on a small trail, then he turned around and left.

Before he left, he paused for a second without turning his head as his voice flew into Naruto's ears.

"Oh yeah, were the Spirit Tailed Chickens tasty?"

After letting out this question, Toruho's silhouette slowly vanished into the air before Naruto could even answer.

Naruto went back to his yard with endless sighing and groaning. While he was walking back, the wind blew across and rustled the plants beside the trail, reminding him about those venomous snakes for quite a while.

"Toruho… your name should be Green Snake Li! Too vicious!" murmured Naruto while sitting down in the yard with a long face.

(ED NOTE: Qing=青=green Green Snake Li=李青蛇)

"I will certainly not go back to that Ten Thousand Snake Valley, I'll be killed if even a single drop of venom touches my skin. Since he has said so, then I'll do my best to reach top five! It's nothing but a simple top five!" Naruto made up his mind.

"My current cultivation is not powerful enough for the small competition. I need spirit medicines!" Naruto took a deep breath and clenched his fist. His eyes even showed a trace of fierce light. He looked at the surrounding area, then fixed his eyes on those Spirit Winter Bamboos. "After finishing the mission for these Spirit Winter Bamboos, I can get contribution points as a reward, which I can trade for some spirit medicines. But my bamboos have only grown to less than five zhang. I'm not sure if it qualifies as a pass…" thinking of this, Naruto hesitated for a second, however, he had no other ideas at all. With a quick calculation, he figured out that the scheduled handover for plantrelated missions was just a couple of days away.

(ED note: 1 zhang is equal to 3.58 meters or 3.645 yards)

Naruto anxiously waited a couple days with a sour face. Finally, in the morning of the fourth day, he got up early and walked up to the bamboos, grabbed them with both of his hands, and pulled them out one after another.

These bamboos didn't look heavy at all. However, once he tried to pull them out, he discovered that every single one of them were as heavy as metal.

After the ground shook for a while, ten five-zhang-long spirit winter bamboos were carried on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto then walked out of the yard step-by-step, preparing to complete his mission.

The space of his storage pouch wasn't big enough. These bamboos couldn't fit in, and so he could only carry them on his shoulder.

Fortunately, Naruto's strength had been largely improved after he achieved a breakthrough with the impenetrable skin, otherwise, he probably wouldn't be able to carry these bamboos uphill.

While walking, Naruto was feeling depressed. He thought of the small competition, then he thought of those venomous snakes, and his head was filled with imaginary scenes of his bones lying there broken on the floor.

"My, Naruto's, life is so miserable…"

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Chapter 27 - This…...This is Bamboo?

Each of those bamboo shoots were incredibly heavy. Having to carry ten of them on his shoulders while walking uphill, even Naruto would run out of breath. He began to pity himself even more.

"I'm here to cultivate immortality so I can live forever. Why do I need to fight and kill?"

"Also, my bamboos could obviously have grown taller. But right now, I have to bring them out to exchange for contribution points…" the more Naruto thought about it, the more wronged he felt. While sighing continuously, he carried the Spirit Winter Bamboos up the mountain.

At this moment, in the loft where Scented Cloud Mountain's outer sect disciples turned in their missions, many people had gathered. They brought the herbs they had planted, and handed them over to complete the mission in exchange for contribution points.

There were elders of Scented Cloud Mountain here, responsible for awarding contribution points according to their quality.

"Not bad. This Mist Flower already has four petals. Medium Grade."

"The colour of this wood-patterned Ginseng is too dark. The energy infused in the soil was too excessive causing it to be imbalanced. Fail." On top of a big rock outside of the loft, a ruddy faced, white-haired old man sat with his legs crossed. There were countless disciples queueing up in front of him. One by one, they took out the spirit grasses they had grown. After the old man's inspection, a youth beside him would record the contribution points awarded.

A flock of five-coloured Phoenixes were elegantly flying in circles mid-air. Each of them was around a zhang long, and from time to time, they would emit melodiuos cries.

These phoenixes were the elder's personal spirit pets. Whenever the day for turning in plants arrived, they would follow the elder here. When the outer sect disciples spotted them from afar, their gazes would fill with envy.

This elder had reached Foundation Establishment. Although his achievements in the field of sprit medicine were inferior to Toruho's, he was still quite extraordinary and very famous within the sect. Especially for his obsession with the path of medicine. Even Toruho sighed at his own incompetence when comparing their determination. Toruho had once said that if a third Medicine Master appears in the Donglin Continent, it would be Elder Zhou.

"Chen Zi'ang greets Elder Zhou." Soon, a young man reached the front of the queue. Although this young man was average looking, he stood upright. Arriving in front of Elder Zhou, he cupped his hands and bowed respectfully.

The youth's words reverbrated outwards. As soon as the surrounding outer sect disciples heard his name, they immediately looked at him with curious gazes.

"So he's Brother Chen Zi'ang! I heard that he has extraordinary talent in growing spirit grass."

"I have also heard that ever since Chen Zi'ang joined the sect, he has never completed a spirit herb growing mission with anything less than high grade.

While everyone was discussing in hushed tones, Chen Zi'ang appeared calm, but there was a trace of pride in his eyes.

Elder Zhou looked at Chen Zi'ang with approval. He had been paying close attention to this disciple who showed talent in the field of growing spirit grasses.

"Zi'ang, what have you planted this time?" Elder Zhou gently spoke.

"Reporting to Elder Zhou, this time I grew Spirit Winter Bamboo!" With a wave of his right hand, ten Spirit Winter Bamboos, each as big as an arm, suddenly appeared next to his body. Each and every one of them w

as over half a zhang long. They were emerald-coloured, and gave off a faint green glow under the light of the sun.

"Disciple first immersed these bamboos in a spirit spring, before planting them in soil made from ground spirit stones and nurturing them with my Qi for at least three hours each day. In addition to this, disicple would arrange the veins of their leaves. With the Nine Green Mysterious Law disciple learnt, in addition to help from other spirit grasses, these bamboos were finally grown!"

(ED note: Firstly, ground in this case is the past participle of grind. Secondly, Er Gen uses the old chinese hours which is 2 hours nowadays, so 3 hours is actually 6 hours Thirdly, Chen Zi'ang refers to himself as 弟子(disciple) throughout the paragraph)

"Very good. These bamboos are half a zhang long and emit a green light. They exceed the normal high grade. They can be considered superior high grade. I hope you keep working hard in the future. If you can grow bamboos longer than a zhang, then they would be superb grade spirit plants." Stroking his beard, Elder Zhou had even more approval towards Chen Zi'ang.

As soon as the surrounding disciples heard the three words: superior high grade, they immediiately broke into loud clamor, as they looked at the Spirit Winter Bamboos on the ground. Their eyes showed envy.

Chen Zi'ang's face revealed a smile, the pride in his eyes was even greater. He bowed and cupped his hands. When he was about to receive the contribution points from the youth beside Elder Zhou, he suddenly heard a cold humph.

"Elder Zhou, Disciple Zhao Yiduo also grew some Spirit Winter

Bamboos!" With a humph, a young man who had an elongated face and narrow eyes came forward in big strides. When he gazed at Chen Zi'ang, his eyes showed disdain.

As soon as he appeared, the surrounding outer sect disciples immediately grew energetic, one-by-one they looked at him.

"It's Brother Zhao Yiduo. It's said that Brother Zhang's achievements in growing spirit plants are similar to those of Chen Zi'ang"

"This will be a sight to see. Those two have always treated each other as rivals. Both of them have been fighting for the title of the best disciple in herb-growing."

Chen Zi'ang's face suddenly turned gloomy as he coldly stared at Zhao Yiduo. When their gazes met, strong hostility could be seen in the other's eyes.

"Zhao Yiduo, just take out your Spirit Winter Bamboos." Even Elder Zhou's interest was piqued. Towards Zhao Yiduo in front of him, he showed the same knew that these two youths have often been competing against each other in plant-growing. He was glad to see them do so, because through this benign competion, both of them could improve greatly.

Zhao Yiduo faced Elder Zhou, cupped his hands, then patted his storage pouch. Ten stalks of Spirit Winter Bamboo immediately appeared. Each of these bamboos, were a zhang long. The bodies of the bamboos were as thick as a thigh. The emerald-green colour of the bamboos was unexpectedly slightly transparent. There was even some spirit aura diffusing out from them. With single glance, one could tell these bamboos were absolutely extraordinary. Compared to Chen Zi'ang's bamboos, they were obviously better.

The surrounding people couldn't help but go into an uproar once they saw the bamboos. They had only heard of these one zhang long Spirit Winter Bamboos. They had never actually seen one.

"One zhang long Spirit Winter Bamboos... how long did you raise them for?!"

"These Spirit Winter Bamboos have reached the state of emitting spirit aura. The plant-growing ability of Senior Brother Zhao is already the best in my Scented Cloud Mountain."

Zhao Yiduo glanced at the expressions of the audience before making a provocative smile at Chen Zi'ang.

At that moment, Chen Zi'ang's expression darkened.

Elder Zhou's eyes shined with praise. Looking at those bamboos, he nodded his head slightly.

"Very good, very good. Although there were many disciples turning in

Spirit Winter Bamboos today, yours are the best. These one zhang long Spirit Winter Bamboos have exceeded the high grade, and can be classified as superb grade. Zhao Yiduo, you have done great. I hope you continue working hard!"

"Junior brother Chen, you still need to work harder." Zhao Yiduo cupped his hands towards Elder Zhou before he turned around and looked at Chen Zi'ang provocatively.

Chen Zi'ang's expression turned even worse, then he gave a cold humph.

"Senior Brother Zhao, it is too early to gloat. What does it count for when you had someone helping you? Next time, I'll definitely grow a one and a half zhang long Spirit Winter Bamboo for you to see.

Zhao Yiduo laughed out loud after hearing him.

"Junior Brother Chen is also not afraid of the wind ripping his tongue out.

Spirit Winter Bamboos are hard to grow, they require huge amounts of Qi. For us Qi Condensation disciples, growing them to one zhang is already our limit. One and a half zhang? That's something only a Foundation Establishment elder can grow. As for two zhang? Ha ha, I've been in the sect for so long, but I have yet to see a two zhang Spirit Winter Bamboo…"

Before Zhao Yiduo finished speaking, on the little path behind the crowd, tremors suddenly arrived. It was as if something huge was approaching. All the nearby outer sect disciples turned their heads in surprise. Waves of exclamations immediately followed.

Even the confrontation between Zhao Yiduo and Chen Zi'ang was interrupted because of this. Both of them wrinkled their brows and directed their gazes in that direction.

Soon, the both of them could see huge bamboo stalks, almost as wide as a grown human body, appear in their sights. These bamboo stalks had a dark green colour. If one looked at them carefully, one could see spots of purple. Under the light of the sun, they even emitted magnificent colourful rays of light.

Even more surprising were the strong waves of spirit aura being emitted by the bamboo stalks that were covering the horizon. Many people exclaimed in surprise.

"Wh-What are those!"

"They look like some kind of wood, but they also look like bamboos!"

Unable to recognize them, Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Yiduo also wrinkled their brows. But they could tell that those things were far from ordinary. On the side, Elder Zhou suddenly widened his eyes, staring straight at those bamboo stalks, his breathing ragged.

Under everyone's attention, those bamboo stalks extended further and further behind, until they were fully revealed. These bamboo stalks were an impressive five zhang long. Underneath the bamboos, a small and skinny youngster gasped for breath, while carrying the bamboos and walking forward.

He looked just like an ant carrying a steamed bun.

With every step he took, a tremor spread. As he walked forward, all of the outer sect disciples in front of him moved out of his way. Every single one of them was shocked speechless by this youngster's strength. This youngster was of course Naruto. On the way here, while Naruto was thinking about how fierce the competition would be, and how terrifying the Ten Thousand Snakes Valley was, he felt like crying but had no tears. Climbing up the mountain roads, he had a hard time reaching his destination this time. Without paying attention to the surrounding people, he walked in front of Elder Zhou. With a few rumbling sounds, those bamboo stalks were dropped on the ground. He then sat on top of them, and wiped his sweat while breathing deeply

"These bamboos couldn't be put in storage pouches. Carrying them was so exhausting that I felt like i was going to die. Elder, I am here to turn in my mission." Speaking to this point, Naruto suddenly realized something was wrong. After inspecting his surroundings, he discovered that all the people around him were staring directly at those bamboos, and breathing heavily.

""Bamboos… These are bamboos?"

"In all my life, I have never seen a bamboo this big! This is clearly a tree!"

Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Yiduo's eyes were both filled with shock and bewilderment. Although they faintly recognized them, they just couldn't believe their own eyes. They suddenly approached the bamboos, squatted down, and carefully inspected them. Zhao Yiduo was shaking and even wanted to snap a section of it to check its interior.

But before he managed to do so, Elder Zhou approached with a buzzing sound. WIth a wave of his sleeve, both of them were blown away. Elder Zhou stared at the bamboo stalks with unmoving eyes.

"These… These really are Spirit Winter Bamboos!" after a while, Elder Zhou took a deep breath. When his words reverbrated out, the outer sect disciples were all stunned. What followed next was an uproar filled with disbelief.

"Spirit Winter Bamboos! These large trees are actually… Spirit Winter Bamboos!

"How is this possible? How can Spirit Winter Bamboos be this big!?

Heavens, these bamboos are five zhang long!"

"Five zhang long and a human body's in thickness, this…...this is bamboo? "

Wild clamor exploded in the surroundings. With each passing moment, the exclamations were getting louder and louder, even more so when the outer sect disciples compared them with Chen Zi'ang's and Zhao Yiduo's bamboos.

Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Chapter 28 - Pressure is Motivation

Seeing the exclamations of the surrounding people, as well as Zhao Yiduo and Chen Zi'ang, who were blown away, completely disregard the pain coursing through their bodies, rush back, flatten their entire bodies against the bamboos and closely examine them, Naruto was stunned speechless.

Particularly Elder Zhou, who looked at the stalks one by one. His expression was filled with excitement, disbelief and joy.

This chaotic scene had shocked Naruto and made him think that everyone here was crazy. "Weren't these just a few stalks of bamboo?" Naruto thought to himself. Originally, he had planned to grow them until they were at least ten zhang tall.

"Elder…" Naruto retreated a few steps as he hesitantly called out.

"Great! This is just great!" Elder Zhou let out a booming laugh as he caressed those Spirit Winter Bamboos, not leaving a single place untouched. He was completely oblivious to Naruto's words.

"This kind of Spirit Winter Bamboo is extremely rare. Only when it grows to five zhang long will its entire body become dark green. This kind of Spirit Winter Bamboo is not just a mere herb, but also the main ingredient for refining the Spirit Bamboo Sword. It can even be used as a catalyst for some unique techniques!"

"All of you, come smell it. Can you smell the aroma of meat and bones? This aroma is unique to this bamboo when its length exceeds five zhang." Elder Zhou was extremely excited as he spoke, even taking a deep whiff.

Chen Zi'ang and Zhou Yiduo's expressions were serious as they also breathed in the Spirit Winter Bamboo's aroma. The surrounding disciples also moved closer to take a sniff.

Naruto coughed dryly. He had already noticed that particular scent while carrying the bamboo stalks on the way here. It was clearly… the smell of chicken bones. After all, in the spirit fields where the Spirit Winter Bamboos were planted, there were hundreds of thousands of Spirit Tailed Chicken bones buried… and he had stripped the meat off of every single one of those bones.

"Elder…" Naruto, thinking that all these people have gone insane, called out again.

Just then, Elder Zhou's body suddenly jerked violently. His vision focused on a certain area on one of the bamboo stalks. His face turned ugly and fury burned in his eyes.

"God dammit, what happened here? Why is there a bite mark? These

Spirit Winter Bamboos are incomparably bitter and cannot be eaten raw.

Which bastard dared to take a bite and mar the quality of this stalk?!" Elder Zhou lamented. The bite mark was like a worm's hole that had suddenly been found on a piece of a flawless jade. He raised his head fiercely and looked at Naruto.

"It wasn't me!" Naruto was so frightened that he hurriedly took a few steps back. He recalled the time when he had been so hungry, that without even bothering to check what he was putting in his mouth, he had taken a bite out of this bamboo stalk. He never imagined that the place where people turn in their missions would be so terrifying. He couldn't bite off a piece of bamboo that he had grown himself? These people were all crazy!

When the surrounding people heard Elder Zhou's words, they all turned their attention to that stalk. Lo and behold, at the end of that stalk of the Spirit Winter Bamboo, they could see a mark left behind by someone's teeth.

Elder Zhou fixed his gaze on the scar on the bamboo for a long while before he gave a long sigh. After all, he was a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Even if he was obsessed with the path of medicine, he still p

ossessed a significant amount of mental fortitude. It was just that the bamboo Naruto had brought over, a variation of the bamboo which he had never seen before, was simply too startling, making him lose composure.

He shot a fervent look towards Naruto and flourished his long sleeves.

"This bamboo, the peak of excellent grade ... No, top grade! This is the epitome of top grade! The reward will be ten thousand contribution points!" The moment he said this, all the surrounding people took a deep breath. One had to know that an ordinary planting mission was only worth about ten to a maximum of a hundred contribution points. But today, it was ten thousand!

The young disciple who stood by the side was also stunned. In these countless years, spirit plants that had been granted the title of top grade were incredibly rare.

At least, this was the first time in the last couple of centuries.

Naruto became very excited as he rushed towards the young disciple at the side. He took out his identity plate and hurried the disciple to give the contribution points. The young disciple hesitated for a moment. However, when he noticed that Elder Zhou had started to inspect those bamboo stalks again, he gritted his teeth and awarded Naruto ten thousand contribution points.

The moment he received his contribution points, Naruto hurried to leave. He decided that he would never come back to this place again. All the people here were just too crazy.

He did not get far before Elder Zhou's voice resounded behind him.

"What's your name?"

"Naruto, I'm called Naruto. My uncle is Toruho!" Naruto hurriedly said. Before he came, he had never imagined that his bamboo would startle people to this extent, so at this moment, he was feeling rather anxious and pulled out Toruho's name to act as a tiger's skin.

"Hm. Through great effort, the Spirit River Sect has become a large sect that is ten thousand years old with myriads of disciples. Everyone has their own secrets, their own creations, and this old man is not yet willing to sacrifice his face to demand an explanation about your methods. But in the future, if you obtain more of these bamboos, this old man will take them all and award you with a satisfactory amount of contribution points!" Elder Zhou seemed a little unhappy. He waved his hand, no longer paying attention to Naruto, and continued to inspect those bamboos. He even went as far as ending the submissions for the day early.

As Naruto held his identity plate, his eyes showed excitement. He left the Mission Exchange Pavilion and rushed straight towards the Spirit

Medicine Hall of the Scented Cloud Mountain. This so-called Spirit Medicine Hall was the place where the disciples of Scented Cloud Mountain could exchange their spirit medicines.

If he possessed any spirit medicine, he could also come here to sell it to the sect in exchange for contribution points.

Naruto sprinted over. Inside the Spirit Medicine Hall, he started to look around and made his choice. By the time he finally left, he had bought a bottle of medicine pills suitable for the fifth level of Qi Condensation. However, the medicine pills weren't cheap. Naruto had originally thought that the ten thousand contribution points he had acquired was already a lot, but contrary to his belief, the spirit medicines sold here were even more expensive.

"Green God Underlying Spirit Pill." Naruto looked at the bottle of pills in his hand. There were a total of three pills, and just these three pills had already cost him over four thousand contribution points.

But at the same time, these pills were not ordinary Qi Condensation disciples' pills. Their effects were exceptional. Not only was their medicinal effect greater than ordinary medicine, they also had the effect of purifying Qi.

Naruto figured that his breakthrough to the fifth level of Qi Condensation was not assured, so this time, he planned to boost himself all the way to the peak of the fifth level of Qi Condensation through consuming these pills.

As for the sixth level of Qi Condensation, he had thought about using

this method to avoid participating in the competition. Though if he did, he could imagine that Toruho would just change methods and continue to punish him.

As for his remaining contribution points, Naruto did not let any of them go to waste. He used all of them to exchange for a single-use charm. Only after he stuck that thing to his body did he feel somewhat safer.

If not for the fact that he did not have enough contribution points, he would have entered the treasure pavilion and exchanged them for some weapons used in Qi Condensation. However, he could only give up on this idea. After returning to his courtyard, Naruto sat cross-legged in the wooden cabin. He took out the medicine pills and stared at them with an imposing gaze.

"There are less than three months left, I am going to enter closed-door cultivation!" Clenching his teeth, he inspected his surroundings. With a gesture of his right hand, the turtle-shell pot immediately appeared. He pulled out some of the Spirit Tailed Chicken tails, and with a wave of his hand, a three-coloured flame appeared.

One tail was insufficient to meet the demands of the pot. Only after ten tails were ignited did the third line on the pot light up. At one go, Naruto refined all three medicine pills thrice.

After that, he picked up one Green God Underlying Spirit Pill, now marked with three silver lines, and swallowed it in a single gulp.

The moment the medicine pill entered his body, it immediately dissolved. Rumbling waves of imposing Qi surged within his body. Naruto quickly assumed the posture and breathing method of the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Technique. With utmost concentration, he relentlessly guided the Qi to circulate in his body.

After a couple of days, Naruto's wooden cabin shook with a boom as dust and soil flew into the air. It was as if an earthquake had spread from within the room. Soon, Naruto's laughter echoed out from within the wooden cabin.

"Fifth level of Qi Condensation!" Naruto took a deep breath, his eyes shone brightly. Previously, he had eaten many Spirit Tailed Chickens and he was already at the peak of the fourth stage of Qi Condensation. Adding in the medicine pill he had just swallowed, he smoothly broke through to the fifth level of Qi Condensation.

Although filth once again appeared on his body, this time, the amount was clearly less than the last time. After washing himself, Naruto did not immediately swallow the next pill, but stabilised his cultivation instead. He waited for another five days before he decided to swallow the second Green God Underlying Spirit Pill. This time, an abundant amount of Qi accumulated inside his body, expanded his Qi channels, rapidly circulated through his body, and caused his cultivation to take another great leap forwards.

After stabilising his cultivation again for a couple of days, he swallowed the third Green God Underlying Spirit Dan. Afterwards, his cultivation shot straight up to the peak level of the fifth level of Qi Condensation.

By this point, his every gesture, from raising his hand to moving his feet, seemed to suggest that he had become a completely different person. Not to mention his skin that had become even whiter, he even radiated a unique atmosphere.

This caused Naruto to be overjoyed. He completely understood that if it was any other disciple that was at the peak of fourth level Qi Condensation, who had swallowed those three medicine pills, they would at most break through to the fifth level of Qi Condensation. It was impossible for them to reach the peak of the fifth level of Qi Condensation, just a hair's breadth away from the sixth level, like he had done.

The key point here was the turtle-shell pot's refining ability.

The effectiveness of this item had become increasingly obvious as Naruto continued to cultivate, making him question the origins of this turtle-shell pot quite often.

Although it looked like the back of a turtle, he had come to the conclusion that it was not really a turtleshell.

As for refining, he had already investigated this issue thoroughly. There was an area designated for refinement located at Purple Cauldron Mountain. By paying a certain amount of contribution points, one could get a sect elder there to help them with refining(可以在那里让宗门的长老帮助炼灵). It was also rumoured that the grand elder of Purple Cauldron Mountain was an Alchemy Master.

Naruto's eyes lit up as he ran his hand along the patterns on the back of the turtle-shell pot. A split second later, he shook his head. Since he was unable to understand the pot, then he might as well forget about its origins. With a wave of his right hand, a green jade tablet as well as his wooden sword appeared in front of his eyes.

Naruto gazed at the two unique treasures he had acquired so far. Then, he gnashed his teeth, took out some more spirit tails, and prepared to refine the two treasures to the third level of spirit refinement.

"I wonder how much the sword and the jade tablet will change after I refine them for the third time."

Naruto waved his right hand, and after three patterns on the turtleshell pot lit up, he threw the jade tablet inside. Immediately after the silver light began glowing brightly, rumbles akin to the sound of rolling thunder could be heard. Fortunately, no one noticed it since the sound did not travel too far.

When the silver light dissipated, there was a stunning third silver line added to the green jade tablet in front of Naruto. The glowing silver patterns flashed before slowly fading, but Naruto could clearly feel that the jade tablet's power was vastly different compared to before. They were as far apart as heaven and earth..

There was even a faint trace of purple light, amidst the green colour, embedded in the interior of the jade tablet. The shape of the jade tablet had also changed slightly. It was no longer elliptical but had instead flattened to become circular.

Naruto picked up the jade tablet and infused it with his Qi. With a sudden buzz, his surroundings were immediately enveloped by an astounding sphere of green light which was more than three inches thick.

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Chapter 29 - Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light

Naruto inspected the defensive ability of the jade tablet before bursting into laughter. His fiery gaze immediately shifted towards his wooden sword. This was the same wooden sword he had received when he had first entered the sect. It had accompanied him up to this point and had already undergone two refinements.

"Judging from the improvement in the defensive capability of this jade tablet, after I refine this wooden sword for the third time, its power will definitely be extraordinary!" Naruto smiled slightly before he began to refine the wooden sword.

As the silver light shone and the glow inside of the turtle-shell pot faded away, a small wooden sword appeared in front of Naruto. The third silver pattern on the sword was glaring to the eyes. After a while, the brightness slowly faded away. The appearance of this wooden sword changed as well. It was now one finger longer, and the wood vein was almost completely purple.

(ED Note:

. /search?q=wood+vein&rlz=1C1LENP_enSG65 4SG654&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=643&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X& ved=0ahUKEwjXlfnjjJDNAhXLRI8KHfl8AIsQ_AUIBigB)

It even exuded a peculiar aroma. This scent was very strange. The fragrance started out smelling and tasting sweet, but if one breathed it in for a long time, they would fall into a trance.

Naruto's body shivered as his eyes sobered. He looked at this small wooden sword with surprise. Lifting it slowly, he discovered that it was now many times heavier than before, as if he was holding a heavy rock.

His eyes shone as he placed the small wooden sword in front of him in order to inspect it closely. In his eyes, it could be seen that he was deep in thought.

"The material of this wooden sword is probably the rather common Dense Cloud Wood. This Dense Cloud Wood only requires about fourtynine days of refinement before it can be used as equipment for cultivators. Furthermore, they can also be mass refined." Naruto mumbled, inspecting the vein on this wooden sword.

"Purple veins... then there is only one explanation. After multiple refinements, a mutation appeared in this sword" Naruto closed his eyes. Every bit of knowledge about Dense Cloud Wood, which he had acquired from studying herbs, flashed through his mind.

After a long time, when he opened both of his eyes, there was a sense of anticipation revealed in his gaze. He made a couple of hand signs with his right hand, and pointed at the sword. Suddenly, a black glow mixed with traces of purple appeared on the sword before it flew out. In the blink of an eye, it pierced through the wooden cabin. It even flew out of the yard and pierced a huge rock, more than ten zhang away.

Without a sound, the small wooden sword pierced through the rock. It made a revolution within the rock before it pierced through and exited the rock again. In another blink of an eye, it had already returned in front of Naruto.

There wasn't even the slightest scratch on the sword's body. Instead, an aura of sharpness flickered from the blade.

Naruto was very excited. He turned the small wooden sword around, inspecting it thoroughly. After he covered up the third silver pattern, he pushed open the wooden cabin's door. He was filled with happiness as he took a deep breath. However,as soon as he thought about the Scented Cloud Mountain's small competition in two months time, he still felt unsafe.

"No, accomplishing just this much is still not enough. Those competitors are certainly going to be ferocious. It would be better if I prepared more." Naruto clenched his teeth, recalling the two states introduced in the Purple Qi

Cauldron Manipulation Techinique.

Lifting the heavy as though it was light, lifting the light as though it was heavy.

When cultivating with the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Techinique, these two levels were the established ways to practice. If one could cultivate these levels to the peak, then the technique would be transformed to a godly skill named Purple Qi Melting Cauldron Technique.

At the South Bank of the Spirit River Sect, the Purple Qi Cauldron Manipulation Techinique was a basic skill. Almost everyone would cultivate it. But it was rare for them to be able to cultivate it to the level of lifting the heavy as though it was light. The second level, lifting the light as though it was heavy was even rarer. As for cultivating them both to the peak and transforming the technique into the Purple Qi Melting Cauldron Technique, that was even more unlikely.

Even if there were people who gained enlightenment with the Purple Qi Melting Cauldron Technique, all of them would certainly be disciples of the Purple Cauldron Mountain.

"Lifting the heavy as if though it was light... Only after reaching this level of object manipulation will my winning chances increase. " Thinking about the introduction of this technique, Naruto lowered his head and looked at the small wooden sword in his hand.

When Naruto thought about how the Burning Stoves Kitchen and

Administration Department wrongly assumed that he had mastered 'lifting the heavy as though it was light' back then during his battle with Xu Baocai, an idea suddenly crossed his mind.

"The reason that they assumed I understood how to 'lift the heavy as though it was light' was due to the level of ease with which I had controlled the small wooden sword. But the actual reason for this was the extraodinary power that the small wooden sword possessed after it was refined.

In fact, I am not actually skilled in manipulating the wooden sword. As for lifting the heavy though it was light..." Naruto furrowed his brows and simply sat with legs crossed in the yard. Looking down at the wooden sword, his eyes lost focus, and gradually became bloodshot.

After a while, he suddenly raised his right hand and the wooden sword flew out. It vigorously cut straight ahead, the wind whizzed and it blew up quite some dust and dirt off the ground. Naruto's brows furrowed even further. He made some hand signs with his right hand and pointed again. But this time, he was not pointing at the wooden sword, instead, he was pointing at the rock that recently got pierced by the wooden sword.

With a point of his finger, the huge rock violently shook. After it rose a chi off the ground, the Qi in Naruto's body became unstable. With a rumble, the rock fell down again.

(ED note: one chi is equal to ⅓ of a meter or 1.094 ft.)

The distress Naruto felt disappeared, as his eyes gradually brightened up. With great determination, he circulated the spirit Qi inside of his body and pointed out again.

Once, twice, thrice…

Time flew, and in a blink of an eye, half a month had passed. In this half of a month, Naruto was focused on controlling and moving the rock almost every second. This rock was almost triple a person's height, and it weighed no less than seven to eight hundred jin. Even with Naruto's peak of the fifth level of Qi Condensation, it was still not easy to completely control that rock.

(ED note: one jin is equal to ½ kg or 1.1023 pounds)

However, because his cultivation was well-refined, Naruto was able to try. If anyone else at the peak of the fifth level of Qi

Condensation were to try, they would lift this rock for a couple cun at most.

(ED note: one cun is equal to 3.33cm or 1.311 inches)

Looking at it now, Naruto had realized that the biggest struggle he had with controlling this big rock was not the lack of spirit Qi, but because his control over it was unstable. Oftentimes, despite the fact that he clearly still had spirit Qi inside him, the supply would break on its own.

"Changing the spirit Qi into silk strings and moving it with a constant speed so that the silk string will never break. That is the key to manipulating objects." There was a spark in Naruto's bloodshot eyes as he hoarsely mumbled.

This was just like how ordinary families made noodles. If the noodles were pulled too quickly, then the noodles would break. But if it was too slow, then the noodles wouldn't be very long. Thus, it was important to maintain a stable level of strength so a person could do it with ease.

As for cultivating the skill of manipulating objects, if one wanted to reach the peak level, then a person would need to be capable of maintaining this stable level of strength. Naturally, this would increase the difficulty.

"I get it. Lifting the heavy as though it was light does not mean everything literally. Controlling heavy things with a feeling of lightness is just a superficial message. The true meaning of this is not referring to the object but the control of spirit Qi! "

"The total volume of my five levels of Qi Condensation is refered to as 'heavy', and transforming it to become a thin but prolonged silk string is refered to as 'light. If I can do this, then it would be lifting the heavy as though it was 'light'. And looking at its visible performance, the speed will be controlled with ease." Naruto's face showed signs of excitement. After solving this riddle, he raised his right hand, and the rock far away immediately trembled and quickly rose into the air.

As if there was an invisible hand grabbing the rock, it launched into the air with a -hu- sound and headed straight towards Naruto. But in the middle of the air, the rock paused and slammed into the yard, blowing up dust and dirt.

Naruto did not give up and continued trying. After another half a month, he found himself unable to keep his spirit Qi in a stable prolonged line of silk string no matter how hard he tried.

Even if he managed to do it sometimes, because the rock was too heavy, the string of spirit Qi would be disconnected due to the unstable flow.

But if he was controlling the small wooden sword, this was no problem at all because it was not as heavy as the big rock. Thus, Naruto felt a significantly easier time controlling it. With a month of practice, the speed of controlling the sword improved a lot.

In fact, this was already at the level of lifting the heavy as though it was light, but Naruto was still unsatisfied. He gnashed his teeth in frustration, his eyes were bloodshot as his face contorted in anxiety.

"I don't believe this!" Naruto made some hand signs with his right hand, pointed at the rock, and this rock surprisingly flew on top of his head.

Cold sweat surfaced on Naruto's forehead. Looking at the big rock above his head with slight fear and shock, he tried his best to maintain that invisible string of spirit Qi. If the string was broken, even though the rock dropping would not crush him, it would still cause him intense pain.

This time he clearly lasted longer. But after an hour, Naruto screamed, and with a rumble, the rock fell on top of him. After a while, the rock swayed and got pushed aside, allowing Naruto to climb out from underneath it.

With the protection from the impenetrable skin, he was not really injured, but that kind of agony made him clench his teeth from pain.

However his fighting spirit only intensified. With continuous attempts, one month after another, he gradually improved from dropping that rock a couple times per day to only once. In the end, Naruto would occasionally not drop it throughout the whole day.

And he gradually raised it higher. The highest it reached was over ten zhang. If the rock hit anyone from this height, the agony would make one's face ashen, even if it was Naruto.

But this was the only way he could completely focus.

Gradually, he could already make the spirit Qi inside of him behave like lifting the heavy as though it was light, and keep it stable from start to finish without any disruptions inbetween. But he was still not satisfied. He then stopped sitting cross-legged, instead, he started moving while maintaining the string of spiri Qi connected.

The level of difficulty increased, and rumbles echoed from the yard again and again.

Time passed by, when it was only three days away from the small competition in the Scented Cloud Mountain that Toruho mentioned, there was a huge rock weighing about seven-eight hundred jin floating in midair in Naruto's yard. His figure was moving quickly in the yard. Meanwhile, the rock was completely still despite Naruto moving around.

After doing this for a while, Naruto paused. Standing in front of the wooden cabin, he laughed while facing the sky. With a wave of his right hand, that rock in the midair flew out of the yard with a woosh, and landed where it had been in the begining.

Naruto pinched his fingers and pointed, the small wooden sword flew out and cut straight ahead. Its speed was so fast that only a blur could be seen. In fact, its speed was dozens of times faster than before.

Naruto's expression was filled with delight as he pinched his fingers and made some hand signs quickly.

The extreme speed, coupled with the power of the wooden sword, immediately reached astonishing levels. In an instant, it seemed like many small wooden swords had appeared in the yard, Sword Qi flew about.

With a flourish of his sleeves, the faint images vanished. The only remaining sword went straight towards Naruto and disappeared into his storage pouch.

"This time, I should be able to get into the top five." Naruto took a deep breath. Even though he still wasn't completely assured, it was almost time, so he could only sit down cross-legged and settle his Qi and restore himself to his peak state.

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Chapter 30 - Bring it on!

Three days later, in the morning...

When the sun rose, Naruto opened his eyes and took a deep breath. His expression was extremely serious. It was his first time participating in this kind of sect competition.

In his eyes, the conflict between him and Xu Baocai back then could not be counted as a fight anymore. On the other hand, this competition in Scented Cloud Mountain, the one he was going to participate in, was a true fight between sect disciples.

Naruto slowly stood up, checked his storage pouch, and strode out of the room with a serious face. But soon, he rushed back, then rummaged under his bed and took out the leather armour that he still had from when he was at the Burning Stoves Kitchen. He then put them on one after the other. After which, he took out the jade tablet and hanged it at place that allowed him to immediately activate it.

If the turtle-shell pot wasn't too inconvenient to take out, Naruto would have definitely carried it on his back too.

"Damn, how could I forget to prepare a large black pot?" Naruto was filled with regret, but he didn't have the time to look for one now. He gritted his teeth, turned back around and walked out of the room again. He took a glance at the sun in the sky before heading for the mountaintop. His eyes were filled with determination.

He wore too many leather armour, although he didn't carry a pot on his back, he still looked like a zongzi… The leather armour were airtight. As a result, not long after he started walking, his forehead was full of sweat

(ED note: Zongzi is a traditional Chinese food, made of glutinous rice stuffed with different fillings and wrapped in bamboo, reed, or other large flat leaves(normally pandan). They are cooked by steaming or boiling. In the Western world, they are also known as rice dumplings, or sticky rice dumplings. Picture: )

However, no matter how much perspiration poured down his forehead, Naruto did not take a single one off. The competition had been bothering him all this time, causing cruel and violent images to flash across his mind one after another. Step by step, Naruto walked to the mountaintop. However, in the morning, the fog around the mountain top was just too dense. So, after walking for a while, he suddenly realized that he didn't know where he was.

"This isn't right…" Uzumaki Xiaocun hurriedly looked for someone to ask for directions. Only then did he start heading the right way. His heart beat like drums, he was afraid that he would get there late and miss his match.

On the mountaintop of the Scented Cloud Mountain was an arena. It was there that the competition would take place. At this moment,it was already surrounded by quite a few people, who were talking to each other in hushed voices.

Among those people, were some disciples that were above the fifth-level of Qi Condensation. Most of them had their arms crossed in front of their chests and were looking at their junior Brothers and Sisters, obviously here to cheer them on.

Although this kind of small competition between outer sect disciples was not official, great opportunities for outer sect disciples to seperate themselves from the rest, still existed . This time, around twenty disciples would partake in the competition. Most of them were sitting cross-legged around the arena and seriously preparing themselves.

None of the competitors were in the third level of Qi Condensation. Although these kinds of small competitions were designed for outer sect disciples who were in the third, fourth and fifth levels of Qi

Condensation, disciples who actually participated were mostly in the fifth level

of Qi Condensation, with only five or six disciples in the fourth level.

A girl among them had attracted most of the attention. This girl was tall and slim, her perfect body shape was apparent under her outer sect disciple uniform, making her the object of uncountable people's fantasies.

Her skin was as white as snow and her face, breathtakingly beautiful, with watery eyes shining underneath a pair of arched eyebrows, her loose clothes tightening around her waist and butt, displaying her alluring body

Quite a lot outer sect disciples had gathered around her. Obviously, they were all her admirers.

Although she wasn't as well known as Kurenai, this girl was still quite famous among outer sect disciples. Her name was Du Lingfei.

"With sister Du's peak of fifth level Qi Condensation, she will definitely win the first prize in this small competition."

"Brother Chen Zi'ang also cannot be underestimated. I heard that he had a breakthrough in cultivation a month ago. Although it is not the peak of fifth level Qi Condensation, he is quite close." While the surrounding people were discussing in hushed tones, a young man had been standing not far away from Du Lingfei, with a proud look. That young man was Chen Zi'ang, who had been shocked by Naruto and his bamboos earlier at the mission department.

Chen Zi'ang's eyes shone with a bright light while looking at Du Lingfei. Deep down in his heart, he knew that attaining first place was impossible for him this time. However, second place would definitely be his. And maybe, this would be a great opportunity for him to get close with Du Lingfei.

While people were all expecting the competition to begin, two rainbow streaks whooshed over from afar. The rainbow streaks transformed into Toruho and an elderly man in front of the arena. This elderly man was scrawny and had dark skin, however, his eyes were shining brightly. He seemed like a very strict man.

Right after Toruho showed up, all the other outer sect disciples were shocked into silence, before they hurriedly saluted to him.

"Dear Grand Elder and Elder Sun." Everyone was surprised by Toruho's presence, usually, these kinds of small competitions were hosted by Elder Sun alone.

Du Lingfei and Chen Zi'ang who were also surprised, politely and respectfully saluted to Toruho.

Toruho gently nodded but frowned after he took a glance at the outer sect disciples. He couldn't find Naruto.

Seeing Toruho frown, all the other outer sect disciples became nervous, including Du Lingfei. No one had any idea why their Grand Elder was upset.

"Grand Elder, shall we start?" elder Sun, who was beside Toruho, slowly asked .

Just when Toruho was about to speak, a ball-like silhouette rushed over, looking very anxious.

"I got lost, the fog was too thick…" Naruto rushed over. As soon as he saw that Toruho was there, he hurriedly explained. He didn't want to get lost either, but the mountain was vast and the fog was dense. Combined with him thinking about the competition along the way, he took the wrong path without even noticing.

As soon as he said those words, the surrounding outer sect disciples turned their heads around and looked at him. Some of them knew Naruto, and couldn't help but laugh softly after they heard his words. As for the others who didn't know Naruto, they all frowned, some even showed disdain in their eyes.

Getting lost in the Scented Cloud Mountain could only show that this kid usually didn't come to the mountaintop, and didn't care about these small competitions. Most disciples like this were merely average disciples that could be seen everywhere.

Du Lingfei took a glance at Naruto and recognized him as one of Kurenai's followers. She too had heard that Naruto worked very hard to catch the chicken thief at that time. She stopped looking at Naruto, scornfully disregarding him.

Chen Zi'ang saw Naruto from within the crowd, briefly paused and then glanced at Toruho. He thought back to a few months ago, Naruto had mentioned that Toruho was his uncle before he left the mission department. Chen Zi'ang immediately figured out why Toruho had frowned earlier. Then, he silently told himself that later, if he had to fight against Naruto, he couldn't beat him too hard.

Toruho snorted coldly, threw a threatening glance at Naruto then slightly nodded to Elder Sun beside him.

Elder Sun seemed to have thought of something. He took a glance at Naruto as well, and smiled at him. Then, he flourished his large sleeve.

"Okay, those who would like to participate in this competition between outer sect disciples, come up onto the stage."

Seeing Toruho glare at him, Naruto felt wronged, but didn't dare to say a single word. Hearing Elder Sun's words, Naruto was the first person to rush out and stand on the stage. His head was held high, and his chest was puffed out. He looked as if he would even climb a mountain of knives or plunge into a sea of flames without a second thought.

Soon, other competitors stepped onto the stage, with Naruto included, there were a total of twenty outer sect disciples.

The rules of this kind of small competition in Scented Cloud Mountain weren't that strict. Elder Sun swept his gaze across the competitors. He raised his right hand and took out a cloth bag which contained some small marked-balls. He then let outer sect disciples come out one by one to take a ball, which decided who they fought against.

Naruto didn't go first. Instead, he stood in the middle of the line.

Then, he went up and got a ball marked with the number eleven.

"All right, everyone step down now. First fight, number one and two!" said Elder Sun blandly. Naruto hurriedly stepped off the arena with the others. Only the disciples who had drawn the small balls marked with "one" and "two" stayed on the arena. After the two of them looked at each other, their eyes shone with sharp lights.

Soon, they just started fighting, and let out loud booms as they did. While these two disciples were fighting, Naruto looked at the other disciples. He thought that twenty people would take part in this competiton, so he would only have to win two fights, to get himself into the top five. He tried to find the disciple who had drawn number twelve, but everyone else had hidden their numbers well, giving Naruto no chance.

While Naruto was frustrated, the first fight ended, and the second one started. One of the competitors was Du Lingfei. As, this girl formed hand seals, a cloth banner appeared. The banner then transformed into a cloud of mist and surrounded her opponent, who tried their best but was unable to break out from the mist, and eventually gave up.

The third and the fourth fights were soon over as well. In the fifth fight, Chen Zi'ang was one of the competitors. He easily defeated his opponent, who was a disciple in the fourth level of Qi Condensation.

"Eleven and twelve, fight." said Elder Sun. Naruto took a deep breath when he heard Elder Sun. After slowly walking up on stage, with an imposing expression, Naruto saw a tall and skinny youth, who had a cold smile on his face, walk up.

This young man's cultivation was not bad. He was at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. His eyes looked like they had electricity coursing through them. He seemed quite hard to deal with.

"Junior Brother, blame your bad luck for encountering me. It's not too late to give up, otherwise, I won't take any responsibility for your wounds after we fight." the tall and skinny youth said coldly.

At the exact same moment this young man began talking, Naruto abruptly let out a loud roar.

This roar was filled with energy. It shocked quite a few of the surrounding people, as well as the tall and skinny youth. The young man subconsciosly took a few steps back. As he looked at Naruto again, he was stunned.

After let out the roar, Naruto slapped the jade tablet on his body. At that moment, a thick layer of cyan light suddenly appeared and shrouded his body. However, he still felt that it wasn't enough, so he took out a large handful of talismans, then slapped all of them on his body. Every time a talisman fell off, a beam of light would appear around his body. Soon, over ten beams of light had appeared. The merged together and turned into a shield of light, which was four chi thick. From afar, it looked shocking.

"Bring it on!" Naruto's muffled voice came from within the shield of light.

The tall and slim young man was completely stunned. Not only him, the surrounding outer sect disciples, including the other competitors, were all stunned speeechless. They had seen a lot of small competitions, but this was the first time that they saw someone protect themselves to this extent.

Toruho's face twitched, his eyes showed helplessness.

Chen Zi'ang gasped deeply. He was now even more certain that Li

Qinghou and Naruto were relatives. Du Lingfei snorted, looking with even more scorn than before.

In the arena in front of everyone, the tall and skinny young man let out a deep growl and made some hand seals. Immediately after, a wooden sword darted straight towards Naruto.

Chapter 31 (Part 1)

Chapter 31.1

Chapter 31A - This is Humiliating!

ED note: its a long chapter, so we're releasing it in two parts

The scrawny young man's wooden sword brought up quite a gale as it transformed into a rainbow streak and darted towards Naruto. However, before it could get close to Naruto's body, the wooden sword heavily smashed into the thick light shield and rebounded back with a "peng".

Inside the light shield, Naruto's eyes suddenly shone. His confidence rose and he even sat down with his legs crossed.

The surrounding people were all stunned as they looked at Uzumaki

Naruto's light shield and took glances at each other, without knowing what to say. They had seen people who were good at defence, but they had never seen someone who tried so hard to defend himself.

The young man's face showed embarrassment as he gnashed his teeth and let out a roar. He then manipulated the sword and made it explode out with even more power. Once again, the wooden sword darted towards the shield of light.

Loud booms echoed one after another. The wooden sword attacked Naruto over and over again, but each time it hit, it would be rebounded back by the shield of light. At last, the scrawny young man's face turned a deadly pale colour. His eyes showed despair when he realized that he had already spent as much as half of his Qi.

He had fought against others for years, but this was the very first time that he met an enemy who was like a turtle. He didn't want to lose, he intended to fight for the top three this time. The young man let out another roar towards the sky, his eyes were bloodshot. He then yelled out at Naruto.

"Get out here so I can beat you up!"

"Come in if you're good enough!" how could Naruto fear him? As he heard the young man, Naruto yelled back at him with an even louder voice from inside the shield.

All the others showed weird expressions when they looked at did not know whether to laugh or cry. But the scrawny young man was so angry that blood vessels bulged out from under his skin. He bit his own tongue, then spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The blood quickly merged with the wooden sword, making the wooden sword turn blood-red.

"Blood Spirit Magic!"

"He used this technique! It looks like this person was really angered to insanity!"

The audience quickly went into an uproar, at the same time the bloodred wooden word suddenly raised its speed, its power was also twice of what is was previously. The sword wrapped in a blood-red light flew straigth towards Naruto.

With a thunderous boom, the wooden sword pierced into the three cun thick shield of light. After which, it continuously let out a buzzing sound. However, it couldn't move another inch further, and because it had tried too hard to break the light shield, cracks appeared on its surface.

In the blink of an eye, with a cracking sound, the wooden sword… unexpectedly, in the face of Naruto's defense, just shattered. It turned into an uncountable number of fragments and fell onto the ground.

The scrawny young man's eyes popped out, before he spewed out another mouthful of blood out. His Qi was exhausted, and his magic treasure was destroyed. He became so angry that he passed out.

As Toruho watched all this, his expression became even more unsightly. Elder Sun let out a bitter smile and checked on the scrawny young man's condition. After making sure the man was alright, he let some other people carry him away. Only then did Elder Sun give a cou

gh and announced Naruto's victory.

"You went easy on me, otherwise I wouldn't have won!" The light shield around Naruto quickly faded away. He puffed his chest out with a serious face, appearing very proud of his victory. Once he let these words out, the scrawny young man, who was being carried away and had just regained consciousness, vomited another mouthful of blood before passing out once again.

Naruto coughed dryly, cupped his hands towards Elder Sun, then flourished his sleeves and walked down from the arena.

Behind him, those outer sect disciples who were not in the competition weren't so bad, they just looked at Naruto with weird expressions. But the faces of those disciples, who were also competitors were extremely unsightly as they when they looked at Naruto.

Especially those who had won their matches. After they saw what happened to the scrawny young man, they couldn't help but become extra vigilant towards Naruto.

The competition carried on. Soon, the other disciples had finished their matches. The twenty competitors, faced of against each other in groups of two. Until finally, the top ten people were chosen.

Both Du Lingfei and Chen Zi'ang were in the top ten. Naruto raised his head, looked at the other nine competitors, murmmured to himself.

"I just have to win one more round and I'll have succeeded!" He fired himself up by telling himself that the hope was right in front of him. "Now, the top five will be determined from the ten of you. All of you, come take a numbered ball again." Elder Sun glanced at the ten competitors,pausing briefly on Naruto, then said slowly.

This time Naruto darted out first. He took out a small ball that had the number two from the bag in front of Elder Sun. After which, he turned his attention to the others.

Soon, everyone got their numbers. When Elder Sun announced the next fight, only Naruto and a muscular man remained on the arena. This muscular man was tall and sturdy and upon seeing his enemy was Uzumaki Xiaohcun, he laughed out loud.

"The others might be worried about your defensive tricks, but I, Li, don't care at all. What I'm best at is defense. Between the two of us, let's find out who can last until the end on this stage!" While speaking merily, the muscular man raised his right hand and patted his storage pouch, soon after a small shield flew out from it. As soon as he sent in his qi, the small shield expanded, released a yellow glow, and enveloped his body. (TL note: Li refer to himself as 李某 it's similar to how people use 老子 but rather than father, means Mr/Ms Li)

This wasn't all. The muscular man then let out a deep growl, followed by all of his muscles bulging, which shockingly made him look cun taller than before.

"Unexpectedly, he trains in a Body Cultivation Technique!"

"That small shield looks familiar, could it be the Morning Light Shield, which requires nine thousand contribution points to obtain?!" While the surrounding people were shocked, Naruto frowned.

Even Elder Sun slightly nodded after he saw what had just happened in the arena, praise was shown in his eyes. He then said to Toruho, who stood next to him, in a low voice.

"This kid, named Li Shan, is in the fifth level of Qi Condensation, and was naturally born with great strength, moreover, he is especially good at defense."

Toruho slightly nodded and looked at Naruto.

Naruto stared at this muscular man, who seemed as if he had reshaped his own body. Then he looked at the small shield and recognized it as a treasure, which he saw in the Treasure Pavilion, but didn't have enough contribution points to trade for. He frowned again.

All the others showed interest in their eyes. Especially the other competitors, most of whom were glad to see Naruto's misfortune.

"This white and tender junior brother is going to be miserable."

"He was just lucky. Now that he has encountered such a powerful enemy, he'll natrually be beaten."

"You're out of options. I'm not like the junior brother who fought against you before. I don't need any weapons to attack. My fists are the best method!"

Chapter 31 (Part 2)

Chapter 31.2

Chapter 31B - This is Outrageous!

The muscular man was very fast. He brought up a fierce gust of wind when he moved. Seeing this muscular man dart towards him, Naruto's eyes shone brightly, and at the same time, he raised his right arm and pointed his finger forward. Following this motion, a wooden sword flew out from his storage pouch.

His wooden sword flew forward and without delay, it hacked down on the muscular man, who was charging at Naruto.

While launching this attack, sword qi spread out over several zhang, then fell .

This muscular man's facial expression instantly changed. His scalp almost burst open, and his pupils suddenly shrunk. A sense of danger suddenly filled his body, making him subconsciously step back. He let out a great shout and waved his arms. At that moment, the small shield beside him blocked a blow.(TLC note: Er gen left an incomplete sentence)

With a "thud" the small shield stopped the wooden sword. But the moment the shield and the sword met, the shield failed to block even a little bit of the sword's power and was blown away. The sword then swished towards the muscular man.

The muscular man was stunned. No matter how fast he was, the sword would still be faster than him. In the blink of an eye, the wooden sword arrived in front of his face. It made him feel as if his body had been thrown into a cave of ice.

"I concede!"

The muscular man hastily shouted out, even his voice rose by an octave.

With a buzzing sound, the wooden sword abruptly stopped right between the man's eyebrows, then flew back into Naruto's storage pouch.

Naruto blinked his eyes in silence. He was shocked by his own wooden sword as well. He had only practiced with it before this fight and had just discovered the extent to which its power had grown.

Furthermore, this was the result without using the method of Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light.

He rolled his eyes, raised his chin, and looked at the muscular man expressionlessly, with hands behind his back.

The muscular man had paled, but his eyes showed that he hadn't accepted his defeat. He glared at Naruto as he stood up.

"You won the fight with the power of your sword, I don't believe that you could've beaten me without it!" said the muscular man, then turned around and walked down from the arena.

Elder Sun glanced at Naruto. He too was shocked by the power of Naruto's sword. Without another word he announced Naruto's victory.

"Haha, I can just concede the next fight, I cultivate myself for nothing but longevity. All this fighting and killing is too barbaric for me. They are not things that I, Naruto, want to do."

Naruto was quite happy as he walked down from the arena. He had already accomplished Toruho's demand, he was now definitely in the top five.

Toruho fixed his eyes on Naruto. While the others had only paid attention to the great power of Naruto's wooden sword, Li

Qinghou had focused on Naruto's sword-manipulation skill instead.

As for the crowd, after seeing Naruto win another round again, they were left discontent.

"That person must be rich. That wooden sword is outstanding, hmph, if I had such a magic treasure, I could win as well!"

"Magic treasures are merely tools, this person used all those defensive spells at first, then that magic treasure, but he must have neglected his real cultivation. In the future, he will certainly suffer for it."

These kinds of jealous discussions didn't last too long. In the following fights amon

gst the other competitors, Du Lingfei's opponent was quite talented as well, and very powerful. In that fight Du Lingfei didn't use her banners again, instead, she took out a flying sword. The two of them fought against each other with all kinds of methods for quite a while, and while everyone was staring in a daze, Du Lingfei's flying sword suddenly raised its speed and rushed towards her opponent.

Such a quick speed had surpassed the object manipulation speed of ordinary disciples. The audience was stunned by this and soon exclaimed with realization.

"The Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light method!"

"How did she achieve such a high level…"

"Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light method!" Elder Sun's eyes brightened, he looked at Du Lingfei with surprise.

Toruho slightly nodded.

Chen Zi'ang was also shocked, as well as the other competitors in the top ten. Du Lingfei's opponent let out a bitter smile, cupped his hands and conceded.

Du Lingfei stood on the arena, proudly looking at the surrounding people, then cupped her hands towards Toruho and Elder Sun, before walking down from the arena.

But that didn't stop the audience's discussions.

Only Naruto blinked his eyes.

"This speed can be counted as Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light method?" Naruto thought with astonishment.

Du Lingfei proudly walked down from the arena. Her forehead was slightly sweating. She had fought two fights in a row and although she was in the peak of the fifth level of Qi Condensation, she had spent quite a lot of Qi, especially just now. Her opponent was quite powerful, forcing her to use her Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light method, which allowed her to win quickly, but consuming a lot of Qi in the process.

Her target was the first place, but in the upcoming fights, her opponents would only be more and more powerful. This kind of small competition between outer sect disciples didn't have many regulations and it didn't give competitors much time to rest either. Therefore, she immediately took out a round pill, placed it in her mouth and swallowed it. She then closed her eyes, attempting to recover as much of her Qi as possible.

By now, the first five had already been determined. Besides Naruto and Du Lingfei, there were also Chen Zi'ang and two other young men, all of whom were in the fifth level of the Qi Condensation.

At this moment, the other four were all silently trying their best to recover their Qi and strength as much as possible.

Only Naruto hadn't consumed any Qi, not even a the slightest bit. He now stood on the other side of the arena as if the upcoming fights had nothing to do with him, yawning. All the other competitors, who hadn't made it into the top five, wanted to beat him upon seeing this.

Naruto had already managed to get into the top five just as Toruho had demanded, therefore, he didn't care about the upcoming fight at all.

With nothing to do, he was bored, so he directed his attention at the others, especially Du Lingfei. Naruto thought, that if this girl's object manipulating speed could be counted as Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light method, then he could obviously do much better than her.

"But this girl is too ferocious. She's such a nice girl, why does she like fighting so much? Perhaps all these cultivating girls are abnormal? Kurenai was also very prideful and Hou Xiaomei has a really strange and volatile temper." Naruto shook his head while murmuring to himself. Just when he was about to turn his eyes away from Du Lingfei, she seemed to have sensed his gaze and suddenly opened her eyes, giving Naruto a cold look.

Du Lingfei hadn't considered Naruto as a real competitor from the very beginning. Combined with the fact that in her eyes, the victories in his last two fights were due to luck, her discontent with Naruto only increased.

"What? How dare she glare at me?!" Naruto immediately felt indignant. He glared back at Du Lingfei. As long as he didn't need to fight, kill and be hurt, Naruto had never been afraid of this kind of aggressive eye contact in his whole life.

Du Lingfei frowned. Her followers behind her were all outraged by Naruto as well, staring daggers at Naruto.

"They're too many. Besides, a gentleman should not pick a fight with women." When he saw this many glares, some of them even threatening, Naruto felt that his glare alone had lost its power. He snorted and quickly turned his eyes away. At this moment, Elder Sun's voice rose and resounded throughout the entire arena.

"Good, all of you have done quite well in this small competition, now that we have already determined the top five, we can carry on. The five of you, come and take your numbered balls to determine your opponents. The competitor who grabs the number five ball will get into what we call 'empty fight', and will directly advance into the top three." Elder Sun let out a smile, then raised his right hand, with the bag containing the numbered balls instantly appearing in front of him.

This time, Chen Zi'ang rushed up first. He frowned when he took out the small ball and saw the number four written on it.

Du Lingfei walked up to Elder Sun and took out a small ball as well, her number was two. The other two outer disciples each took out a small ball from the bag, one of them got one, and the other, three.

Naruto didn't even need to take his number ball, the last number was five, and he would be in the empty fight.

The pleasant surprise was evident in Naruto's eyes. He grinned, crossed his arms in front of his chest, then walked down from the arena, standing beside it. He looked at Du Lingfei and the other three competitors, feeling no pressure at all. He wasn't even planning on continuing to compete, but now he didn't need to do anything, and would directly enter the top three.

"Luck is also part of true power!" Naruto proudly said.

His good luck made the others look at him with even weirder expressions, many outer sect disciples were quite unhappy about this outcome, especially those competitors who had lost their fights. They all felt very conflicted, they were angry at him, but envious of him as well.

This guy is too brazen, I can't believe that after he entered the top five thanks to a magic treasure, he scored an empty fight and directly advanced into the top three!"

"This is outrageous! The very presence of this guy is the biggest blemish of today's small competition!"

Chapter 32 Chapter 32

Chapter 32 - Luck that Defies the Heavens

The emotions stirring at the bottom of one's heart weren't limited only to the audience. Even Du Lingfei felt a bit envious towards Uzumaki

Naruto's luck, and so did Chen Zi'ang and the other competitors. The four of them who entered the top five had expended a lot of energy in each of their matches. If any one of the four had received the chance to skip a round and rest for a while, they would definitely have an enormous advantage in the following matches.

Elder Sun glanced at Naruto and smiled. He didn't think too much about it. As for Toruho, his expression remained unperturbed.

As Naruto watched the commotion, Du Lingfei and the others began fighting. Du Lingfei's strikes to her opponent were clean and precise. It was clear that she often took missions involving the hunting of wild beasts, and has seen plenty of blood and gore. Moreover, Du Lingfei's technique of Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light was overwhelming. She used her speed not only to attack lightning fast, but also to defend her entire body.

This duel had completely absorbed the surrounding audience's attention. The dangerous fighting styles the two used caused shocked cries to fill the air. Among the startled cries, a sharp and thin voice could easily be distinguished. It was imbued with a sense of momentum that lead the crowd's rhythm.

"Uwah, good sword!"

"This technique, Heavenly Dragon's Sweeping Tail, is just so good! No, stop! Turn back! Quickly turn back!"

"You can do it!" Naruto was completely immersed in the fight, to the extent that he had even began clapping. He was not even doing this on purpose, but rather, he truly felt that Du Lingfei had performed pretty well in this match. In his mind, he had long since dismissed himself as a competitor.

Naruto's actions caused Elder Sun to cough dryly a couple times. Beside him, Toruho was still expressionless but in the bottom of his heart, he felt rather helpless. After all, Naruto had truly accomplished his demands.

At this moment, Du Lingfei was fiercely battling with her opponent and didn't have time for any distractions. Finally, when the match had persisted for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Du Lingfei had finally managed to 'lift the heavy as though it was light' for the third time. Only then did she achieve victory.

However, she had already depleted more than half of her spirit Qi. As she exited the stage completely drenched in sweat, she heard Naruto's loud cheering . When she thought about how she had struggled and suffered to enter the top three while he hadn't even exerted the slightest bit of effort to achieve the same results, she felt deeply wronged. She really wanted to violently beat him up.

Naruto blinked. He had long since noticed that Du Lingfei did not like him. At this moment, Naruto also felt deeply wronged as he blankly stared at the other party. This blank stare nearly caused Du Lingfei to lose control and attack him.

Chen Zi'ang's match was easier in comparison. Even so, he too consumed some of his spirit Qi to achieve victory during his battle which lasted half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

He felt deep envy and jealousy toward Naruto.

"The top three have been determined! The three of you are all the… pride of the Outer Sect. Come forward and pick your matches for the next round. The little ball that's labelled three is considered a blank and will automatically advance you into the finals." Elder Sun gave a dry cough. As he was speaking, he had paused shortly on the word 'pride'.

With a wave of his right hand, the small sack appeared again.

This time as well, Chen Zi'ang was the first to go over to pick out a small ball. When he saw the number two written on it, he sighed in his heart and walked to the side.

Du Lingfei took a deep breath. Just as she was about to step forward, she suddenly stopped and looked coldly towards Naruto.

"You go first!" She said in an icy voice.

Naruto had been spectating from the sides. When he heard Du Lingfei, he did not refuse as he walked over and inserted his right hand into the small sack. Du Lingfei directed her cold gaze towards him. It was not only her; all of the surrounding disciples were looking at his direction.

Even Elder Sun and Toruho were staring at him.

Under the watchful gazes of the audience, Naruto was actually a little shy. He really didn't care what number he got so he randomly grabbed a small ball. When he took it out of the sack and peered at it, even he himself was momentarily stunned.

Number three.

"Well, you told me to pick first!" Naruto coughed and looked at Du Lingfei who stood beside him.

Du Lingfei's eyes revealed killing intent as she tightly clenched her fists, glaring at Naruto. Her chest rose and fell violently as she felt like her rage could explode at any moment.

Chen Zi'ang's eyes had also widened as his body froze in complete shock. He just couldn't imagine that a person could be so lucky as to… pull a blank again.

The surrrounding disciples were all staring at the small ball nestled in Naruto's palm until they could tolerate it no longer. Soon, they began a loud clamor.

"He actually pulled a blank again! His name is Naruto, right? He...What kind of luck does he have? To actually pull a blank twice in a row!"

"This shameless guy. Without doing anything, he advanced into the finals…"

"Damn it, for this kind of person to enter the finals! If I had that kind of luck, I could have also done it!" As the surrounding crowd bursted into an uproar, the disqualified competitors within the crowd were also jealous to the extreme.

Elder Sun hesitated briefly, glancing towards Toruho. Toruho internally breathed out a long sigh. Concerning Naruto's luck, he was also truly impressed.

Naruto felt that the atmosphere was not quite right so he smiled uncomfortably and hurriedly scampered off the stage. His expression was filled with embarrassment as he stood at the entrance.

"Sigh, I originally decided to admit my loss…" Naruto looked at the small ball in his hand and also felt it was hard to believe.

Du Lingfei took a deep breath and took a good while to supress the sour feelings in her heart. She clenched her teeth and looked towards Chen Zi'ang. She had no choice but to concentrate on her match as Chen Zi'ang was a powerful opponent from what she had seen.

Chen Zi'ang smiled bitterly before he also took a deep breath and focused on Du Lingfei.

The two of them stared at each other for a couple of breaths. Time slowly inched forward before suddenly a loud -peng- resounded. This match could be said to be the most exciting battle so far. Chen Zi'ang unleashed his whole strength. In particular, he took out many funicles, transforming them into spirit plants that possessed offensive power during the battle itself. This method of using herbs caused Naruto's eyes to light up.

On Du Lingfei's side, her skill with Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light manipulated the flying sword as it whooshed around. Further into the match, she even took out another wooden sword. The two flying swords intersected in the air, creating a garotte and instantly brought the battle's intensity to a new high.

The two people had no way to maintain their trump cards for long and found it difficult to control their spirit Qi consumption. The battle was becoming only more and more intense.

Standing outside the stage, Naruto watched the battle in high spirits, his cheers rose and fell.

This battle lasted for over an hour before finally, with a loud rumble, Du Lingfei unhesitatingly destroyed a wooden sword, completely shattering it into countless wooden splinters. With the speed from her Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light technique, the splinters flying towards Chen Zi'ang became deadly technique. This forced Chen Zi'ang to continuously retreat. His spirit Qi was already completely exhausted so he released a long sigh before choosing to admit his defeat.

When the surrounding disciples saw the tragic outcome of this match, their eyes revealed both admiration and respect. They were thoroughly convinced of Du Lingfei's prowess and even Chen Zi'ang's standing was raised by this match.

Although he had lost, his fame would definitely spread in the following days.

Elder Sun was also fairly satisfied, especially with Du Lingfei, to the extent that he even considered taking her as a disciple.

Similarly, no matter what the results of this little competition were, Naruto's name would also spread...

When Chen Zi'ang's words of defeat echoed out, Du Lingfei's face was deathly pale. She stood on the stage with unsteady legs, her spirit Qi was almost completely depleted. At that moment, she took a deep breath, took out a medicine pill and swallowed it, but she already knew that this was useless since it would not replenish much of her Qi. What she needed right now was to cross her legs and meditate for an hour.

After all, she had already continuously battled for four rounds.

But the rules of this small competition dictated that disciples would not receive much time to rest since after all, this competition was only a minor one.

"Naruto, get the hell up here!" Du Lingfei gritted her teeth, her eyes revealing a ferocious killing intent as she gazed towards Naruto who stood outside the stage. She wanted to use the time she had left before her spirit Qi would completely dry up to end the problem; this damned Naruto who had relied on his sheer luck to enter the finals.

The moment Du Lingfei's words left her mouth, the surrounding audience all looked towards Naruto, their gazes exposing their glee from his impending misery. From their perspective, even if Du Lingfei was completely exhausted, she could still easily take care of Naruto and achieve victory.

Naruto blinked. As he gazed at Du Lingfei who was already unsteady on her feet, he suddenly felt like… he could attain first place.

"This time, I, Naruto, can finally establish my name in front of thousands of people. After I step up and display my skill in Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light, I will make the surrounding people exclaim from surprise." Naruto puffed up his chest, an aweinspiring image surfacing in his mind. Thus, with large strides, he stepped onto the stage.

But at the instant that Naruto entered the stage, Du Lingfei's eyes glinted coldly. With a violent point of her right hand, the wooden sword at her side instantly shot towards Naruto.

The killing intent clearly spread outwards, causing a chill to instantly pass through the surroundings. It was obvious that Du Lingfei had put the energy of all the spirit Qi she could muster into this sword which made its power extraordinary.

What was even more shocking was that in this instant, Du Lingfei's body also violently shot fowards and actually caught up with her sword! She pressed a finger onto the hilt as her body seemed to fuse together with the flying sword, destroying boundaries to become a single entity. She flew directly at Naruto.

With a loud rumble, the speed of the flying sword instantly exploded to unbelievable heights, even eclipsing the speed she had used when fighting Chen Zi'ang earlier, creating a high pitched whistle. Then, with an air-splitting sound, the sword transformed into a long streak of light as it rapidly approached Naruto.

All the surrounding people became excited. They yelled in shock as their attention was drawn to this sword.

"One Sword Flying Immortal!"

"Senior Sister Du has actually mastered that sword technique!"

Elder Sun's eyes lit up brightly and Toruho also nodded his head slightly. These two people could naturally see that in reality, Du Lingfei had not completely mastered that technique. Instead, at the moment when her spirit Qi almost completely dried up, she had spread out her power and with a single breath of spirit Qi, and she had actually managed to manifest the power of this sword technique.

"To comprehend the meaning of this sword technique under such desperate circumstances, this Du Lingfei is truly not bad. This girl is actually more suited for the Green Peak Mountain." Toruho's eyes shone with approval.

At this moment, all the outer sect disciples on the scene were watching with great excitement. It was as if all the scenery before their eyes had blurred in contrast with Du Lingfei and the figure she formed when she fused with her sword that was exceptionally clear.

The sword that whistled and the person that followed the sword - this became a startling strike. Du Lingfei's expression was filled with exhaustion but her gaze revealed a sharp glint. She had complete confidence that with this strike, she would achieve victory.

At this time, just as the flying sword and Du Lingfei approached Naruto, he squinted his eyes. His entire figure rumbled. The jade tablet, the curse tags, all of them shot outwards, forming layers of protection as he rapidly retreated.

But this flying sword was clearly not an ordinary weapon. It penetrated past all the defences, layer by layer. Even though its speed plummeted and it could not break apart the brilliant rays of protection, it still completely pierced through them, with the tip of the sword piercing into Naruto's body.

However, it seemed it couldn't go any further. The moment it pierced Naruto's body, it became stuck and moved according to the sway of his body as he retreated. From his torn outer clothing, one could see that there were actually layers and layers of leather armour underneath.

The surrounding people who saw what had happened all stared in shock, their jaws agape. One by one, they sucked in their breath.

"This...this Naruto, his body has yet another defense?!"

"This guy should just go and die! Is this really necessary? It's just a small sect competition but not only does he have defensive treasures and talismans, he's also wearing multiple layers of leather armour?"

Du Lingfei's face was deathly pale. She looked at Naruto, who was rapidly retreating like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on - not only was he lightning fast but her flying sword had also stuck onto him. She gritted her teeth and pointed a finger to pull back the flying sword but her spirit Qi had depleted to the extent that only a strand of it was left. At the moment, no matter how she tried to move it, the flying sword only trembled without being able to extract itself from the leather armour.

In the end, Du Lingfei lost her patience and revolved her spirit Qi within her body again. Before the flying sword could even be extracted, fresh blood spilled from the corners of her mouth. She took a few staggering steps back before she could no longer stand steadily and dropped down on the ground. Her complexion was ghostly white and the spirit Qi within her had been completely depleted.

In her heart, she felt infinitely wronged. Thinking about how this Naruto had effortlessly progressed to the finals, barely consuming any spirit Qi while she had suffered and toiled for the same position, the discontent in her heart turned into fury. She gritted her teeth and glared directly at Naruto. If looks could kill, Naruto would definitely have been exterminated by her over and over again. In fact, if she had any strength left, she would even go forward and bite him violently.

Naruto took a deep breath. The speed of his retreat had been extremely fast since even he had not expected that Du Lingfei would possess such a technique.

And to think that his defences had been pierced.

"Fxxk, good thing I came up with another idea when I came here and put on seven layers of leather armour." Naruto glanced at the flying sword that was stuck in his shoulder. After penetrating his defensive layers, its power had already decreased. Since it had then been blocked by seven layers of leather, when it made contact with his skin, its power had already been reduced to almost nothing.

With his impenetrable skin, it only felt as if a mosquito bit him.

Naruto's face held traces of lingering fear. He looked at the flying sword that was stuck into his shoulder and with a heave, he pulled the the sword out and glanced at Du Lingfei who was breathing heavily as she sat on the floor, her eyes fixed in a death glare towards him.

"Senior Sister, it's not right to throw your precious weapons around so recklessly. Don't you want this sword anymore? Since you don't want it, I'll keep it." With a look of satisfaction, Naruto put the flying sword in his storage sack. After that, he retrieved his small wooden sword, preparing to stun the audience by displaying his ability in Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light.

"You…" As Du Lingfei watched Naruto take her flying sword away, her eyes had already turned red. She was about to go mad. Her rage shot to her heart and she actually fainted from anger.

In this small competition, this was already the second person who had fainted from being angered by Naruto.

"Eh, fainted again?" Naruto stared at the unconcious Du Lingfei, holding on to his small wooden sword helplessly.

Chapter 33 Chapter 33

Chapter 33 - Beat Naruto Down!

(Note to readers: grand elder will be changed to ancestor from now on.

This has been changed in the previous chapters as well.)

The surrounding outer sect disciples, as well as the eliminated contestants, now had a common enemy as they bellowed loudly at Naruto.

"Shameless, Naruto, you're simply too shameless!"

"To win like this, I can't accept that!"

"Beat Naruto down!"

As the surrounding voices intensified right before his eyes, so did Naruto's alarm. Since it had already come to this, even if he displayed his skill in Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light, he wouldn't be able to quell the audience's raging fury. In fact, he anticipated that it would probably achieve the opposite effect, it would give them a deeper impression of shamelessness… so he quickly turned towards Elder Sun. "Elder Sun, I'm ranked first. Quickly announce it!"

Elder Sun smiled bitterly while Toruho, who was beside him, released a long sigh. He could never have imagined that telling Naruto to participate in this small competition would lead to this kind of consequences.

"Uh...never mind. This time's small competition, Naruto, ranked first!" Elder Sun shook his head with a bitter smile. The moment his words resounded out, the surrounding people all angrily glared at Naruto.

Naruto felt that he was very powerful, but with this many people… the way he was being stared at made his heart anxious. But just as he wanted to exit the stage and leave this threatening atmosphere, Du Lingfei, at the side, was awakened by others. She breathed heavily while furiously gnashing her teeth and shot a death glare towards Naruto, before a shriek left her mouth.

"Naruto, in this time's small competition, I, Du Lingfei, cannot accept this!

"Since you've become number one, then count your rank as something I, Du Lingfei, bequeath to you. But I cannot accept you as a person. Do you dare to compete with me once more?"

Naruto chuckled without pausing his footsteps. In his heart, he thought that there must be something wrong with him if he agreed to compete another time with that crazy girl. If she fainted again, what would he do then?

"We won't compete in battle techniques. The two of us are both outer sect disciples and medicine apprentices of Scented Cloud Mountain. We will compete in herbology achievements!" Du Lingfei's gaze was fixed on Naruto as she enunciated her words one by one, her voice imbued with resolution.

"If you win, then you can take that Green Pine Sword. Otherwise, with regards to what has transpired today I, Du Lingfei, will never forgive you!"

Naruto suddenly stopped in his tracks. When he heard 'compete in the herbology achievements', he turned his head to look at Du Lingfei, hesitating for a brief moment.

"Naruto, if you can exceed me in herbology achievements, then you can also take this Soaring Cloud Incense!" When Du Lingfei noticed that Naruto had stopped and saw his hesitation, her eyes revealed hatred and even a faint killing intent towards Naruto. Since she was afraid that he would not dare to accept her challenge, she reached into her storage pouch and retrieved a stalk of bluish-purple incense.

The moment the incense was taken out, waves of Qi wafted out. When the surrounding outer sect disciples saw this Soaring Cloud Incense, the

ir eyes were slowly filled with envy.

"A spirit medicine of the first level, the Soaring Cloud Incense… it can be counted as good among first level spirit medicines. It is quite valuable and will produce miraclous effects on Qi Condensation practicioners of the seventh level and below."

"This should be something that cost Du Lingfei quite a lot. She must have prepared it in order to break through the fifth level of Qi Condensation…"

"Senior Sister Du is already ranked within the top twenty on the first three stone steles in the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. This Naruto is destined to lose!"

Naruto instantly recognised the Soaring Cloud Incense. The effects of this medicine were introduced in the Soaring Cloud Grass's section in the third volume of herbs. Instantly, his heart was stirred, especially after hearing the people around him say that his opponent was within the top twenty in the stone steles of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, his eyes could not help but brighten up.

"You… you're really in the top twenty of the herbology stone steles?" Seeking confirmation, Naruto retreated a few steps before asking.

"Are you competing or not?!" Du Lingfei ground her teeth and said.

"But I've only studied only up to the third volume of herbs…" Naruto replied with some hesitation.

"Then I'll compete in the first three volumes with you! Do you dare to or not?" Du Lingfei bellowed in rage, feeling as though she was about to explode.

"I'll compete… are you satisfied now?" When Naruto heard her say this, his expression was one of tearful sorrow, but on the contrary, flowers had bloomed at the bottom of his heart from joy. He felt as though the Sister standing in front of him was rather silly.

Naruto's words raised a commotion in the audience. Du Lingfei also took a deep breath. Although the spirit Qi within her had not recovered much, her physical strength had somewhat replenished. She glared harshly at Naruto before she took a few steps forward and cupped her hands towards Elder Sun.

"Disciple Du Lingfei requests Elder to witness the battle of herbology between Naruto and I."

Elder Sun's impression of Du Lingfei only improved further and further. He stroked his beard while listeneing to her, before he finally opened his mouth with a trace of a smile.

"That's fine. Today, this old man will bear witness here. Since we're on the topic of competing in herbology, why not let the ancestor set the test?" Elder Sun looked towards Toruho.

Hearing this, Toruho looked deeply at Naruto before nodding his head.

With this development, the surrounding disciples instantly grew excited. Even Du Lingfei felt invigorated, bowing to Toruho in respect once again.

This kind of competition where he was able to display his superiority without any violence was what Naruto liked the most. As he stood there in that moment, he no longer put on a tear-stricken expression, rather, he lifted his chin, appearing as lofty as the heavens. When the surrounding people saw this, they were even more displeased. Even Du Lingfei humphed coldly at him.

"The path of herbology is flexible and unpredictable. Although it is only three volumes worth of content, there still exist numerous variables. Today, I will set two problems. Let's see who will attain victory between the two of you." Toruho said blandly, his gaze sweeping across Naruto and Du Lingfei as he raised his right hand. With a pat on his storage pouch, two stalks of seeds appeared in the center of his palm.

"In my hand are two batches of flower seeds. Using your spirit Qi as a catalyst to stimulate the growth of these herbs, the victor shall be the person who can produce the most spirit flowers."

Just as Du Lingfei received her batch of seeds with hesitation, Toruho flicked a medicine pill that shot directly towards her. She caught it with a startle.

"This pill will restore your cultivation to peak condition." Toruho's calm voice carried over. Du Lingfei was pleasantly surprised and hurriedly swallowed the pill after thanking him. In the span of a few breaths, her entire body shook before her eyes sparkled with the light of the flowing spirit energy. Her inner strength had been completely restored.

When Naruto saw this scene from the side, he felt somewhat displeased but did not dare to say anything. Looking down at the spirit seed resting in his palm, he did not immediately begin to catalyse it, instead, he brought it in front of his eyes and inspected it carefully.

"If you can't recognise it, I can tell you straightaway - this is the seed of the Blue Spirit Flower." Du Lingfei glanced scornfully at Naruto before ignoring him completely. She closed her eyes and circulated the Qi within her body and guided it into her hands. Strands of Qi surged directly into the seeds.

Very soon, crisp green sprouts emerged from the seeds resting in her palm which grew with lightning speed. Before long, they had already reached a chi tall. Even after the first blue-coloured spirit flower blossomed, the plant continued growing.

Only at this moment did Naruto stop examining the seed. He appeared as if he had realized something.

Toruho had been observing Naruto all along. When he saw this scene, a trace of nearly undetectable shock was revealed in the depths of his gaze.

During the time Naruto had spent pondering, the surrounding disciples were all looking at Du Lingfei. By this point, the spirit plant in her hands had already grown to a height of two chi and a second flower had bloomed.

When the spirit plant in Du Lingfei's hands sprouted a third flower, Naruto finally mobilised his inner Qi, sending it into the seeds. Instead of maintaining a continuous flow, his Qi ebbed and surged. When the seeds finally sprouted, he even blew out a puff of air, blowing the seedling away.

Time continued to flow. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Du Lingfei's face turned slightly pale but she clenched her teeth, and within a single breath, the spirit plant she was holding grew to the point where a sixth flower blossomed. Only then did she exhale, put the spirit plant aside and bowed in respect towards Toruho.

"Six spirit flowers. This can be considered as a high grade product. Not bad." Toruho nodded.

In her heart, Du Lingfei was satisfied. When she looked towards Naruto and noticed that the latter's spirit plant was not even a single chi long, the contempt in her gaze grew even fiercer.

At this moment, the surrounding outer sect disciples all grew excited.

"That's Senior Sister Du for you. For six blue spirit flowers to bloom, that's truly extraordinary. That Naruto hasn't even created one, what an utter trash."

"For this kind of catalysis competition, the first step is to observe what kind of seed is involved and then catalyse based on the growth patterns of each kind of seed. In this area, Senior Sister Du's skill is can already be considered exceptional."

While the audience were still discussing this, the spirit plant in Naruto's hands slowly reached the height of one chi. Immediately afterwards, a somewhat wilted blue flower popped out. Compared to the blue flowers produced by Du Lingfei, it appeared malnourished. But suddenly, amidst the mocking laughter of the spectators, a second small blue flower began to bloom despite the height of the plant clearly being a mere one chi. And then, a third flower, then a fourth one, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh...

In the short span of a few breaths, a whole nine flowers had actually sprouted on the spirit plant in Naruto's hands.

This scene caused a great shock to ripple through the audience as they carefully observed this inconceivable development.

"Blue Spirit Flowers bloom only once every chi. How can there be nine flowers on a single chi!" Du Lingfei was also stunned, feeling as though what was happening was simply unbelievable.

But it wasn't over yet. The moment the ninth small blue flower appeared, Naruto opened his eyes and took a deep breath before exhaling abruptly. When this breath, which was saturated with spiritual energy, landed on the nine small flowers, the nine flowers shook in unison before their colour changed into an azure shade in the blink of an eye.

Azure originates from blue but it is superior to blue!

"This...This isn't a Blue Spirit Flower!" Within the surrounding crowd, someone instantly recognised the flower, widening his eyes and shouting in shock.

"Azure Spirit Flower, as a seed, it is almost indistinguishable from the

Blue Spirit Flower. And its catalysis methods are entirely different. If the method used to catalyse Blue Spirit Flowers is used on it, then only Blue Spirit Flowers will appear which is a complete waste of the seed."

Everyone in the audience was taken aback as they stared at Naruto in disbelief.

At this moment, Naruto opened his eyes and put the Azure Spirit Flower in his hands aside. He chuckled before clasping his hands behind his back and looking towards Du Lingfei.

His ability to create herbs had already reached a level that was difficult to describe. Upon careful inspection, he had instantly picked out the differences. To him, deduction of merely this level was child's play.

Du Lingfei's expression changed as she felt like someone had just slapped her face. She took a few steps back, glanced at her own Blue Spirit Flowers, before looking at Naruto's Azure Spirit Flowers. She could only feel shame burning on her face. Just now, she had loftily pointed out the other party's shortcomings, but now, the tables had turned and everything was testimony to the fact that she had wasted those seeds.

"This Naruto must have gotten lucky. I was looking at a Blue Spirit Flower while he was looking at an Azure Spirit Flower. That must be the case. It should not be because he can differentiate between them!" Du Lingfei clenched her teeth and reasoned in her heart.

"Naruto has won the first round. This type of flower is indeed not Blue Spirit but rather, Azure Spirit. They might look the same but their patterns are different. It is just that if a person isn't careful, then the differences are hard to spot and they are easily mixed up." Toruho said blandly as he eyed Naruto. With a wave of his right hand, a stalk of spirit grass appeared in his palm.

This spirit grass was very unique. It actually displayed four kinds of colours and each of its nine leaves were different. Among the two flowers that had bloomed, one was black and the other was white, and they appeared to be spiritually connected as they swayed and knocked against each other repeatedly, as though each flower wanted to suppress the other. Although it appeared to be a single entity, upon closer inspection, some marks caused by grafting could be spotted.

"The first round tested catalysis. Then for the second round, we shall focus on recognition. How many kinds of spirit grass were grafted together to form this spirit plant I am holding? The person who gets the highest number of correct answers will be the victor."

Toruho levitated this stalk of spirit grass in front of them as his gaze landed on Naruto. He wanted to see whether this child who he had brought into the sect could startle him once again.

Du Lingfei gritted her teeth. She felt that she had been too negligent earlier so with great concentration, she took out a jade tablet and walked closer to the spirit grass.

A trace of interest appeared in Naruto's gaze as he also approached it. The two of them inspected the plant for a long time, recording on their jade tablets every once in a while. At some point, Du Lingfei rubbed the bridge of her nose and took a few steps back, gazing at Naruto with a darkened, indecipherable expression. She had managed to distinguish eight types of plants. As for the rest, no matter how hard she tried to identify them, she could not recognize them.

But Naruto had not only concluded his observations, his eyes were also slowly brightening up. He even hummed softly as he circled around the spirit grass a few times, occassionally releasing a shocked cry, as though he had been struck with a delectable enlightenment.

"So this is actually possible?"

"This is… interesting!"

The surroundings had fallen into complete silence as they looked at Naruto. They also did not believe that Naruto had been able to recognize the plant from earlier. Most of them thought that it was only because Naruto had good luck and directly assumed that it had been the Azure Spirit Flower and then catalysed accordingly.

"Act, keep acting!" From the bottom of her heart, Du Lingfei looked down on him. The more she looked at him, the more she despised him.

Time continued to flow. After the time it took for an incense stick to burn had passed, Naruto had still not finished. He was truly completely absorbed in his task, to the extent that he had forgotten it was a competition. This kind of grafted spirit grass seemed to have opened a floodgate within Naruto's mind. He no longer looked at those tens of thousands of herbal medicines as individual existences, instead, he integrated them together.

After a long time, Naruto reluctantly retreated. As he gazed at the spirit grass, his eyes revealed obsession and admiration.

Toruho and Elder Sun looked at each other before Toruho suddenly opened his mouth.

"Okay, now the two of you can say the spirit grass you identified aloud. Du Lingfei, you go first."

Du Lingfei gnashed her teeth, took out her jade tablet and began to list them out first.

"This disciple could only identify eight herbs. They are the Water Sky Ripple, First Root of Frost, Ground Dragon Fruit, Dawn Mist Grass… and the last one is the Yellow Earthen Essence!" As she finished speaking, Du Lingfei looked at Naruto. She did not believe that Naruto could exceed her. One should know that although eight kinds did not seem like a lot, in reality, identifying a part of a near perfectly grafted spirit grass was extremely difficult. To be able to identify eight was already quite a lot.

"Hm, if Naruto also shamelessly says the same, then the jade tablet can act as evidence!" Du Lingfei smiled coldly as she reasoned darkly.

Naruto coughed once. As he noticed that all the gazes of the audience were on him, he flourished his short sleeves and took out the jade tablet he had recorded on just now.

"Outside of the eight kinds that Senior Sister Du identified, this disciple has identified sixty-seven kinds of medicinal herbs. Unfortunately, I could not recognise thirty-one of them. I am only familiar with thirty-six." When Naruto spoke till here, without him even completing his sentence, the surrounding disciples had already all broken into exclamations of shock.

"Sixty-seven kinds, how is this possible!"

"For this kind of recognition task, recognizing eight kinds is already the limit. How can he recognize several dozens of types and more!"

Du Lingfei fixed her gaze on Naruto and laughed coldly. Of course she would not believe the other party's words and had decided that at that moment, Naruto was just blindly bluffing.

"Junior Brother Uzumaki , you might as well have said you identified thirty thousand types. If it's like this, why not just recite the first three volumes of the herb almanac? You'll definitely guess many of them." Du Lingfei mocked.

Chapter 34 Chapter 34

Chapter 34 - Triumphing in Herbology

Du Lingfei's words immediately caused laughter to break out among the observing outer sect disciples. They just couldn't believe that Naruto could best Du Lingfei in herbal knowledge.

Especially the words that Naruto said at the end. To them, it sounded like the impossible. It was basically ignorant and foolish.

"If this Naruto can really identify it, then his herbal knowledge in the first three volumes is comparable with Senior Sister Kurenai. How could that be!"

"This person is tricking us, how hateful! This time, we must expose him!"

Seeing as the people around him were continuously mocking him, Naruto stood there, furrowing his brows.

"Has everyone finished speaking?" His expression slowly turned cold. He was really angry now. If they were in a fight, he wouldn't behave in this manner. As a man whose goal was to become a great Medicine Master, being doubted in the matter of herbal knowledge was humiliating to him. "All of you can doubt my fortune, as you can doubt my abundance of magic treasures, but for the ways in herbology, do not use your shallow insights to view the whole world."

The way his voice echoed out, along with his stern expression, unexpectly gave people the impression that his small and skinny body was akin to tall mountains. His cold expression even more so stunned the outer sect disciples ridiculing him.

Even Du Lingfei was briefly stunned. In that moment, there was a too great of a difference with Naruto's previous demeanor. It was as though he was a whole different person.

"This mystical spirit grass is occasionally called Black-White Flower. It contains Gold-Silver Roots, Sky Yellow Leaves, Water Shell Grass, Nine

Earth Fruit, Snail Thread Meat, Cloud-Edge Flower, Windseeking Stalks, Yang Fruit...:" Naruto scoffed, flourishing his sleeves. In that moment, he no longer gave others the image that he was an obedient yet detestable boy. He had his hands behind his back, coldly gazing at the people around him. Slowly, there was an unfathomable aura exuded from him.

Followiing his speech, his momentum grew stronger and surprised looks surfaced on the spectators' faces.

Especially Du Lingfei, whose eyebrows were tightly knit together while closely observing the mystical plant. She knew all about the herbs that Naruto had mentioned, they were all recorded in the first three volumes of the herb almanac. But contrary to expectations, she was unable to identify this mystical plant at all.

"It seems that you really want to recite all the first three volumes of the herb almanac. In this way, there is no doubt that you will score higher than me. If you can really recite everything without missing a single one, then I will admit that you win this round." Du Lingfei snorted. Until then, she still didn't believe that Naruto had truly identified it.

"That's right! If you have the ability to do so, recite the first three volumes of the herb almanac. It would naturally be your win!"

"What trickery, what shallow insight, what viewing the world? I think that you're actually the shallow one. If you can't identiy it, then admit it straightaway instead of scamming people over there. What an eyesore!" The people all around him also sneered sarcastically.

Naruto looked at Du Lingfei coldly, then he looked at everyone else. Suddenly, he smiled, retrieved his gaze, he opened his mouth to speak indifferently.

"Hundred Grass Root, thirty years to form Hundred Grass. By drying the meridians and adding in spirit water, grafting it on top of the Famine Leaf, a

blotch is formed." Naruto pointed with his right hand and a gust of wind landed on the mystical plant, exposing a faint blotch on the plant..

"Famine Leaf. Every nine leaves combine together to form one leaf, devouring Scalding Flowers to grow. Right here!"

"Scalding Flowers. It does not bloom for a hundred years. Even when it blooms in a hundred years time, it is only for an instant.

"Four-Leafed Ginseng. Using mystical fire to roast it, its leaves dry, the extracted rich essence flows into the ginseng's body. This can improve the Flat Shell's development, fusing them into one!"

"There is also the Flat Shell..." Naruto's voice was calm. With every word that came out of his mouth, he explained in detail to the extent of even naming the method used. In the beggining everyone present still had a derisive expression on their faces, but those slowly disappeared. Faces quickly changed, followed by rapid breathing. The spectating crowd underwent a rapid transformation, till every last disciple present had an expression of disbelief. Some were even shocked to the point of being speechless. "This is impossible!"

"Heavens, how could this be!"

Every sentence from Naruto's mouth was like an invisible slap across the face, aimed directly at those people's. Everyone present was also herbal student. Previously they were unable to discover the mystical plant's secrets, but under Naruto's detailed explanation, they all immediately recognised them.

Everything said by Naruto turned out to be completely accurate without a single mistake. He suddenly became an awe inspiring person, slapping every single one of the disciples present across the face.

"This Naruto's herbal knowledge, it has unexpectedly… reached such astonishing levels!" The surrounding disciples were already in an uproar. The previous insults immediately stained their faces fiery red with pain.

What made them even more shocked than they already were, was how Naruto had analyzed the plant. To directly explain the grafting methods used to create a grafted plant, this sort of Reverse Deduction required a person to have an astounding level of herbal knowledge to achieve.

"This… This is Reverse Deduction. He… His herbal knowledge is actually at this level…"

"As a herbal studnet, to deduce the mystical plant that the ancestor cultivated, this… this..." Elder Sun had also widened his eyes, his face one of disbelief.

There was an evident radiance in Toruho's gaze. The Naruto in this instance was unbelievable.

Du Lingfei's face quickly paled and she staggered backwards. Based on her herbal knowledge, once she heard Naruto's words, she immediately understood to the extent she felt faint many kind of feeling embarrassed her to no end.

Naruto then didn't use any form of technique, only relying on words from his mouth, on his herbal knowledge. Every sentence that he spoke was like magical weapon, making Du Lingfei unable to parry his words. She only felt roaring in her head, as if the heavens were struck open by lightning, slowly retreating backwads, her face getting even paler.

"Pinellia Fire, Nine Summer. This is, from what I can see, the last mystical herb." , Naruto finally said his last sentence, his gaze like lightning. After sweeping the audience once over, he looked at Du Lingfei.

"Senior Sister Du, fellow disciples, herbalism is very profound. There is no absolute, for if there was, your herbal knowledge would only remain as it is. Since you wish for me to recite the first three volumes of the herbal almanac, where is the difficulty in that!" Naruto lifted his chin up, flourished his sleeve and he actually remained there, reciting things one by one.

"Mystical Winter Bamboo…"

"Earth Dragon Fruit…"

"Water Ink Root..." He calmly spoke, an indifferent expression on his face. Following his continuous recitations, his surroundings descended into silence. Only Naruto's voice resounded, as if after the previous slap across everyone's face, he picked up his palm once again, dishing out a second one.

Those people listening intently, even though they had no face to see others, they also couldn't help but gasp once again, stirring the air. Some even immediately took out their herbal jade tablets to compare. Those people who were comparing shuddered one by one, the shock in their eyes intensifying.

Du Lingfei's face paled, retreating backwards. When she looked at Naruto, it was as if she was looking at a ghost.

Previously, it was for the purpose of ridiculing him that she had said it. In reality, she had never met anyone that could recite all thirty thousand medicinal herbs. To her, this seemed impossible. If somone was able to do it, then that person's herbal knowledge defied the laws of the heavens.

Fast forward in time, Naruto's recitation speed was quick, as if he recited it in a single breath, over an hour long. To the audience, how this hour had passed was unknown. They all seemed to have taken out their jade tablets to compare.

One whole hour after, when Naruto named the last stalk of herb, everyone present, who was as deathly silent, erupted in cheers that echoed about. Even the disciples who were standing beyond the arena's surroundings could faintly hear them.

"My gosh… Not a single one is wrong, all are correct! This… how could such a thing be true!"

"Thirty thousand types of medicinal herbs total… This Naruto's herbal knowledge is actually at such an extraordinary level. He… what is his ranking on the herbal steles?"

"Comparing Naruto's herbal knowledge to Du Lingfei's is like hitting a rock with an egg!"

In the midst of the roaring crowd, Du Lingfei looked at Naruto. An infinite bitterness filled her heart. Even in the previous fights, she had never felt like this. But now, in terms of herbal knowledge, it could be said that she had been completely crushed.

Never would she have imagined that the person before her eyes, the lucky Naruto who used an abundance of magical treasures would actually have achieved such an unexpected level in herbal knowledge no matter how hard she tried.

This shock made her laugh miserably. Tossing out Soaring Cloud Incense, she turned around and quickly left. Staying here any longer would make her feel uncomfortable.

Du Lingfei's depature made the surrounding disciples feel awkward. Everyone respectfully cupped their fist to the distant Naruto silhouette before quickly leaving. One could only imagine how long would the shock from that day's events linger in their hearts.

Very quickly, the disciples around the arena left till there were only a few left, leaving Naruto standing there. He awkwardly coughed, feeling that previously… he had complicated things. Quickly retrieving Soaring Cloud Incense, he looked back carefully at Toruho.

"This disciple… will take his leave first." As Naruto spoke, he quickly retreated, departing without a trace.

On the fighting stage, Elder Sun gazed upon Naruto's back, his eyes filled with shock.

"Ancestor, this boy is… extraordinary!" Elder Sun said softly.

Toruho laughed heartily towards the sky, his laughter carrying his happiness. Flourishing his large sleeve, he made his way to the peak of the mountain.

Chapter 35 Chapter 35

Chapter 35 - Encountering Xu Baocai Once Again

Half a month later, news of Naruto's triumphant victory over Du Lingfei had already spread among others and a commotion had risen within the sect.

Since then, disciples from the Outer Sect would always greet Naruto with a smile whenever they see him out on the streets. Their actions led him to believe that he had became a famous figure. Hence, he enjoyed roaming around and striking up conversations with other disciples from the Outer Sect and then introduce himself, beaming with pride, to those who hadn't heard of him.

Naruto was delighted at the relaxed lifestyle that he was leading at the moment. He has also consumed the medicine pills from Du Lingfei after refining them thrice and this aided him in making his successful breakthrough from the fifth into the sixth level of Qi Condensation.

Through his vigorous training, Naruto was mastering Lifting The Heavy As Though It Was Light and had even ventured into the second stage of the Purple Cauldron Qi Manipulation Technique, Lifting The Light As Though It Was Heavy.

It seemed easy to learn but despite all of Naruto's effort, he had been unable to cultivate it.

On one fine day, while Naruto was seated cross-legged and cultivating Lifting The Light As Though It Was Heavy, his expression suddenly flickered. He held his wooden sword and focused his gaze on the outside of his courtyard. Not long after, he heard a knock on the door.

"Senior Uzumaki , are you here?" Naruto heard a familiar voice and he was astonished to find that he had a guest. There were few people that would visit him at his courtyard. He raised his right hand and pointed at the door, which opened itself with a creak to reveal a skinny lad behind it.

As soon as the door opened, the expression of the young lad, who was wearing the outfit of an outer sect disciple, turned respectful and he cupped his fist in the other hand to show his deep admiration towards Naruto.

"I, Xu Baocai, extend my sincere greetings to Senior Uzumaki "

"It's you?" Naruto was stumped for words as he realized that the

Xu Baocai, whom challenged him to a death duel back at Burning Stoves

Kitchen, was now right in front of him and addressing him as a senior. Xu Baocai had since then reached the third level of Qi Condensation and became a disciple of the Outer Sect.

"So… after becoming an outer sect disciple yourself, are you still feeling upset and unsettled about being defeated by me and came here to challenge me to another duel?" Naruto asked while looking sternly at Xu Baocai. He felt at ease because he could tell that Xu Baocai had only cultivated to the third level of Qi Condensation.

Xu Baocai shook his head immediately after hearing those words, showing that Naruto had mistaken his reason to visit. He let out a bitter smile and once again, extended his greetings to Naruto.

"Senior Uzumaki , I was naïve in the past, please do not ridicule me for my silliness anymore… I am here today to seek forgiveness from you and to resolve the conflict that we had in the past…" Xu Baocai said with sincerity. He truly wanted to resolve the conflict because ever since he became a disciple of the Outer Sect, conflicts that had happened in the past did not matter much to him anymore.

Most importantly, Naruto was now a reputable figure in Scented

Cloud Mountain and Xu Baocai had chosen to be an outer sect disciple of

Scented Cloud Mountain. He came to seek forgiveness from Naruto because he did not wish to get into unnecessary trouble because of their conflict in the past. Naruto blinked and recalled

the events that had happened in the past. He could not help but be reminded of the Burning Stoves Kitchen and at this moment, he considered Xu Baocai to be an old acquaintance. He stood up and invited Xu Baocai into his cabin. The two of them then sat down and let out a sigh with regret.

"At the beginning, I couldn't understand why you wrote the challenge letter in blood? Even though I understood your intention eventually, I am still curious; you used so much blood to write so many words, are you really not afraid of pain?" Naruto asked. It was difficult for him to forget the blood-soaked challenge letter thrown at him back in the Burning Stove Kitchen.

When Xu Baocai thought about that incident, he felt his actions were outrageous. He was embarrassed and awkwardly avoided the question. "Senior Uzumaki , you must be careful of those handymen from the

Administrative Department. I heard rumours that Chen Fei and his men still harbour deep hatred for you for pushing them to the mountain peak during your previous encounter with them."

"Chen Fei?!" Naruto was alerted upon hearing the name. Images of that man with a tough and burly build from the Administrative Department floated in Naruto's mind.

"What is his Qi Condensation level right now?" Naruto asked with a lofty tone.

"I heard that he has cultivated to the peak of fourth level Qi

Condensation." Xu Baocai answered immediately. The reason that Xu Baocai was telling Naruto all of this was because he wanted to show his good intentions and resolve the resentment between each other.

Naruto calmed down and assumed a relaxed stance the moment he heard that Chen Fei was at the fourth level of Qi Condensation.

Xu Baocai stopped speaking about the Administrative Department and moved on to discuss the Spirit River Sect. Gradually, Naruto realised that Xu Baocai was in the know about more affairs than himself, as though Xu Baocai knew about every major or minor event like the back of his hand. He also had sufficient knowledge of some secrets and was happy to share them in great details. Xu Baocai was especially knowledgeable of the gossips between some disciples within the Sect; he could speak about the gossips that he had heard so vividly and realistically, as though he had been there himself.

"Senior Uzumaki , speaking of the Spirit River Sect, there are five great beauties. All five of them are stunningly gorgeous and if I could make one of them mine, I would have no regrets for the rest of my life."

Naruto was very interested and urged Xu Baocai to reveal more.

When Xu Baocai saw that Naruto was engrossed with what he had said, and being someone that likes scouting information himself, he was radiant with delight as he continued his story.

"Of the five great beauties, they are equally pretty in terms of appearance; it is too difficult to determine which one of them is the prettiest of all. However, their status is different. The beauty that is ranked number one is Xu Meixiang, also known as Teacher Xu from the Purple Cauldron Mountain. She is alluring, unique and an outstanding beauty…. Oh right, she is also Zhang Fatso One's master."

"What?!" Naruto was really astounished to learn about that. He had heard from Zhang Fatso One about his master a few times and each time Zhang Fatso One mentioned her, he described her as an old, evil witch; especially so when he first met Zhang Fatso One at the Purple Cauldron Mountain and saw that he had lost a lot of weight because that old, evil witch hated fatsos.

Thinking of his conversation with Zhang Fatso One, Naruto could not help but form weird thoughts in his mind. He let out a dry cough and quickly dismissed his thoughts as he felt that it was too dangerous to continue with his train of thoughts.

"On the Scented Cloud Mountain, there are also two beauties; they are Kurenai, also known as Senior Sister Zhou and Du Lingfei, also known as Senior Sister Du." Xu Baocai said with confidence, pridefully mentioning Kurenai.

"Senior Uzumaki , you should know that at the South Bank of the Spirit River Sect, there are three brilliant cultivators. The first one is Kurenai from the Scented Cloud Mountain, the second one is Lu Tianlei from the Purple Cauldron Mountain and the last one is…. Guan Tianyou from the Green Peak Mountain! Speaking of the three of them, they are all exceptional talents!" Xu Baocai exclaimed with an envious look in his eyes.

"Even though they are so skilled, they are merely outer sect disciples, just like myself." Naruto sneered. He did not know, nor care about Guan Tianyou and Lu Tianlei but he had been associated with Kurenai before; the jade tablet in his pocket was given to him by Kurenai.

Xu Baocai let out a cough as he felt contempt for Uzumaki Xiachun from the bottom of his heart but dared not openly belittle Naruto, so he just looked at Naruto with a forced smile.

"Senior Uzumaki , if not for the law within the sect that every disciple must start from being an outer sect disciple, the three of them would have joined the Inner Sect long ago. Although they are currently outer sect disciples, each of them are indisputably the best among all outer sect disciples within their own Mountains. Even the disciples of the Inner Sect are wary of them because once the three of them fulfill the requirements to become inner sect disciples, they are bound to be outstanding talents! However, to the three of them, they are merely making use of the Inner Sect to achieve their goals of becoming grand disciples of the Spirit River Sect!"

Naruto was now annoyed after listening to Xu Baocai.

"Kurenai possesses the Flora Spirit Pulse. She is sure to follow

Ancestor Li's steps to become another Medicine Master within the Spirit River sect. As for Lu Tianlei, he was born poor and he is skinny like a bag of bones. However, he possesses a rarely seen Thunder Spirit Pulse. He practices Thunder-related techniques on the Purple Cauldron Mountain and the sect master has personally said his techniques are original and unique!"

"Oh?" Naruto was shocked to hear that. He was not new to the world of cultivation and he had quite an understanding of it but upon hearing about Thunder Spirit Pulse, he was green with envy. Possessing such a Spirit Pulse would allow one's formidable technique to improve exponentially and furthermore, there were very little obstructions to cultivating the technique.

"There is also Guan Tianyou, who is even more impressive as he possesses the Sword Spirit. There are even rumours that he is the reincarnation of a famed swordman. Due to some unknown reasons, the Heavens favour him and Guan Tianyou was blessed with countless amount of good fortune. At the mere age of three, he stumbled upon an ancient legendary sword along his path; at the age of seven, a young Scarlet Celestial Beast descended from the Heavens and identify him as its master. At the age of thirteen, he received the Golden Ray that would protect his body from harm. His existence caught the attention of the Grand Elder of the sect." Xu Baocai only spoke of Guan Tianyou when he saw that Naruto had finally shown a befitting expression.

"The Heavens favour him?! Three years old… What kind of luck is this? And he is even the reincarnation of a famed swordman?!" Naruto widened his eyes, took a deep breath and anger surfaced on his face. He had decided from the bottom of his heart that he would never provoke that Guan Tianyou, favoured by the Heavens.

"These three people are bound to reach the Foundation Establishment. Senior Uzumaki , it could be said that joining the outer sect as a cultivator is already a difficult task but in reality, the actual difficulty is to breakthrough Qi Condensation level and reach the Foundation Establishment. Once you achieve that, your life will be changed completely as you will no longer be leading an ordinary life but instead, you will be on the actual path to attaining immortality; your lifespan will increase by a hundred years." Xu Baocai was satisfied to see Naruto finally lose his composure but sighed when he mentioned reaching the Foundation Establishment.

Xu Baocai sighed but Naruto's eyes shone with such brilliance for the first time in his entire life since the moment he heard about being able to increase one's lifespan by one hundred years. He was filled with so much excitement that his body trembled, tears flowed out of both eyes. His mind was completely filled with the thought and he grabbed onto Xu Baocai's arms tightly.

"Did you just say that after a cultivator reaches Foundation

Establishment, he can increase his lifespan by one hundred years?!"

Xu Baocai who was in a trance, grew fearful of Naruto when he saw his bloodshot eyes and Xu Baocai quickly nodded his head.

Naruto's breathing quickened in an instant and he immediately started pacing around his courtyard with hands raised up in the air, as though he was trying to catch something from above. His eyes lit up and he started to mumble to himself and broke into terrifying laughter, like a man who had lost his sanity.

Xu Baocai was even more terrified right now as he did not know what was happening to Uzumaki Xiachun. He could feel a gust of cool wind blowing at his back. He quickly stood up from his seat and bade Uzumaki Xiachun farewell, who did not respond at all in the crazed state that he was at the moment.

Xu Baocai took a deep breath when he saw Naruto's appearance had become even more frightening and he hastily left the courtyard.

A moment later, still in his bewitched state, Naruto abruptly came to a halt. He exhaled deeply, raised his head towards the sky and laughed.

"One hundred years of lifespan! The Foundation Establishment… I must reach the Foundation Establishment!"

Chapter 36 Chapter 36

Chapter 36 - Title of The Little Turtle

Naruto's desire for the Foundation Establishment, upon being lit up by Xu Baocai's words, prompted him to repeatedly visit the Scripture Library and even the Wulong Temple throughout the next couple of days.

Within the Wulong Temple, a lot of knowledge concerning the cultivation society, including detailed explanations and descriptions about the Foundation Establishment, could be found. They matched with what Xu Baocai had said, filling Naruto with excitement.

He thought that if he managed to master the Foundation Establishment, it would be a huge step in his path to immortality.

It was especially so when he discovered the three methods that the Foundation Establishment actually had, each of them increasing the lifespan by different amounts. With his excitement only growing more and more, Naruto studied without stopping, acquiring a clear comprehension of the Foundation Establishment.

"Sky, Earth and Human, a total of three types of Foundation

Establishments…"

"Human Foundation Establishment requires the consumption of a Foundation Establishment pill. Not a high probability of success, but success does increase the lifespan by a hundred years."

"Earth Foundation Establishment, merges with the Qi within the veins. It has an even smaller rate of success, but success gives jaw-dropping strength and double the lifespan of the Human Foundation Establishment."

"Lastly, the legendary Sky Foundation Establishment. Rare to the absolute extreme, impossibly low probability of success, but success adds an insane five hundred years to the lifespan!" After a minute of research, Naruto decided that the Sky Foundation Establishment purely had too small of a chance, while the earth Foundation

Establishment required certain locations that provided earth energy.

So the simplest way to go was the Human Foundation Establishment, the one that required a Foundation Establishment pill.

"I need to plan the whole thing out now for the future. Preparations must be perfect, calculations should be stable, and there's that pill I need…" Naruto took a deep breath and put down the bamboo scroll. His eyes were shining with light.

"The Foundation Establishment pill is too costly. There could be accidents, so I need backup pills as well… The best way to do this would be to refine them myself!" Naruto's eyes brightened up. He had always aspired to be the great Medicine Master who would refine the Longevity pill, and at this moment, that aspiration strengthened.

"Spirit Child, Medicine Apprentice, Medicine Master… I'm a Spirit Child right now and if I want to become an Apprentice and refine real stuff, I need to go take the promotional exam. For that exam, I need at least the knowledge of five of the herb's volumes, and even then, it may not be enough. I also need to comprehend five of the spirit beasts' volumes before I'm sufficiently prepared." With determination in his eyes, Naruto took out the third volume of herbs. After he went over it, he charged out with everything memorized in his head.

But it wasn't long before he ran back. Standing in the courtyard, he thought deeply for a while before taking out heaps of clothing, covering himself up before running back out again, feeling more confident.

"Those admirers of Kurenai are way too scary, saying that they'd tear me into eight pieces… no choice but to lay low now." Naruto felt unease.

"Hmph, wait until I'm done with my Foundation Establishment. Then I will look down at tens of thousands from above, telling them that I, Uzumaki Xi

aochun, am the Little Turtle. We'll see who would tear me to eight pieces then." Naruto weighed the distance between the admirers and him as he said those words.

The Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion was always filled with people from not only the Scented Cloud Mountain, but also those from the Green Peak Mountain and the Purple Cauldron Mountain. Any disciple with a yearning for herbal knowledge would eventually find himself there.

At this moment, Naruto squeezed past the crowds, making sure no one was watching, and walked into the wooden hut under the third volume of herbs' stone stele. Soon after he pushed the door open, he immediately blended in with the crowd in a few quick steps.

He wanted to leave right away, but he couldn't control his urges. Soon after, sounds of surprise could be heard as everyone saw the Little Turtle placed above the Aquarius symbol on the stone stele above the wooden house.

Naruto couldn't help but be pleased with himself. When the crowds were getting riled up, Naruto also put on a surprised expression to blend in, adding in a few shouts. Kurenai's admirers made their appearance moments after, their faces covered with fury. Naruto clenched his fists tightly.

"It's because of these people that I have to lay low." Naruto gave them a furious glare, then turned around and left.

In the following days, any information regarding the Little Turtle was spread throughout the Outer Sect of Scented Cloud Mountain. Everyone was talking about it. After all, that symbol was very conspicuous on the stele.

But a month later, just as things were settling down, the disciples in the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion suddenly saw another Little Turtle above the Aquarius symbol on the fourth stone stele, again in the first place.

The crowd went wild once more.

"This turtle is already first place on four of the steles, it has almost surpassed senior sister Kurenai!"

"He's first on four of the stone steles, Senior Sister Kurenai is on five, who on earth is this Little Turtle…" Naruto who was hiding among the crowd shrieked, his heart filling with satisfaction. Seeing the admirers ready to explode, he gave a dry cough, lowered his head and displeasedly hid himself.

Several days later, Kurenai appeared in the Ten Thousand Medicine

Pavilion, took a look at the stone stele, and paled. She went in the hut underneath the tenth stone stele, taking first place with her as she came out.

At this moment, the outer sect disciples of Scented Cloud Mountain started paying attention to the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. Kurenai's six steles against the Little Turtle's four steles…

Everyone was wondering if the Little Turtle would appear once more to claim the first spot on the fifth stele to stand on equal grounds as Kurenai.

Some disciples were even betting on it, betting whether the turtle could take first place on the fifth stele. Even the elders of Scented Cloud Mountain were interested.

Naruto was fired up as well. Each time he took first place on a stele and exchanged for a jade tablet, he didn't even study it before exiting. Furthermore, he hated those admirers of Kurenai, so each time he took first place, he stayed with the crowd to yell out for a bit, displaying his admiration for the Little Turtle.

Slowly, he got to know quite a few of the Little Turtle admirers. He had, of course, also contributed to the existence of these admirers. He never gave up on a chance to promote the Little Turtle, just like what he did with Sister Hou, who now had extreme respect for the turtle.

Finally, a month later, on a nice day, the Aquarius symbol on the fifth stone stele flashed and dropped, the Little Turtle appearing above it once again.

At this moment, the outer sect disciples of Scented Cloud Mountain burst into an uproar. Many came to see what was happening, and in the following days, the Little Turtle was the hottest topic in Scented Cloud Mountain.

"This Little Turtle must have memorized the herb scrolls to such an indescribable extremes to reach such heights."

"Amazing. Both this Little Turtle and Senior Sister Zhou are …"

It wasn't as if no one suspected Naruto of being the turtle, of course. Even the admirers of Kurenai, in their rage, paid attention to him, not letting a single person overlooked.

Deep down, Naruto was even more displeased. To wash off the suspicions he could only put on a facade and sigh, walking to the fourth stele. He stared at it for a while, before declaring his intention to show everyone what he's made of.

After that, the admirers of Kurenai often focused on people other than Naruto. After all, without evidence, there wasn't much they could do about their suspicions of him.

But threat was announced to everyone. If they ever managed to find the turtle, it's not eight pieces, they'd tear him into eighty!

Hearing this, Naruto thought about his body split into eighty pieces. Gritting his teeth, he was getting fired up again.

"So you guys are pissed off. The more pissed off you get, the more I want to be first!" Naruto gritted his teeth again. He couldn't fight them openly, so he used this method to wage war with the admirers.

A month later, the turtle topped the sixth stone stele.

Another month later, the seventh was also claimed by the Little Turtle.

Applause erupted from the surroundings once more.

"First place of the seventh stele! Go Little Turtle! Go for the top of the ten steles that even Kurenai could not reach!"

"Haha! I have faith in this Little Turtle. He can do it!"

As the masses of people cheered, more than ten youngsters had dark faces. Especially the few outer sect disciples in the group - they had a cold expression on their faces. One of them, who had his face covered in freckles, looked even more furious than the rest in the long robes of an outer sect disciple.

"My brothers, if anyone has any information regarding the identity of this Little Turtle, he will be rewarded if he brings it forth!" The freckled man said suddenly, his mouth wide open, his voice booming, silencing everyone.

A lot of the people present turned immediately to the man, and recognized him at once, avoiding eye contact. Some were displeased at that outburst, but didn't dare to speak up.

"It's the senior brother who joined the law enforcement, Qian Dajin…"

"I heard he's going after Kurenai and Du Lingfei…"

Naruto, upon witnessing this scene, glared furiously at the freckled man with the people beside him. Even when he was back at the courtyard, he would burn with anger every time he thought about his face.

"You can't find me anyway. I'll fight you, what about it?" Naruto lifted his chin. His studies in the volumes of spirit beasts only intensified, comprehending the materials within spirit beasts that could be used for finer pills. His knowledge about herbs improved greatly.

Especially after combining the two studies together, Naruto's herbal knowledge improved by the day.

A month later, the Little Turtle claimed the eight stone stele.

The month after that, the ninth stele was claimed.

He was first in nine of the stone steles.

All the outer sect disciples at Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion were burning with fervor and excitement, chanting for the Little Turtle to claim the final stele. His supporters increased even more.

Even Kurenai's admirers couldn't do anything to stop the ruckus caused by him. They could only look at the Turtle's advance desperately as the cries and cheers drowned those for Kurenai out.

Finally, on the conclusive month, Naruto waited until Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion was filled with the most people. With neat clothes and a glare of stern determination, he slipped in the wooden hut under the tenth stone stele while no one was paying attention.

Looking at the millions of herbs and spirit beast fragments in front of him, the determination in his eyes brightened. His two hands flew out, assembling piece after piece of herbal and spirit beast fragments, combining them together.

One thousand, five thousand, ten thousand…

Thirty thousand, fifty thousand, eighty thousand…

This was the hardest examination of all. His forehead gradually became covered with beads of sweat, and his eyes were bloodshot. He was like a demon, ignoring everything and focusing solely on the combinations in front of him, to the point where sharp pain pierced his hands, to the point where his head throbbed. He gritted his teeth, and proceeded.

Unaware of how long it had been, the examination ended. Uzumaki

Naruto's hands trembled slightly as he finished the last herb, his body drained and his sight blurred. When he could clearly see again, he was in the wooden hut once again.

He was breathing heavily, but his eyes were shining with confident satisfaction. Wiping off the sweat and tightening his fist, he grinned with excitement.

Chapter 37 Chapter 37

Chapter 37 - Lifting the Light as Though It Was Heavy Ten steles, number one!

Shockwaves spread throughout the three mountains on the South Bank of the Spirit River Sect, causing a stir.

Outside of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavillion, the ruckus reached its peak as the news spread further. Numerous people arrived at the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion in a haste, and the moment they saw the Little Turtle placed first on all of the ten steles, they all sucked in their breaths.

"First on all of the ten steles, this Little Turtle actually did it!"

"The last time our Spirit River Sect had someone first on all ten steles was a thousand years ago. Who would have thought that I could witness such a scene in my lifetime!"

Cries of shock continuously arose from the crowd. Though previously, everyone did have some sort of expectations in their hearts, when such expectations became reality, they still couldn't help but feel astonished. Especially when one recalled the events of the last 3 months, it was almost within succession - every month, one stele would be conquered.

And nobody could stay still once they realised the speed at which the feat was achieved.

"This Little Turtle, just who exactly is he…...it has only been half a year, and starting from the third stele, he simply swept his way through, dominating everyone as he shot to fame!"

"His talent in herbs and plants has completely surpassed Kurenai. Could it be other than Kurenai, our Scented Cloud Mountain will have another Herb Master!"

The moment when all ten steles were topped, each and every one of the ten steles trembled for a second and produced a roaring sound. When all these roars came together, a roar was released from the cauldron on the mountain peak of the Scented Cloud Mountain!

As if a giant block of wood was striking the medicine cauldron, chime after chime echoed throughout the entire Scented Cloud Mountain and the South Bank of the Spirit River Sect. Even whiffs of medicinal fragrance silently enveloped the surroundings, causing the mist surrounding the Scented Cloud Mountain to thicken at a rate visible to the naked eye.

In a cave at the Scented Cloud Mountain peak, Elder Zhou was in the midst of feeding his precious five-coloured Phoenixes when all of a sudden, the chimes of the cauldron ringed in his ears as his gaze filled with shock.

"Scented Cloud Cauldron's Chime?" He immediately sent out his divine sense and instantly discovered the change in the ten steles at the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion. His expression changed as he stepped onto the air and flew towards the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

Not long after, the silhouette of Elder Sun also appeared, arriving together with the other Foundation Establishment cultivators. Attracted by the chime of the cauldron, they all came out, and when they looked around, surprise and shock filled each of their faces.

And the last to appear was Toruho. He had originally been meditating, but when he heard the cauldron's chime, his expression similarly changed. Taking a glance outside, he immediately transformed into a prismatic beam and flew straight toward the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

Following the continuous echo of the cauldron's chime, a commotion rapidly spread among more and more people. The entire Scented Cloud Mountain, be they outer sect or inner sect disciples, every single one of them were shocked as they came out and directed their gazes toward the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

"This is….the sound of our Scented Cloud Mountain treasure, the

Scented Cloud Cauldron!"

"Within the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, someone who has actually placed f

irst on all ten steles appeared, setting a record unprecedented in the past thousand years!"

Even the Green Peak Mountain and Purple Cauldron Mountain were alerted at this moment. At the same time, Zhang Fatso One hung his head down as a charming beauty beside him was reprimanding him. This lady was exactly the old demoness that Zhang Fatso One had mentioned to Naruto when he was venting his grievances. When the lady heard the chime of the cauldron, her expression changed as she lifted her head to take a look. Zhang Fatso One was also stunned for a moment before he followed her gaze with a look of surpise.

"The chime of the Scented Cloud Cauldron, could it be that within the disciples of the Scented Cloud Mountain, one of them achieved a perfect score in some examination?"

The same scene transpired atop the Green Peak Mountain, as the elders and the mountain all turned to look in the direction of the Scented Cloud Mountain.

As time passed, more and more people gathered in the surroundings of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

As Naruto stood within the crowd listening to the cries of shock around him, he looked towards the ten steles and surprisingly did not join in the cheers like what he would normally do. Instead, an indescribable feeling rose within him as he silently stood there. A smile lit up on his face, a smile that neither have any arrogance nor any pride, but simply just pure happiness.

It took a year's worth of time, starting from the first stele, to create the miracle of achieving the first place on all ten stone steles. But all of this was nothing but empty fame, his greatest reward was still the knowledge he had gained regarding medicinal plants and spirit beasts; all of this knowledge that was necessary to a herbal student had already been deeply engrained in Naruto's heart.

One could say that Naruto had laid himself a foundation so solid that it was almost unheard of. When Naruto looked back and reminisced about the past year - the countless days and nights of studying medicinal plants and analysing spirit beasts like crazy - he could only sigh with melancholy.

If one were to look at the entire Spirit River Sect, even within the inner sect disciples, no one could compare to Naruto when it comes to the foundation laid for medicinal herbs. At this point, Naruto felt greatly satisfied.

In no time, streak after streak of prismatic beams arrived with the whistling of the wind. Following each prismatic beam, a silhouette that exuded a shocking cultivation was revealed; Elder Zhou, Elder Sun…...Toruho too was among those people.

All of them gazed at the ten steles. Looking at the Little Turtle at the first place, a radiance shone in each of their gazes. Especially Toruho, he was momentarily dazed when he first saw the picture of the Little Turtle, but gradually, a weird expression surfaced on his face. After which, he chuckled and swept his gaze across the crowd. When he saw Naruto, his eyes revealed an admiration inconsipicuous to the others.

Not long after, with a flourish of his sleeve, Toruho left with a hearty laughter; he knew, from the very first glance, that this Little Turtle was Naruto.

After all the elders had left, the number of inner sect disciples started to increase. As they looked up at the Little Turtle, they couldn't help but feel shock in their hearts. They too were once outer sect disciples, hence they clearly knew that these steles of the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion could only be challenged when one was in the Outer Sect, moreover, the difficulty of the test made the challenge incomparable to anything else.

"As an outer sect disciple, to be able to achieve such a level, he must be

Heaven's pride…"

"Hmph, as Medicine Apprentices, our focus should be refining sprit medicines, no matter how high your talent is in the herbs and plants, it is useless if you can't refine a spirit medicine!" Among these inner sect disciples, some had praise while some had disdain. However, no matter what their stance was, they all had deeply ingrained this Little Turtle in their minds, and even deep in their hearts, most of them felt fear spread within them.

After all, no matter if this person has talent in refining medicine or not, with a foundation as solid as that, when that person becomes a Medicine Apprentice in the future, his path would be smoother and successful without a doubt.

The commotion among the crowd had not died down even one bit, up till the arrival of Kurenai. As she stood and gazed at the Little Turtle on top of all ten steles, only then did the crowd gradually fall into silence as they turned to look towards Kurenai.

That feeling of being thoroughly supressed at each of the ten steles made Kurenai's eyes shine with dissatisfaction. In the past, she had always been the one giving others this sort of complicated feeling, but right now, when it was her turn to have a taste of this feeling, she could only remain silent.

"Just who exactly are you…" Kurenai grinded her teeth. She was dissatisfied, but after numerous tries, she had understood that this mysterious Little Turtle possessed a talent in herbs and plants that reached unimaginable heights. At the moment, she had no confidence in surpassing that level. Within that moment of silence, Kurenai burned the memory of this Little Turtle deep into the bottom of her heart.

"You might be stronger than me when it comes to herbs and plants, but after you become a Medicine Apprentice and tread the path of refining medicine, I don't believe that you can stay ahead of me forever!" Kurenai sucked in a deep breath as her expression slowly calmed down.

She had already taken the examination and had been promoted to a Medicine Apprentice. Giving one last look towards the steles, she turned around and left.

"This is only my first stop on my road of becoming a great Medicine Master!" In the midst of the crowd, Naruto similarly gave one last look at the ten steles before he turned his body around and left with renewed determination.

The uproar of the ten steles's number one lasted for months following this event. People still discussed it. When people visited the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion and saw the Little Turtle on the steles, these discussions grew even more heated.

At the same time, those admirers of Kurenai spared no effort in combing through the mountains to look for that Little Turtle. Especially the youth surnamed Qian, he was extremely frustrated and actively participated in the search.

After stirring up the entire South Bank of the Spirit River sect, despite the countless discussions about the Little Turtle each day, Naruto was just in his courtyard, eyes bloodshot, as he controlled a small leaf in front of him.

He was currently studying the realm of Lifting the Light as Though It Was Heavy. In fact, more than half a year ago, he had already started studying the techniques of this realm. However, he had only grasped a small bit of it and was unable to truly comprehend it.

Now that the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion events were over, Naruto could feel a sense of danger rise within while looking at those Kurenai admirers who were desperately searching for him.

Henceforth, he used the chance to avoid all attention and put all of his focus into the realm of Lifting the Light as Though It Was Heavy.

"Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light is all about speed, and Lifting the Light as Though It Was Heavy…...is all about the technique's control!" Naruto eyes shone while he was deep in thought, this was the result of his enlightenment over this period of time.

"In other words, this sort of control is in fact just a type of dominating strength of the body's spritual Qi!" Naruto's eyes glinted with a flash of light. With his current cultivation of the sixth level of Qi

Condensation, the spiritual Qi in his body was akin to a big river, and the realm of Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light could already be maintained endlessly, exerting out a shocking speed.

With this enlightenment, he came to the understanding that this so called realm was simply just a technique to utilise one's spiritual Qi - like how a small leaf, when stretched, could only be used to lift a small piece of wood, but when folded, it could lift a small rock. And if one shredded it into strings and bundled them together, one could lift even heavier objects.

The same materials, when utilised with different methods, would result in different amounts of durability.

And the Lifting the Light as Though it was Heavy realm had the exact same type of logic. Once one could comprehend and utilise it, it would be equivalent to achieving this realm.

Naruto thought about it for a long time, and afterwards, with a wave of his hand, a small leaf flew toward him and hovered in front of his body. Under his incessant tries, this leaf sometimes moved with extreme speeds, and at other times, it moved as slow as if it was carrying the weight of a mountain.

If one try wouldn't work, then he would try ten times, if ten times didn't cut it, then a hundred times, and if a hundred times still weren't enough…..then a thousand times.

Naruto had long since lost count of how many times he tried, and all the leaves in his courtyard had already been torn apart. Therefore, he went out to look for more leaves. Until the end, every single non-spiritual plant, tree, flower or grass in the entire Scented Cloud Mountain was stripped and used by Naruto. Finally, on a certain day, when the sun was about to set, a light flashed through Naruto's eyes. With a gesture of his fingers, the small leaf in front of him hovered in the air lightly like a feather, but the moment it descended, it was as if a mountain had just smashed upon the ground.

With a loud 'hong', the ground of the courtyard trembled, as if this willow tree's leaf possesed an incomparably crushing weight.

"Success!" Although Naruto's eyes were bloodshot, he wore an excited expression as he stood up and waved his right hand. Immediately, a small wooden sword flew out and transformed into a black streak that zoomed into the open space. Its speed was not only fast, but its power had also at least doubled from before. One could even vaguely hear the sound of the air cracking.

With a loud roar, a large boulder in the distance instantly shattered into smithereens.

Such power was already past the standards of a Qi Condensation in the sixth level, perhaps even a seventh or eighth level Qi Condensation would be shocked and stunned if they were to witness this.

Chapter 38 Chapter 38

Chapter 38 - Purple Qi Cauldron Melting Technique

Naruto got up and moved his body a bit, his face full of excitement. With his wooden sword in hand, he danced about in the yard, sometimes suddenly stabbing out, and at other times abruptly stopping.

The entire wooden sword became blurred as it spun around in the yard, almost disappearing from sight, replaced by the shockwaves it left behind as it moved. The air seemed to be filled with gusts at that moment, and Naruto's excitement only intensified.

After a while, he flung his right arm to the side, the wooden sword flashed, and returned to his palm. It didn't seem like much, it's colourful appearance was seemingly inconspicuous, but actually, the sword had went through three refinements. Its quality was on a completely different level.

"Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light and Lifting the Light as Thought It Was Heavy - if I could master both of these techniques, their combination would make me the only one capable of that godlike ability from the Purple Qi Cauldron Techniques! Naruto took a deep breath, his eyes full of anticipation.

"Purple Qi Cauldron Melting Technique!" Naruto stored away his wooden sword, closed his eyes and stood in the courtyard. After a while, his right hand abruptly shot up, pointing at the sky. Immediately after that, the Qi, which was supposed to be invisible to the naked eye, became visible with flashes of light, forming into strings that began to form something similar to a cauldron.

As if guided by some mysterious force, the cauldron slowly took shape.

At the same time, shockwave after shockwave was emitted out from it. The Qi produced was stronger than the Qi from his swordplay earlier.

On the other hand, Naruto's face was rapidly paling. The Qi within his body was being rapidly depleted, and the cauldron had only finished materializing after burning eighty percent of his Qi. Floating in mid-air, the cauldron was surrounded by an intense Qi pressure, and followed by Naruto pointing his finger forward, the cauldron shot out, crashing hard against the ground.

The instant the cauldron and the ground made contact, the cauldron shattered and a huge amount of Qi exploded out from it.

The roar of that explosion was intense, it reverberated throughout the courtyard, and the ground around the impact audibly fractured.

Fortunately, the Scented Cloud Mountain was protected by a formation technique, fixing the fractures as soon as they formed. The impact, however, was heard by many of the outer sect disciples, raising their curiosity about its source.

Naruto took a deep breath. He hadn't expected the Purple Qi Cauldron Melting Technique to be this overwhelming. That impact gave him the feeling that if he was to be matched against himself, he wouldn't be able to put up a fight at all.

"Purple Qi Cauldron Melting Technique lives up to its name. It's a very mysterious technique, and it requires an understanding of both the 'Lifting the Light as Though It Was Heavy' and 'Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light' methods." Naruto's eyes shone, however, it was replaced by a frown moments after. It was very strong, but the Qi it consumed was way too much.

Naruto didn't know, but actually, he had only exhausted eighty percent of his Qi because of its purity. Other disciples would use up the entirety of their Qi before the eighth level of Qi Condensation even if they comprehended the technique. Those at the ninth level were the ones who could actually use that technique, but the cost for them wasn't small either.

"The Purple Qi Cauldron Techniques are split into three grades. The cauldron I just m

ade was only of the low quality. Medium quality would be two cauldrons, and high quality would form three cauldrons that will merge together to form a bigger cauldron." as Naruto thought hard about it, he sat down and started breathing deeply. Once the moon was up high, his eyes opened with a flash of light, the Qi within his body was already replenished.

"This technique can become my killer move. If those Kurenai admirers were to find any trouble with me, they'd have this cauldron on their heads." Naruto was just feeling relieved when the freckled man came to his mind, which made him furrow his brow.

"He's in the Inner Sect, and to be in the Inner Sect, you need to be at least at the eighth level of Qi Condensation…" Naruto felt unease as he was deep in thought while staring at his skin. He got up and took a few steps, his speed was extremely fast. He put his index finger and thumb together, which created a black light that he flung to the side. "Ka-Ka" sounds could be heard as a subtle explosion rang in the air. Naruto's movement seemed flawless. He looked at his two fingers, and slowly calmed himself down.

"This is my trump card… it's for saving my life." Naruto released a soft sigh, thinking that the self-defence killer move should be as strong as possible. He was, however, scared of the Unending Longevity Technique.

He did try to improve his Unending Longevity Technique after acquiring the impenetrable skin, but the sense of hunger that came with the training was just too much for him to handle.

Only small chicks were left here. There really was nothing left for him to eat, and if he relied solely on the spirit food here, Naruto was sure he would starve to death before completing the training.

He had also searched the entire mountain for other spirit beasts to use as food, but after the great chicken thief events, people no longer kept their livestock in open areas in order to protect it.

Naruto was stressed, his face troubled. Just as he was thinking about ways to solve the hunger problem, he suddenly thought of that Life-prolonging Pill.

"Oh yeah…" Naruto's eyes brightened. There were many different types of spirit herbs, not only for cultivation, but also for replenishing Qi. Upon achieving the impenetrable iron skin, Naruto had realized that practicing the Unending Longevity Technique essentially needed Qi.

"I haven't taken the test yet, but my knowledge of herbs is completely sufficient for me to create medicine myself. The materials were expensive, but those found in the grass and on the trees are much cheaper." Naruto thought it wasn't a bad idea.

"If I make medicine now, it'd be a lot more easier for me when I take the examination, and it'd also be a lot easier in the future when I refine the Foundation Establishment Pill." Filled with great determination, Naruto put his hand on his chin and started thinking. He stood up, the sun had already risen by the time he was done thinking.

"To create medicine I need the recipes. This should be easy, you don't need to be a medicine disciple to get those. The city square at the bottom of the mountain has some recipes for sale." Naruto patted his pouch. Ever since his arrival at the Scented Cloud Mountain, there was barely any chance for him to spend his money. With outer sect disciples receiving some spirit stones every month, he had quite a lot saved up.

As for the superficial stuff, he never really cared about it. He dashed down the path to the foot of Scented Cloud Mountain.

It was his second time going down the mountain ever since he came here. The first time was to buy medicinal herbs and exchange for pills. Just as he left the Scented Cloud Mountain, two shadows dashed toward a courtyard on the Green Peak Mountain.

"Is Senior Brother Chen here!"

"Senior Brother Chen! Naruto went down the mountain!" These two figure's cultivation levels were strong, both of them at the fourth level of Qi Condensation. The two of them were excited as they walked in the courtyard towards a huge man.

He was burly, his back was like a tiger's, and his waist was like a bear's.

"Naruto? Has he finally left the mountain?" The big man laughed as he slowly stood up. He was like a mountain, and he was at the fifth level of Qi condensation.

He was the old head of the Administrative Department, Chen Fei.

At that time, the three of them spent their days content in the Administrative Department. Almost everything they needed was there, and there were handymen who served them. They also had spirit stones. Their life was good until Naruto and the others forced their way up the mountain, making them into outer sect disciples. The two hard years intensified their hate for Naruto.

But Zhang Fatso One was not one you should make an enemy of, and Black Fatso Three was not someone you want to involve yourself with either. Naruto, however, was weaker than the two of them, and was the only suitable target for revenge. But he never left the sect, and Chen Fei, while being known in the sect, dared not break the sect's rules.

After all, he was just the elder cousin of an inner sect disciple. Having handymen subordinates was already the limit of what he could achieve.

All this time, he was waiting for Naruto to leave the sect on an errand, and it took two years for that to happen. The time had finally arrived, and Chen Fei was confident. He had trained to the fifth level of Qi condensation, and scouted out how Naruto was doing with his cultivation. His achievements were just lucky flukes.

"That year when he used the 'Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light' method, I actually thought he had mastered it. Hmph, forcing me into an outer sect disciple, I will not forgive him." Chen Fei's eyes burned with fury. He didn't intend to kill Naruto, but he planned to break his bones and damage his veins. He wanted him to be hospitalized for a year.

And this kind of thing wouldn't be too concerning for the sect, but they'd investigate it nonetheless. However, he wasn't going to be caught red handed. There'd also be no death. And Chen Fei had a reputation in the sect. There weren't going to be any consequences for his revenge.

Chen Fei's body shot out as he sprinted down the mountain, the duo following behind him. They reached the foot of the mountain soon enough, and hid near the path used to reach the city square.

The city square wasn't big. Naruto didn't take long to find the recipes he needed. One was for replenishing Qi, and the other was for nourishing Qi. High quality ones were rare, but low quality ones were pretty common for commoners to use to strengthen their bodies.

For other people, they would be useless, but to Naruto, they were treasure. He had the turtle-shell pot, and any common pill that was refined thrice would be on a whole new level.

Using the rest of the spirit stones for medicinal herbs, Naruto patted his storage pouch as he hummed on his way back to the mountain, leaving the city square. In his mind, he was fascinated about the successful medicine he was about to make.

But just as he started walking up the path, he abruptly stopped. Upon reaching the sixth Qi Condensation level, his senses had sharpened up a lot. He immediately sensed the breaths of three people hiding in the bushes. At this moment, his heart started beating faster.

Seeing Naruto stop there, the three jumped out and stood in front of him.

"Naruto, today, I'm paying back all the wrongs you have done to me!" Chen Fei glared at Naruto, laughing with his two followers who also circled around to surround him. -

Regular chapter 3/3 for the week

Translated by: Marcus

TLCed by: Nat Nat

Edited by: Arch, Crimsonguard

Chapter 39 Chapter 39

Chapter 39 - Crushed…

"Chen Fei?" Naruto blinked. He looked at Chen Fei and the two people who were surrounding him. He calmed down after sensing their cultivation levels.

"Naruto, it's too late to kneel and beg now. It was all because of your damned idea that we ended up becoming outer sect disciples. I've awaited this moment for so long!" Chen Fei laughed. He raised his right hand, and his cultivation of the fifth level Qi Condensation exploded out, sending many of the nearby fallen leaves flying. It was quite impressive.

"After entering the outer sect, I've been training without rest. And now, Naruto, I'm at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. Let me tell you this, today, I'm here just to bully you. I'm going to break all of your bones!"

Chen Fei's laughter was accompanied with a face filled with both glee and arrogance. Pinching with his index finger and thumb, the air vibrated and a green sword with merely half a chi in length appeared. It looked weak, and the cold light it was emitting was weak as well.

The two behind Naruto were grinning as they used their cultivations to produce two swords as well.

The trio surrounding Naruto were certain of their imminent victory because of their superior numbers. They were also stronger than last time and were assured that Naruto hadn't mastered Lifting the Heavy as Though It Was Light yet.

"It would have been fine if you hadn't left the mountain. But now that you left the sect's territory, I'm about to teach you how grave the mistake you made years ago." Chen Fei felt some satisfaction after letting those words out.

"The three of you blocking me here… Aren't you forgetting the sect rules?" Naruto asked, curious as he looked at Chen Fei.

"Sect rules? Ha! We're not in the sect anymore! What's more, you're weak, so who can you blame? At most, I'll apologize and that'd be the end of it!" Chen Fei laughed blithely. He could already imagine what face Naruto would be making later, it certainly wouldn't be pretty. He had even prepared taunts and insults for that.

But it wasn't long before he realized that something was wrong. Naruto was way too calm. He was surrounded by three people, and yet his face was not what he had pictured. It actually looked a bit weird, it was as if he was superior. He even had the nerve to speak:

"Oh, I see. Then I have nothing to worry about."

Chen Fei narrowed his eyes, thinking that something was not right. He stopped hesitating and instead barked out a command.

"At him!" As soon as the words left his mouth, he pointed his sword at Naruto and charged, both his followers doing the same.

Looking at the incoming swords, Naruto smiled. He didn't even bother to get his equipment out, choosing to only step back, instantly vanishing before the three.

When he reappeared, he was already beside one of the two minions who were only at the fourth level of Qi Condensation. Chen Fei's eyes widened as Naruto hit the man with his right hand before he could even have the chance to react.

The attack was so fast, it hit the man's stomach right after Naruto reappeared. The man's body shook as blood shot out from his mouth, his body curving as if hit by a great force, and was sent flying until he collided with a tree.

The tree shook from the impact as the man spat out blood again, fainting.

The scene happened so fast that the other two could only stare at Naruto, their brains buzzing in disbelief. Never would they have imag

ined that Naruto would be so fast and strong. They couldn't even see his movements properly.

Chen Fei's expression rapidly changed. Taking a deep breath, his body instinctively took a few steps backwards, his face full of doubts as he stared at Naruto.

"You're…"

"Too weak." Naruto put on an air of superiority as if he stood at the top of the world, unequalled. He took a step and reached for the other man at the fourth level of Qi Condensation.

The man roared as his cultivation erupted, then charged at Naruto with his sword. Naruto, however, was faster than him. His impenetrable iron skin and Unending Longevity Technique increased his speed and strength to a shocking degree. He dodged the sword with a jerk as his right fist crashed down on the man.

The boom was followed by the man's screams as blood shot out from his mouth. He didn't have a tree behind him so he was flung much farther away as his body shook. He was unable to get up and seemed at death's doorstep.

"So weak." Naruto shook his head as he looked at the trembling Chen Fei.

"You...You…" Chen Fei's brain buzzed as he tried to comprehend the situation. He couldn't understand how he dropped from the position of power to the one of weakness. He was supposed to be the bully, but the target before him was a beast compared to him.

The two hits had knocked out his two subordinates. It was hard for him to comprehend how much strength this feat would take. He swallowed as his body instinctively took a couple more steps backward, completely losing the will to fight. A single thought flooded his entire being: "Run."

He didn't get the chance to back away much farther before Naruto caught up with him in an instant. His right hand curled up into a fist and aimed for Chen Fei, but just as it was shooting toward him, a shield appeared in a flash of light, blocking Naruto's fist.

Another boom echoed out. Naruto grunted as his body was momentarily stopped by the shield. The small shield, however, trembled as the Qi enveloping it grew slightly dimmer, and was quickly sent flying by Naruto's punch.

Chen Fei was terrified. He had spent quite a lot of contribution points for that shield, even if it was an adversary of the sixth Qi Condensation level, it shouldn't be penetrated so easily in such a short amount of time.

"Naruto, you… H-how dare you!" Chen Fei screamed.

"Hmph. Let me tell you this, today, I'm here just to bully you. I'm going to break all of your bones!" Naruto was overjoyed inside as he looked at the terrified face his opponent was making. This was the thing that pleased him the most, and he wasn't about to let this chance slip. So after returning the words his opponent just said right back at him, Naruto unleashed the full power of his sixth level Qi Condensation. As gusts formed around him and his hair rose up in the air, he looked quite intimidating.

"Qi Condensation, sixth level…" Chen Fei's eyes were so wide that it seemed as if they would pop out. He made another attempt to escape as Naruto went after him, swinging his fist again. There was no shield to block the strike this time.

Chen Fei's body shook as blood and screams escaped his mouth, as his body curled. He had a strong body, however, he was merely in the fifth level. He did not faint, instead, he put all of his remaining strength into escaping, his heart bitter and resentful to the extreme. There was still some distance before he could reach the sect… Why did he choose this place to ambush him?

Seeing Naruto charge at him with beastlike ferocity, he screamed once again.

"Naruto! The sect rules, the sect rules!"

"Sect rules? Ha! We're not in the sect anymore! What's more, you're weak, so who can you blame? At most I'll apologize and that'll be the end of it!" Naruto repeated Chen Fei's words as he sent his leg out for a kick.

The kick sent Chen Fei flying up into the sky, blood shooting out from his mouth as his eyes were filled with desperation. He was still screaming in the air when Naruto jumped up and barraged him with kicks and punches.

Chen Fei was shocked and terrified, his screams dying out as his body took the hits.

With his bones broken and his veins damaged, he could only lay on the floor with a pale face. His entire body was numb, and as he looked at Naruto, his heart was filled with dread.

To him, the skinny and pure Naruto was a beast clad in human skin, especially when he remembered the fact that Naruto didn't use any equipment but only his body's raw power and speed to overwhelm them in this battle.

The other two fourth level followers of Chen Fei just woke up to see their boss being beaten up, dread filling them as well, petrifying them from fear of attracting Naruto's attention.

Seeing Chen Fei's desperation, Naruto was amused. He retracted his Qi and rummaged through the contents of the trio's bags, taking everything with him, including the small shield. He hummed as he was heading back to the sect.

"Damn it. Who was the one who told me Naruto's achievements were all lucky flukes?" Staring at Naruto's figure, Chen Fei wanted to cry, but didn't have the tears for it. He would have never approached Naruto if he had known how strong he was.

The two men sobbed as they looked at Naruto leaving. Intense dread filled them once more.

"Senior brother Chen, what do we do…? Maybe we shouldn't go after

him anymore, let's drop the matter… Even Xu Baocai resolved his conflict with him." The duo looked at Chen Fei.

Chen Fei felt utter agony as he gritted his teeth in silence.

"Naturally, I still want revenge. But I can't beat him… There must be some way…"

Chapter 40 Chapter 40

Chapter 40 - Pursuing perfection

Humming a melody, Naruto joyfully stepped through the sect doors. When he returned to his courtyard, he couldn't help but lament.

"Cultivation is for the sake of immortality, these people, who always go on about fighting and killing, must have something wrong with their heads."

In his courtyard, Naruto organised the storage pouches of Chen Fei and his gang. These three people weren't wealthy and their pockets were rather shallow. Even though the loot this time wasn't large, Naruto wasn't particularly disappointed with it. He took out the medicinal plants he bought, and looked at them closely as he held them in his hand, thoroughly inspecting each and every one of them.

Although he had a strong foundation in plants and herbs, he still didn't have many opportunities to truly come in contact with actual medicinal plants and herbs. And at this moment, as he studied the medicinal plants, his observations and analysis gradually merged with the knowledge in his mind. He even lightly slit open the plants and conscientiously observed its inner structures.

After consolidating his knowledge of all of them, Naruto fell deep in thought as he took out the two medicinal recipes. He only took a single glance towards the medicinal recipe for the Spirit Replenishing Pill, then shifted his attention onto the medicinal recipe for strengthening a mortal's body.

"Longevity Incense Stick…" Naruto murmured softly; this medicinal recipe did not require a lot of medicinal plants - only seven kinds - and it did not have any unique points when it came to mixing the plants. This medicinal recipe only used the principle of allelopathy to maximise the strength of these seven types of medicinal plants by grounding them into powder and then coagulating it into an incense.

(ED note: Allelopathy ( wiki/Allelopathy) is the chemical inhibition of a plant (or other organism) by another, when exposed to substances acting as germination or growth inhibitors.)

Especially for two of the plant types in the medicinal recipe, they were actually poisonous. Although it wasn't any kind of lethal poison for cultivators, one would still get diarrhea for about half a month. But for ordinary people, such poison could be a threat to their lives.

"Between the Heavens and the Earth, there is a boundless diversity of spirit plants and herbs; some can be eaten directly, some can be refined into pills for a better effect, and some, due to their poisonous content, can only be refined into incenses." Naruto pondered as he carefully scrutinised each and every medicinal grass used to refine the Longevity Incense Stick, until he could understand each of these seven types of medicinal grass down to the last detail.

"It's still not safe. The main point of refining medicine is the success rate of completing the medicine, and even if it is just the most simple Grade One spirit medicine, there still exists a high risk of failure."

"I only have ten sets of each type of medicinal grass, I can't afford to be wasteful." Naruto's personality has always been a cautious - one that seeks safety and stability. When he was memorising the plants and herbs, he made sure to remember them down to the finest detail. And at this moment, before Naruto started refining medicine, he first approached the subject with a similar attitude - choosing not to start the refinement immediately, instead, thoroughly studying the medicinal recipe.

Time passed, one day after the other, until seven days later, he had completely comprehended the medicinal recipe; Naruto had closed his eyes as he continuously analysed and simulate

d the medicinal recipe in his mind. Not until the sun was about to set did Naruto finally opened his eyes again. After thinking for a moment, he took out the medicinal recipe for the Spirit Replenishing Pill and started studying again.

Half a month later, blood vessels filled Naruto's eyes; he had thoroughly comprehended both recipes and the medicinal plants they required. After pondering for a short moment, he suddenly stood up and walked out of his courtyard.

Medicine refinement required a pill furnace, however, the price of a pill furnace was not cheap and Naruto could not afford to obtain one. Luckily, within the sect, there was a Medicine Refinement Pavilion specifically built for disciples to refine their medicine. A disciple only had to spend a certain amount of contribution points in exchange for the opportunity to refine medicine within the pavilion.

The Medicine Refinement Pavilion lay on the eastern side of the Scented Cloud Mountain, which was not too far away from where Naruto stayed. The Medicine Refinement Pavilion was also peaceful, unlike the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion which was always packed with crowds of people. After all, even if one searched the entire Scented Cloud Mountain, there still wouldn't be many who had the skills to refine medicine. Moreover, some of these people already possessed their own pill furnaces and as such they had no need to come here.

After paying the specified amount of contribution points, Naruto obtained a month's time in the Medicine Refinement Pavilion. As Naruto walked in, a structure made up of over a hundred individual rooms greeted his eyes. Each room also had an array formation around it to prevent the medicine-refiner from being disturbed by the outside world.

Holding on to the wooden tablet he received, Naruto walked into the thirteenth room and swept a glance around its interior. The room wasn't big, it was almost empty except for a single pill furnace placed in the center of the room. Under the pill furnace, a flame seemed to be faintly burning.

Sitting down cross-legged, Naruto took in a deep breath as he laid his eyes on the pill furnace. After closely inspecting it, he looked at the fire beneath the pill furnace and tried to stimulate it with his spirit Qi. In an instant, the fire grew fiercer, causing the temperature in the room to rise. The pill furnace also started to redden at a speed visible to the naked eye.

After trying numerous tries, Naruto soon managed to control the strength of the fire with the help of his mastery in the Purple Qi Cauldron Melting Technique. Once he familiarised himself with the control and could accurately manipulate the fire, he slapped his storage pouch and retrieved the medicinal plants and grasses.

"The Longevity Incense Stick is of great importance to me. I shouldn't refine it first, only when I familiarised myself with medicine refinement should I refine this incense. In this case, I should start practicing with the Spirit Replenishing Pill first. This pill is ranked Grade One and is suitable for those under the fifth level of Qi Condensation." Naruto made up his mind as his expression turned to one filled with concentration. As he once again recalled the medicinal recipe of the Spirit Replenishing Pill in his mind, he immediately began refining the medicine.

He took out a stalk of a medicinal plant required for the Spirit

Replenishing Pill and held it in front of his eyes. With a wave of his right hand, the leaves on the stalk of the plant immediately fell off. Naruto's eyes turned serious as he spread out his spirit Qi from within his body to form a gust of wind that instantly compressed the leaves together. Nine drops of sap dripped out of the compressed leaves and fell into the pill furnace.

'Pfft' ! Plumes of green mist immediately rose from within the pill furnace as Naruto increased his concentration to its peak. The moment this mist had appeared, Naruto rapidly waved both of his hands and removed the stem's vessels from the medicinal plant in his hand. He threw each of them into the pill furnace while controlling the flame at the same time. During the process, more and more mist started to form within the pill furnace.

However, this mist refused to dissipate, instead, it coalesced together. As the mist continuously rolled in the furnace, Naruto took out the second stalk of medicinal plant and catalysed it as he held it in his hand. Flowers immediately bloomed on the stalk of the plant from which Naruto plucked the petals that he had thrown into the furnace.

Time passed by, Naruto devoted his entire heart and soul into medicine refinement; he continuously took out medicinal plants and threw them into the furnace. After he had put in eight different plants, his gaze shone with a bright light as he stared at the pill furnace. He then slowly changed its temperature by controlling the fire. Under this intense concentration, beads of sweat formed on his forehead and they trickled down the silhouette of his face.

Two hours later, a dull sound echoed from within the pill furnace. At the same time, billows of black charred smoke dissipated into the air; although it was rapidly sucked away by the array formation in the room,

Naruto still coughed a couple of times from choking on the smoke. Looking at the the black residue in the pill furnace with an ugly expression, Naruto couldn't help but frown.

"Failed…" Naruto sat down and propped his chin with his hand. His eyes revealed that he fell into deep thought, carefully recollecting the details from the medicine-refining process. Since his personality was cautious, he did not continue attempting to refine the medicine again. Whether it was memorising the plants and herbs or medicine refinement, Naruto always pursued perfection.

This lasted over three days. On the third day, Naruto had replayed his first medicine-refining process in his mind over a thousand times, finding no less than fifty mistakes. Finally, he took in a deep breath, resting for a moment, and lit up the furnace once again.

The actual time to refine the pill did not take long. Four hours later, the same sound resounded from the pill furnace as a similar smoke spread into the air, revealing the residue in the furnace once again.

The tenacity and stubbornness in Naruto's character surfaced once again. He scooped out the residue and carefully studied it. Coupled with the recollection of the medicine-refinement process, Naruto studied the medicinal recipe and the medicinal plants once more. This time, the analysis took ten days, after which, with bloodshot eyes, Naruto finally started the furnace for the third time.

The third attempt with the furnace started out steady, however, just when the pill was about to form, cracks appeared and the dull sound echoed once more. Naruto jumped and fixed a death stare on the residue inside the pill furnace. Silence reigned for a long time, and then finally, Naruto sat at one side, closed his eyes, and once again fell into deep thought.

This time, he pondered for almost half a month, not until his time with the medicine room was almost over did Naruto finally open his eyes, grit his teeth, and start the furnace for the fourth time.

At the moment his time with the medicine room ran out, this attempt had already ended up as a failure.

If other Medicine Apprentices were to see this scene, they would definitely find it unbelievable. In a single month, if it was any other person, they would have easily refined over ten times, and no matter what, at the very least, they would produce some medicine.

Even if the medicine was refined into just a single grain, that was still an achievement.

After all, no matter how one looked at it, medicine-refining was extremely difficult. Otherwise, throughout the entire Eastern Forest

Continent, there would not have been just two true Medicine Masters.

Even if one counted all the Medicine Apprentices, they would not amount to a particularly large number. Moreover, most of them wouldn't have the chance to promote themselves into a Medicine Master their whole life.

In reality, the main reason for this was…...there simply weren't not enough resources to groom a Medicine Apprentice. If one had enough resources, and under constant and repeated practice, though it may not necessarily ensure that one would definitely become a Medicine Master, the chances would definitely be much higher.

Hence, the success rate of medicine refinement in the eyes of everyone only had a single method to be increased - through constant practice and increased proficiency.

And what everyone was pursuing was indeed this kind proficiency.

Only when one has reached a sufficient level of proficiency could they increase the success rate of medicine refinement. Even when the medicine-refining failed sometimes, most Medicine Apprentices think of it as nothing out of the ordinary; one just had to learn their lesson and start refining again, only then would their proficiency increase. Especially when it came to refining ordinary pill medicines, where the ingredients were inexpensive, Medicine Apprentices would use the chance and spare no effort in practicing.

As for Naruto, though his path was the same, his speed was much slower than normal. Every single time he failed, he would spend countless of his precious medicine-refining time to continuously study, analyse, and simulate the process in his mind.

All of this stemmed from his personality - cautious and meticulous. This meticulousness had just barely been revealed when he was studying the plants and herbs. However, now that he had come into contact with medicine refinement, this trait had been exponentially magnified, overtaking his character and attitude.

And because of this meticulousness, Naruto was able to discover more mistakes than the average person, and this amount was not just a small amount. Instead, because he pondered a lot and thoroughly analyzed everything, including areas where others would not even think there was a mistake, he would still feel there was a problem when he looked at it.

And because of his cautiousness, no matter how miniscule the mistake was, he would always make sure he corrected it first before continuing with medicine refining. As a result, his time spent on thinking was many times that of the time spent on medicine refining.

The month's worth of time had finally ended, Naruto walked out of the Medicine Refinement Pavilion exhausted; his hair disheveled, his face black with soot. Once he returned back to his courtyard, he fell silent for a long time as he constantly recollected his experiences in his mind.

"There are still nine areas with mistakes, once these nine areas have been cleared up, I can continue with the medicine refinement." Naruto gritted his teeth as he sat in his courtyard. With his eyes closed, Naruto was deep in thought. He continuously analysed the problems in his mind, taking out the medicinal plants to observe them in detail from time to time.

Half a month later, he fervently dashed out from his yard and once again spent some contribution points to enter the Medicine Refinement Pavilion.

The fifth time…..failed!

He used seven days in analysing the process, seeking out the problems, and solving them before starting to refine again.

The sixth time….failed!

With his eyes bloodshot, this time, Naruto spent twenty days before he finally felt that there were no more mistakes, then started the furnace for the seventh time.

Two hours passed, yet the dull sound did not appear, instead, a pill aroma rose toward Naruto, and he excitedly looked at the two green-coloured medicine pills within the pill furnace. He sucked in a deep breath, it was the seventh attempt, and he had finally succeeded!

Following that, he continued to refine. The eighth time…... success, with three pills!

The ninth time…... success, with five pills!

The tenth time…...still a success, however, when the pill appeared from the tenth refinement, there was only one of it. Moreover, it wasn't green coloured, instead, it was black. It did not exude any pill aroma, and when one tried to smell it, there would even be a strange scent…...

Just when Naruto was still in shock, the entire Medicine Refinement Pavilion immediately trembled.

Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Chapter 41 - Effects of Spirit Refinement

There were no rats on the Scented Cloud Mountain. It was a land of cultivation, and rats, who were not spirit beasts, had no place there. However, in the mountains, quite a number of ants dwelled.

These ants were animals of nature, and their daily activities in the cracks of mountain rocks bothered no one. They were seen as a part of the mountain, and no one paid much attention to these little creatures.

But this day near the Medicine Refinement Pavilion, the sentries stationed there abruptly stood up as an immeasurable amount of ants streamed out from the ground, heading for the pavilion.

"W-what's happening?" A sentry took in a deep breath as he gazed at the endless swarm of ants, frightened.

At the same time, the rooms in the Medicine Refinement Pavilion were full of disciples refining pills. Upon seeing the ants, all of them jumped up as even more swarms of ants filled the room despite the protective formations. After all, the pavillion was part of the mountain, and the ants had plenty of cracks here and there to enter from.

And the entirety of the swarm was headed in a single direction.

This direction lead to the room where Naruto was. At the moment, Naruto was curiously inspecting the black pill in his hand when rumbling sounds suddenly came from outside. He blinked, realizing that swarms of ants were entering his room.

These crazed ants charged at Naruto.

"An ant crisis in the Scented Cloud Mountain!" Naruto jumped up, feeling uncomfortable from the sight of these ants. The ants, to his surprise, jumped with him, aiming for the black pill in his hand.

Naruto's hair stood on end after witnessing such a scene. For him, it didn't matter whether the black pill was useful or not. Without hesitation, Naruto tossed the black pill out of his hands, and as soon as the pill left his hands, the ants madly charged towards where the pill was thrown.

Once it touched the ground, the pill was covered in ants within the blink of an eye. A huge sphere formed, causing Naruto's face to pale.

In the next moment, the sphere made of ants collapsed, and the countless ants retreated into the cracks, leaving not even a trace of the pill behind.

The entire pavilion was void of ants from that point onwards. The ants came and left just as fast. The sentries didn't feel comfortable about that ant invasion, but seeing that nothing was damaged or lost, they didn't give it much thought, and didn't report it either.

After all, only Naruto witnessed the ants' insanity. To others, it was just a great number of ants passing by.

Naruto picked up the pill he was refining, his thoughts still filled with ants. There didn't seem to be a problem, until he realized he was way too attentive toward the details. He wanted not just success, but utter perfection.

"Could it be that the pill I refined is suitable for ants?" Shaking his head, Naruto couldn't help but feel proud from the fact that he could make pills not only for humans, but even for ants.

Upon leaving the room, he saw other disciples who were just leaving as well. The surrounding rooms were full of whispers and moaning, which was partly Naruto's fault, so he left in a haste.

A few days later, after seeing that nothing about the ants was being discussed, Naruto went back to the pavilion, and exchanged his pills for contribution points. He picked another room and started refining once again.

This time, he started refining the Longevity Incense Stick.

Refining incense sticks and refining pills may sound similar, but the technique i

nvolved was very different. After all, one inhales from an incense stick, but pills were consumed..

With the experience from his last refinements, Naruto was much more careful and calm when he was refining the incense stick. After two months, he had finished seven.

He left with satisfaction, taking the seven Longevity Incense Sticks with him. In his wooden cabin, the three successive refinements resulted in a deep purple hue on the incense sticks. The patterns on the sticks dulled, but they were still standing out. These incense sticks were on a completely different level compared to before.

Naruto was deep in thought as he held the sticks in his hand. He was different now. His knowledge of spirit medicines had vastly expanded, and as he refined them, it increased even further. He knew that any medicine that came out after refinement had impurities inside them. The impurities weren't supposed to be consumed, but they were extremely difficult to separate from the medicine. But nonetheless, if impurities entered the body, they would build up and coagulate into toxicity referred to as medicine toxicity.

This was also the reason why many of the sect elders were unwilling to let the disciples consume pills. The underlying problems, theoretically, shouldn't be too serious as a certain amount of the medicine toxicity would be expelled from the body over time. However, if the medicine pills were consumed more than necessary, the medicine toxicity would naturally increase. By letting it gradually build up, it would hinder future cultivation.

Thus, based on the amount of impurities, medicine was classified into six levels.

"Low, medium, high, fine, great and supreme…" Naruto looked at the incense sticks in his palm while mumbling. If the impurity level of the medicine was ninety percent: it was poison. Unless forced to do so, no one would consume it.

If it was eighty percent, it would be classified as a low quality medicine. This was the most common type. Sixty percent would be a medium quality medicine, which was uncommon these days, and was only crafted by true Medicine Masters.

As for those with a forty percent impurity level, they were high quality medicines. Rare. The ones with only twenty percent impurity level were fine medicines, and those with ten percent were known as great medicines which could only be seen in large scale auctions every once in a while.

The supreme medicine that had zero impurities only existed in legends.

Naruto stared at the incense sticks. When he was refining medicine last time, he didn't understand anything. Now, as he inspected the incense sticks with heightened attentiveness, he immediately discovered that refining medicine with the turtle-shell pot was about changing the quality rather than improving it the way he strengthened the power of his equipment.

And the incense sticks in his hand had only forty percent impurities. It was a fine medicine.

This discovery excited Naruto. He headed to the Purple Cauldron Mountain, not for Zhang Fatso One, but for the South Bank of the Spirit River Sect, towards the Spirit Refinement Hall only found on the Purple Cauldron Mountain.

The disciples could pay contribution points for the elders of the Spirit Refinement Hall to help with their refinements. The success rate wasn't too high, but nevertheless, many disciples still came.

Naruto looked around as he entered the Refinement Hall and did some research. He confirmed that it was possible to learn how to remove impurities from refined medicine.

Returning back to the Scented Cloud Mountain, Naruto looked happily at the results of his work in his hands. He lit one of the incense sticks and sniffed, feeling a sense of satisfaction one would have after finishing a lavish meal. The scent entered his body wave after wave, filling him with warmth. If life was a ball of fire, then at this moment, this fire had firewood thrown inside, blazing it.

Sniffing the incense stick and cultivating the Unending Longevity Technique, things were going well. As soon as he felt hunger from cultivating, he would take a deep breath to abate it.

Seven of these incense sticks supported his cultivation for half a month, until he felt that his impenetrable iron skin had obviously toughened, and his body had become indisputably stronger.

The success rate in refining these Longevity Incense Sticks rose under his care, from seventy percent success rate to eighty, ninety, and in the end, one hundred.

But Naruto still felt dissatisfied. He had a perfect success rate, but the medicines he created were still only low quality medicines.

But this sort of thing was hard to improve in the short term. All he could do was use refinement to remove impurities and sniff an incense stick from time to time. It made him incomparably happy.

His Unending Longevity Technique improved day by day along with his cultivation, reaching the peak of the sixth level Qi Condensation.

As for the Unending Longevity Technique that was improving the fastest, only a bit more was left before he could reach the peak of the Impenetrable Iron Skin. The hardness of his skin had vastly improved, and his two fingers now had a much darker colour when he casted his Throat Crushing Grasp.

But the effects of the incense sticks wore off. In the end, there was almost no effect from sniffing them. Naruto sighed. He understood that his body had gotten used to the incense sticks after using them too much.

He wanted to continue training, but he needed a replacement for the incense sticks. This type of medicine was controlled strictly, and wasn't sold in the city square. The only way he could get them was to pass the promotional examination and exchange contribution points for them afterwards.

Or he could go to an even larger city. However, those city squares were a long way from the sect. After careful consideration, Naruto made a decision.

"Onwards to the promotional exams!"

He thought that with his experience in refinement, and his knowledge about herbs, passing shouldn't be very difficult. However, to be safe, Naruto purchased more recipes and practiced all of them. He signed up for the examination after feeling sufficient confidence.

This type of promotional examination was not open for only a single person. After enough people had signed up, the promotional examination's preparations would begin. After he had waited for a month, Naruto was pondering a question regarding the refinement of Spirit Medicines when his identity plate vibrated in his pouch. Taking it out, an elderly voice rang inside his head.

"Tomorrow, at dawn, at the Medicine Master's Temple, the promotional examination will commence."

Regular Chapter 1/4 of the week. Schedule has been changed to 4 guaranteed chapters a week and up to two sponsored chapters a week.

Translated by: Marcus

TLCed by: Nat Nat

Edited by: Arch, Crimsonguard

Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Chapter 42 - Promotional Examination!

The Medicine Master's Pavilion, which was located south of the Scented Cloud Mountain, was surrounded by the thick foliage of green trees. A small, winding trail, filled with limestones, lead to the main path on the Scented Cloud Mountain. Except for the times when a promotional examination was being held, the Medicine Master's Pavilion was usually devoid of people.

Other than those participating in the promotional examination, most of the attendees were either their friends or those that wanted to participate in the examination but were not confident of their abilities and were therefore hoping to gain experience from observing the participants.

From afar, the Medicine Master's Pavilion looked very similar to a person seated cross-legged in meditation, and there was even a huge pill furnace in front it. The underside of the furnace was hollow and a large hole was dug through the furnace for people to access the public arena of the pavilion.

There were 20 identical pill furnaces that were placed in the public arena, and in each of the furnaces, there was a bag that contained the ingredients required for medicine refinement.

At the crack of dawn, Naruto had already arrived at the public arena because he had been worried that he might get lost again. However, upon reaching his destination, he realised that there were numerous people that had already arrived before him. All of them were quietly having their own discussions in groups of twos and threes, and a few others that were more reclusive were mediating while sitting crosslegged.

Naruto was clearly not keen to just meaninglessly wait for the promotion examination to begin. He took a quick glance at the crowd and unexpectedly saw Xu Baocai who noticed him as well. He quickly cupped his fist in the other hand, greeting Naruto, and the two of them made some small talk, most of which were news about sect disciples that Xu Baocai had found out recently.

"Senior Uzumaki , have you heard? Chen Fei and two of his men encountered unknown enemies when they were away six months ago, and they were beaten up so badly by their enemies that they are still recovering from their injuries even now. For some unknown reasons, the three of them unexpectedly insisted on not revealing who were the culprits." Xu Baocai said while he sized up Naruto.

Naruto chuckled and just when he was about to brag, the crowd suddenly got noisier. He had a gut feeling that he was being watched, so he quickly turned his head to the side and saw a lady on a narrow road approaching him in big strides.

That lady was wearing the long robes of the Outer Sect but they were unable to conceal the enchanting figure underneath. Her waist was as thin as a willow and the alluring curves outlined by her robe made her a beauty incomparable to others, especially her long, slender legs. As she drew nearer to Naruto, the crowd was increasingly anxious while waiting.

The lady's appearance was even more alluring than just that; she had a snow white skin, as delicate as glass. From head to toe, she was absolutely perfect, and her irresistable charm had caused all the disciples to fall head over heels for her.

The crowd was bewitched by the lady to the point Naruto even heard the people around him swallowing their saliva when they looked at her, especially Xu Baocai. Seeing him like this, Naruto held him in contempt.

"It's Senior Sister Du Lingfei… One of the five great beauties from the South Bank... She is the goddess in my heart… Oh! She is looking at me now!" Xu Baocai licked his lips, his eyes revealing his infatuation for her. He spoke softly as he suddenly grew excited.

"She is looking at me!" Uzumaki Xia

ochun said to Xu Baocai with disdain.

As Du Lingfei approached them, she glared at Naruto, her eyes evidently filled with anger. Even though she was convinced of Naruto's mastery in herbs and plants, she still had an unspeakable hatred for him as a person. Du Lingfei snorted softly and moved to the other side of the road.

Xu Baocai's eyes remained locked on Du Lingfei, and in his muddled mind, he ignored Naruto's look of disdain. He was more obsessed about Du Lingfei than ever.

"Du Lingfei must also be here for the promotional examination…." Naruto thought to himself as he glanced at the twenty pill furnaces on the public arena, settling his heart.

"It's alright, I'm not competing with her for the first place anyway. This time around, it's a promotional examination and anyone skilled enough can pass and be promoted."

Not long after, Chen Zi'ang appeared too. When he noticed Naruto, he hesitated for a moment before greeting him with a smile, whom also returned the greeting to Chen Zi'ang, and then sat crosslegged at a side to await for the start of the promotional examination.

Zhao Yiduo, the disciple Naruto met at the Mission Exchange Pavilion, was also there at the public arena. Gradually, the crowd got bigger as more people arrived for the promotional examination.

Soon after, the main gate of the Medicine Master's Pavilion creaked open and a white-haired elder walked out of the gate. He had a profound look in his eyes and the crowd fell silent the moment they saw him.

He appeared expressionless as he clasped both of his hands behind his back. He slowly walked toward the arena and sluggishly scanned the crowd before nodding his head and speaking in an unhurried manner.

"My surname is Xu, the host of this Spirit Child to Medicine Apprentice promotional examination."

"There are two components to this examination, namely, the herbs and plants test and medicine refinement." Elder Xu seemed to be reluctant to say more and shut his eyes, ignoring everyone else after his short speech.

At the beginning, there was nobody that went up the public arena. A short moment later, a young lad with an ordinary appearance came out of the crowd. He greeted Elder Xu from afar before heading straight to the arch that was shaped like a pill furnace.

Right when he neared the arch, there was a flash of light that shrouded him before quickly fading away. The pill furnace shook violently and five notes sounded.

"Those five notes means that the young lad has attained the fifth volume of herbs and plants mastery…" Xu Baocai, being a knowledgeable person, told Naruto softly.

Naruto was a little taken aback because before he arrived here, he was unaware that the promotional examination would be conducted this way. After he heard what Xu Baocai had said, he curiously measured the size of the pill furnace that was made of stone. He had a gut feeling that those pill furnaces were somewhat related to the stone steles in the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion.

"What should I do…. that bunch of Kurenai admirers are looking for me…" Naruto was a little hesitant.

Participants went towards the arch in quick succession and all of them revealed the attainment of the fifth volume of herbs. However, when one of the participant approached it, only four notes were heard. Elder Xu florished his sleeves and told the disciple to immediately leave.

"Elder Xu, weren't participants only required an attainment of the fourth volume of herbs to enter the promotional examination in the past?" the rejected discipline's expression changed and anxiously asked.

"The rules have changed, only those who have attained the fifth volume may enter."

"This…" The young disciple was stunned for a moment. He had a bitter look in his eyes as he bade farewell to Elder Xu. He quietly left as he dared not say more.

Everyone in the crowd focused their attention on the incident and many started whispering about it. Xu Baocai was also flabbergasted and he quickly took out a notebook to record the new rule. Naruto took a peek at the notebook and realised that all the thickly dotted words in it were records of every major and minor news in the sect. Naruto had some admiration for Xu Baocai when he saw how serious he was about it.

At this moment, Zhao Yiduo stood up and walked toward the arch. There was a loud echo and six notes sounded out. Elder Xu widened his eyes and nodded his head slightly. Zhao Yiduo cupped his hands together to bid Elder Xu farewell and left the arch.

Chen Zi'ang eyes brightly shone; he had always been on bad terms with Zhao Yiduo. At this instance, he scoffed and took big strides towards arch. After a rumble, six notes were heard as well.

Chen Zi'ang gave a 'tit for tat' look at Zhao Yiduo and went to sit crosslegged beside the pill furnace.

One after another, people in the crowd turned green with envy after learning that Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Yiduo had both attained mastery over the sixth volume of herbs. At the same time, Du Lingfei's eyes lit up and walked towards the arch. After another rumble, echoes of six notes were heard as well. Onlookers in the crowd got even more envious.

"The trio of Chen Zi'ang, Zhao Yiduo and Du Lingfei from the Outer Sect are outstanding talents of our generation. Not only have they fully mastered the fifth volume of herbs and plants, they have also fully grasped the first volume of spirit beasts mastery. For this promotional examination, there is almost a seventy to eighty percent chance for them to become a Medicine Apprentices."

"In the past, for participants who had appeared on the sixth stone stele for spirit beasts, so long as they did not perform too poorly in the medicine refinement, they would most likely succeed in their promotion."

While the crowd was discussing, Uzumaki Xiaochu clenched his teeth as he chose to ignore the bunch of Kurenai admirers. Right before he made his way toward the arch, suddenly, a silhouette appeared in the distance. Within a blink of an eye, it reached the public arena. The silhouette was that of a young lad who had very messy hair, but his eyes were bright and lively.

"I, Han Jianye, have kept myself in seclusion for seven years and I have finally acomplished mastery over herbs and plants. Now that I have come out of seclusion, not only do I intend to be promoted to a medicine apprentice, I intend to be the first medicine apprentice in this examination!" he said proudly. In a flash, he abruptly rushed straight toward the arch.

Elder Xu did not take notice of him and kept his eyes closed as usual, however, one by one, the people in the surrounding were astonished when they heard Han Jianye's name.

"Who is Han Jianye? I have never heard of his name."

"Based on his age, he should be an outer sect disciple from seven to eight years ago… his wish to become the first medicine apprentice is too difficult to achieve."

When the crowd was still restless, Han Jianye walked towards the arch. He had a proud expression and was full of confidence as he stepped into the arch. At the instance he stepped into the arch, there was a sudden rumble and another set of notes echoed.

One, two…, five, six, seven… Before the crowd could even react, an eighth note echoed from the pill furnace.

Elder Xu's eyes opened in a flash. When he looked at the young lad, he showed a smile, and in his eyes, there was a look of praise directed at Han Jianye.

"Fifth volume of herbs and plants, third volume of spirit beasts. Not bad!"

Han Jianye was elated. He cupped his fist to bid farewell to Elder Xu and turned his body to take a glance at Du Lingfei and the others. He was full of himself, and after flourishing his sleeves, he chose to seat crosslegged beside the most central pill furnace.

At this moment, one after another, everyone in the crowd inhaled deeply and exclaimed in surprise.

"Only when a person has fully mastered herbs and plants and has attained mastery of the third volume of spirit beasts will eight notes sound out!"

"Now it does not seem as impossible as when Han Jianye said he wanted to be the first medicine apprentice in this examination!"

Naruto felt indifferent from what he saw, but he found it strange when he saw how surprised the crowd was.

"Isn't it just the third volume of spirit beasts, why are these people making such a big fuss out of it?" Naruto, being shocked, asked Xu Baocai. He recalled there were thousands of people that had attained mastery of the third volume of spirit beast stone steles, and even if it was the number ten stone steles, there were already hundreds of people that have surpassed it.

Xu Baocai rolled his eyes, deep down in his heart, he despised Uzumaki

Naruto but dared not to reveal it to him in person. Xu Baocai coughed dryly and began talking.

"Senior Uzumaki , you don't understand. It is difficult to attain mastery of the fifth volume of herbs and plants and to achieve the same for spirit beasts is even more difficult. If one achieved the sixth volume, people would be envious of that achievement; to have reached the eighth volume will naturally lead to people being surprised and awed. Do you think everyone is as exceptionally talented as Kurenai and that Little Turtle? Let's not even talk about them; out of the thousands of disciples in Scented Cloud Mountain, there are less than fifty who have attained mastery of the fifth volume herbs and spirit beasts!"

"Of the fifty, all of them are dragons among men. If you take a look at those stone steles in the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion, even though there are many names on it, in reality, in that thousand-year-old name list, there are quite a few names of cultivators that are already Inner Sect disciples. What is left on the steles is the rank they attained during their youth!"

"In addition, for this kind of promotional examination, it only requires a person to produce the fifth note, but there is someone that joined the examination only after he was able to produce the eighth note. It is evident that he wants to be the number one medicine apprentice and earn five thousand contribution points." Xu Baocai finished his sentence with a scornful tone that was belittling Naruto. However, Naruto was not concerned about it at all, instead, he looked elated at Xu Baocai and asked.

"Just now you mentioned that Kurenai and the Little Turtle are exceptional talents. Are they really that formidable?"

"Of course, especially the Little Turtle who really surprised people. He is the first in a thousand years to be ranked first on all ten stone steles. Senior Uzumaki , please allow me to advise you to not bite off more than what you can chew." Deep inside his heart, Xu Baocai despised Naruto even more. Right after Xu Baocai finished speaking, Naruto laughed. The more he looked at Xu Baocai, the more he felt that this Xu Baocai looked even more pleasing to the eyes. He patted Xu Baocai's shoulders and walked away.

Xu Baocai stared blankly at Naruto as he saw him walk towards the arch. He was only slightly flabbergasted because he recalled that Naruto was a reputable figure in herbs and plants, and after defeating Du Lingfei, joining this promotional examination was reasonable.

A brief moment later, both of Xu Baocai's eyes widened when he saw a brilliant ray of light, followed by thunderous sounds that reverberated throughout the surroundings when Naruto entered the arch with big strides

One, two, three… six, seven, and eight!

The surroundings fell completely silent but the thunderous sound did not stop as it continued to sound the ninth note until… the tenth note!

Boom!

At the second the tenth note was heard, Elder Xu's eyes suddenly opened widely, revealing an unprecedented look; he locked his eyes onto Naruto. Even Elder Xu himself was astonished by Naruto's talent.

Out of thousands of disciples on the Scented Cloud Mountain, there were not many that had attained fifth volume in both herbs and plants mastery and spirit beast mastery, and those disciples had joined the promotional examination long ago. For someone to have the patience to join the examination only after attaining mastery of the tenth volume of herbs and plants as well as spirit beasts, Elder Xu had not seen anyone do it before, not until today.

Even Kurenai joined the promotional examination when she reached the ninth stone stele.

Du Lingfei widened her eyes and stared blankly at Naruto. She knew that Naruto's mastery in herbs and plants was better than hers, but she had never imagined Naruto's skills to be so superior to hers, to the point where he had complete mastery of herbs and plants and spirit beast to everyone's shock.

There was a buzz in her head and she fell into a daze as images of the past floated in her mind. She recalled the time when she had a minor competition against Naruto, she willingly suggested to compete in herbs and plants. Naruto was prudent and asked of Du Lingfei's ranking with an apprehensive look on his face. When he agreed to the competition, he had an anxious look on his face.

" UZUMAKI , XIAO, CHUN!" Du Lingfei furiously clenched her teeth. At this moment, she finally understood that during that time, Naruto was probably laughing at her from the bottom of his heart.

Both Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Yiduo also took a deep breath, and when they turned their gaze toward Naruto, they were stunned and stood there, expressionless.

As for Han Jianye who had went into seclusion for years, his body trembled and he menacingly glared at Naruto. There was a huge buzz in his mind and he already classified Naruto as the biggest enemy in his lifetime.

"The importance of this medicine apprentice promotional examination lies in medicine refinement. Even though Naruto is strong, I don't believe he can compete with me in medicine refinement! I have been in seclusion for seven years just to be the number one in this examination!"

Meanwhile, the observing outer sect disciples inhaled deeply. The cries of surprise and even alarm from the crowd were even louder than before, to the point where some even lost their voice.

"It's actually… ten notes. Doesn't that mean that he has already attained mastery of the fifth volume of spirit beasts in the Ten Thousand

Medicine Pavilion? Among all the outer sect disciples in Scented Cloud

Mountain, there are less than fifty that can achieve that!"

"This guy is too good at restraining himself. He actually joined the promotional examination only after he passed the tenth stone steles in the Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion!"

Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Chapter 43 - Very Slow… Very Slow...

"It cannot be… He is the Little Turtle!" Everyone was in an uproar.

Compared to everyone else, the person who was shocked the most was Xu Baocai. He looked dumbstruck at Naruto. His eyeballs felt as if they were going to pop out of their sockets. He had just scorned Naruto in his heart for not taking the third volume of the spirit beasts seriously, but looking back, Naruto didn't really need to take it seriously…

"Mastery of herbs, mastery of spirit beasts… By being here, Naruto is clearly ridiculing me now! However, this is too unbelievable, he has only been in the sect for a few years… He couldn't possibly be the Little Turtle?" Xu Baocai took a deep breath. He quickly retrieved the small notebook and recorded everything. Deep down in his heart, he was thankful that his resentment towards the other party had already dissipated, and that the scorn in his voice wasn't too obvious.

While everyone was still shocked, Naruto stepped away from the arch with a sigh. In reality, if there was no need to reveal his attainments in the ten herb and spirit beast steles, he wouldn't have exposed them either. After all, among Kurenai's admirers, there are inner sect disciples as well.

But he didn't have a choice today. He couldn't let such reasons stop him from being promoted. Although he was annoyed, seeing everyone's expressions and hearing their voices, Naruto couldn't help but feel touched.

"They really are a good bunch of fellow sect disciples. If everyone was like this, how nice would that be!" That was how Naruto felt as he walked away from the arch. Under everyone's gaze, he chose a pill furnace and sat down.

Elder Xu glanced thoughtfully at Naruto, the corner of his lips giving away a hint of a smile which quickly disappeared. Calming down once again, he lightly spoke.

"There are ten herbs in the bags in front of you. The Grade One medicine which is to be refined ten times is the Black Incense!"

"Using the success rate as the basis for the assessment, two successes and you qualify. To the candidate who refines the most… The reward is five thousand contribution points. Begin."

As soon as Elder Xu's words reached them, the outer sect disciples observing the assessment were shocked.

"The assessment this time is actually Black Incense!"

"Even though this Black Incense is not the most difficult herb to refine amongst those in the first grade, the level of difficulty is not to be underestimated….. It is not like the Dried Incense that a lot of Spirit Children have practiced beforehand."

"Humph, even a better way to test a person's herb refining abilities. Have all of you failed to notice that the previously required fourth volume of herbs has already turned into the fifth volume? And now the increase in the level of difficulty for the medicine shows the examination's difficulty will only increase more in the future."

While everyone was whispering among themselves, the participants, who were sitting in front of their pill furnaces, were awaiting their assessment with composed expressions. Although many felt like crying in their hearts when they heard 'Black Incense', they did not have the luxury to be distracted. All of them quickly opened the bags and inspected the herbs.

Despite having heard of the five thousand contribution points reward from Xu Baocai, after hearing Elder Xu's words, Naruto felt his heart racing. He did not have many contribution points left and regardless of whether it was

to purchase medicine recipes or to purchase herbs itself, it all required contribution points.

"If I can obtain the five thousand contribution points, it will save me a lot of work. I won't need to think of ways to earn more for a while." As Naruto's thoughts reached this point, he opened the bag in front of him. Besides the ten sets of herbs inside, there was also a jade piece. Pinching it in his hands, it turned out to be the medicine recipe for the Black Incense.

Naruto did not immediately start refining the herbs. He concentrated, attentively examining the medicine recipe.

He inspected it very slowly. This was related to his habit of refining herbs. Even if it was just a minuscule problem, he felt the need to overcome it first in order to feel prepared.

This inspection took him an hour.

In this hour, Du Lingfei and the others had already completed their inspections of the herbs and had started refining them. In fact, they acted so fast that the first half of the sets had already been refined.

Looking at the whole arena, with the exception of Naruto, the rest were all already refining their herbs. It was only Naruto who was still inspecting the jade piece in his hands. This strange scene surprised the observing outer sect disciples, including Xu Baocai.

It was at this time that bursts of muffled rumbles rang out, showing the results of the first batches of medicine. Besides Naruto, the eighteen other participants also fell silent. Black smoke emerged from within their pill furnaces. Their first batch had failed.

Only Han Jianye threw his head back and laughed. When his pill furnace rumbled, rich medicinal aroma wafted in the air and at the bottom of the pill furnace, a piece of Black Incense the size of three cun appeared.

(ED note: one cun is aproximately equal to 3.5cm)

The observing outer sect disciples immediately looked in his direction.

"The very first batch is successful!"

"This Han Jianye is adept in refining herbs!"

Han Jianye's face showed his delight as his proud gaze swept the other candidates, especially Naruto. Realising that Naruto was actually still examining the medicine recipes, his eyes revealed disdain. Lowering his gaze, he took out the second set of herbs and started refining once again.

Du Lingfei and the others had disgruntled expressions on their faces.

They all gritted their teeth and began refining once again as well.

Time passed and when the second hour ended, everyone's second batch of medicine was completed one after the other. Dull rumbling sounds rang out once again. This time… not a single person had succeeded. Everyone failed.

It was at this point that Naruto finally put down the jade piece. He had completely memorised the medicine recipe of this Black Incense. But just when everyone thought that he was going to start refining the herbs, they looked at Naruto with shock when he took out one of the herbs and began scrutinizing again. He had a serious expression as he focused intensely.

"What is this Naruto doing? He examined the medicine recipe for two hours. What more can he learn from this herb?"

"Even if it is an inspection, surely it shouldn't be this slow…"

Xu Baocai's eyes widened. He too felt incredulous seeing that the others were already on their third batch.

While everyone was wondering about that, the third hour arrived. This time, all of the eighteen participants failed once again. This followed in the fourth hour before finally in the fifth hour, there were four people that successfully refined the Black Incense. Du Lingfei, Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Yiduo were among those successful in refining their first piece of Black Incense.

Followed by a drifting aroma, Han Jianye's proud smile appeared. He was the first to refine a second Black Incense stick. Looking at his surroundings, his expression became increasingly prideful while his contempt for Naruto similarly intensified.

Meanwhile, Naruto was currently studying the fourth type of herb.

He even cut one open to inspect it. Not only were the observers finding

it increasingly surprising, even Elder Xu couldn't help but throw a couple more glances in his direction.

Time flew by and soon the sixth hour arrived. Everyone failed their sixth batch of medicine, except for Han Jianye's sole success.

At this moment, an uproar rose among the observing crowd. Even Elder Xu slightly nodded.

"This Han Jianye has already refined three batches while the others have only done one!"

"In previous assessments, two successful refinements were enough to qualify, four successful refinements would mean he's a genius. Han Jianye has a couple more attempts, if he succeeds in refining another stick, he would be crowned as a genius."

While everyone was busy discussing, Han Jianye's eyes revealed a surging confidence as he mumbled softly to himself.

"I will definitely be able to refine the fourth piece of Black Incense and be known as a genius, obtaining first place in the process!" He flourished his long sleeve in high spirits, beginning the seventh batch.

Du Lingfei had an ashen look on her face, viciously clenching her teeth. Following Han Jianye, she and the others began their seventh batches as well.

When the seventh hour ended, happiness was revealed in Du Lingfei's eyes. Inside the pill furnace in front of her, a medicinal aroma flowed. It was mixed with the black fog formed by the surrounding participants' residue. She was actually the only one who had succeeded with this seventh batch.

"I passed, I can now be promoted, but just passing is not enough!" Du Lingfei controlled her excitement by taking a deep breath, then she started the refining process once again under Han Jianye's cold expression.

The eighth hour passed swiftly and this time, a thunderous rumble sounded out, once again … everyone had failed.

At this point, among the nineteen candidates participating in the promotional examination, Han Jianye had succeeded thrice, Du Lingfei had succeeded twice and both Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Yiduo had succeeded once. As for the others… they had not succeeded even once.

On Naruto's end, he was now starting to examine the last type of herb.

"The assessment this time is just too difficult…"

The observing outer sect disciples could also feel the tension in the air. There were enough materials for only two more sets in front of most of the candidates. Other than Du Lingfei and Han Jianye that were sure to pass, if Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Yiduo succeed in none of the two remaining attempts, then they would fail the assessment today.

Compared to the four of them, the other ten or so candidates were even more bitter and distressed. This was because they only had one chance left. If they failed a ninth time, there was no need to go through the tenth try. Elder Xu would also prevent them from wasting the herbs in such a manner.

If they failed their ninth batch, their assessment too would have… failed!

Amids everyone's nervousness and uncertainty, all of them focused their full attention and began the ninth batch… Regardless of who it was, everyone was extremely focused. Those who had qualified hoped to obtain a better result, those who did not qualify were giving their last push.

Only Naruto… sat there holding his last type of herb, as if he had come across a difficult problem, furrowing his brows while deep in thought. His presence… had already been completely forgotten by the others.

This ninth hour seemed to pass very slowly. While everyone was waiting, a rumble echoed out as soon as the the ninth hour ended. It came from a disciple that had failed to succeed from start till end. His expression turned ashen in an instant. Laughing miserably, he stood up, paid his respects to Elder Xu and left dispiritedly.

Everyone turned silent. Slowly, continuous rumbles echoed, and one by one, disciples silently got up and left the arena. In the end, the ones left in the arena were only the six people who were still refining at their pill furnaces.

Not long after, another thunderous rumble rang from the pill furnace of those six. Only one pill furnace had the medicinal aroma and it belonged to Zhao Yiduo.

Zhao Yiduo firmly clenched his fist while breathing unevenly. Both his eyes were red as his heart was filled with excitement. He had finally completed the requirement of the assessment. He had succeeded twice and qualified!

Some participants were joyous and some were in despair. Among the five that failed, two disciples that hadn't succeeded yet laughed miserably. Sighing softly, they also stood up and left the arena.

Chen Zi'ang felt as if his whole being was on fire. He stared squarely at Zhao Yiduo, breathing rapidly with a feeling of bitterness in his heart. Retrieving his gaze, his eyes already red when he looked at the last set of herbs in front of him.

Du Lingfei furrowed her brow, closing her eyes to think. The pressure on Han Jianye was the least, however, he was not content to succeed in refining the medicine only three times. He wanted to break into the realm of geniuses.

"The last batch!" Everyone sucked in their breath, looking at the scene in the arena. Only five people were able to remain in the arena. Han Jianye, Du Lingfei, Zhao Yiduo, Chen Zi'ang and… Naruto.

The former three had already qualified. Chen Zi'ang had only one chance left. As for Naruto… Everyone glanced at him once and forgot about him once again. They even started to suspect Naruto's appearance here. He had used nine hours to examine the medicinal recipe and herbs themselves, even though the end result was yet to be seen. Could it be possible that he came just to see what the fuss was all about?

With unprecedented seriousness, Du Lingfei and her company of three started refining their tenth batch of medicine. Under everyone's attention, the tenth hour slowly passed.

"Hong!" Black smoke rose from the pill furnace in front of Zhao Yiduo. He sighed. Even though he failed, it did not matter as he had already passed.

In the instant that Zhao Yiduo failed, a medicinal aroma rose from the pill furnace in front of Chen Zi'ang. But it was not only from his direction. The medicinal aroma also drifted from Du Lingfei's pill furnace and even Han Jianye's pill furnace!

The medicinal aroma quickly spread around. The expressions of those three revealed immense joy. All of them had succeeded!

"I succeeded! The fourth piece of Black Incense! I am first!" Han Jianye stood up abruptly. His laughter contained his excitement which echoed in the surroundings. Du Lingfei also sighed. Although she did not achieve the status of a genius, succeeding three times was already impressive.

Chen Zi'ang felt as he had come to life, laughing heartily.

At this moment, after suppressing themselves for an hour, everyone broke out with cheers.

"The assessment this time was too difficult. With this level of difficulty, that Han Jianye still succeeded four times. He is indeed worthy of being titled a genius!"

"Du Lingfei thrice, Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Yiduo both twice… They both fulfilled the conditions for the promotion. If not for the increase in the level of difficulty this time, I reckon that these three would have also achieved four successful refinements."

Some people were talking to each other, while those who called themselves friends of Du Lingfei and company cheered for them from the sidelines. Elder Xu nodded, especially when he looked towards Han Jianye, his eyes shone with approval. But just when he was about to announce the results, suddenly, Naruto moved.

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Chapter 44 - It's Dawn Already

Naruto had finally finished inspecting the last type of herb and had solved the final and hardest question, paying no heed to the cheers around him. He was utterly immersed, having lost himself in inspecting the medicinal recipe and the herbs from the very moment he picked up the jade piece.

Other than the thunderous rumbles, none of the surrounding disruptions had managed to break his concentration. He paid no attention to those who finished their refinement either, ignoring everyone around him.

His focus had attracted the attention of the surrounding people, Xu Baocai included. All of them looked at him oddly, sensing a different air about him, as if his perception of time was different compared to everyone else.

"This Naruto is way too slow. He has just been staring while the others have already finished - I think that concludes the test?"

"Hmm? I don't recall hearing there's a time limit for the exam takers…" Everyone blinked, searching for the one who had spoken that last sentence amidst the crowd's discussions. It was Elder Xu.

And he was right. The promotional examinations did not have a time limit. And so, he stood there, observing Naruto.

Han Jianye felt no pressure as he smiled coldly, his eyes darting from one test taker to the next. He had seen Naruto as a strong opponent, but currently, he found it difficult to think that Naruto could surpass him.

Du Lingfei frowned, she found Naruto extremely irritating no matter how she looked at him.

Naruto worked fast, his eyes shining, leaving the whole world in the background, the only thing left was him and the furnace in front of him. The shifting stalks of herbs in his hands turned into either liquid or powder, all of them falling into the furnace. He pointed at the furnace with a finger from his right hand, and it lit up.

An hour passed by and a thick aroma of medicinal fragrance spread from the furnace. Naruto grabbed with his right hand as a four inch Black Incense stick appeared. Naruto frowned as he stared at the incense stick in his hand.

At this moment, the surrounding people focused their attention on him, Elder Xu included, his eyes with a hint of anticipation. But just when everyone was expecting him to start the second batch, they realized that the incense stick in his hand was under Naruto's inspection.

"What the hell is he doing?"

"Why would he continue to inspect a successful incense stick? He should be on the second batch after that!" everyone was shocked.

Naruto, at this moment, stared at the incense stick in his hand with great dissatisfaction. It was successful, yes, but in his estimation, it should have been seven inches.

"What went wrong?" Naruto mumbled as he tried to figure it out. Three hours passed.

Just when everyone had just about enough, Naruto's eyes brightened. He took out the herbs and started refining again, attracting the attention of the crowd once more.

An hour later, an even stronger fragrance spread from the furnace as a five inch Black Incense stick came out.

Du Lingfei, Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Yiduo were surprised. Han Jianye's eyes flashed, but kept his appearance calm as he panicked inside.

They weren't surprised because Naruto succeeded twice - they were surprised because it was two successful refinements in a row!

Suddenly, the third batch shook as an even thicker fragrance spread out. In the furnace, a six inch incense stick appeared.

"Three in a row, how is this… How is this possible?"

"How i

s he doing it... this Naruto? Was it possible that he has refined the Black Incense stick before?" The crowd was shocked - it was just unbelievable.

Du Lingfei was breathing hard, staring at Naruto with a death glare, waves of rage churning inside her. The others simply stood there, stunned.

"Three in a row… He must be very familiar with the Black Incense sticks and lucky as well… There is no doubt, the next one will not succeed." Han Jianye clenched his fist tightly, his eyes bloodshot.

Just as everyone was waiting for Naruto to get on with the fourth batch, he started staring at the six inch incense stick in his hand, his brows furrowed. He placed his hand under his chin and started thinking.

And five more hours passed.

If he had taken five hours to think at the first attempt, no one would have stayed to wait for him. But Naruto was now a man who had three successful attempts in a row. If the fourth one were to succeed as well, he'd be a man surpassing the others, one at the same level as Han Jianye. The curiosity burning within the crowd made them stay.

"Naruto is way too slow. It's just Grade One medicine, does he really need to think that long?!"

Du Lingfei and Han Jianye in particular stared at Naruto with more alertness than the others, and were very reluctant to leave.

Naruto's eyes suddenly lit up once more, beginning the fourth batch under everyone's stares.

An hour later, the resounding roar from the furnace was not one of failure, but one caused by the billowing aroma. In the blink of an eye, a fragrance even thicker and stronger than the preceding ones spread around the arena as a seven-inch-long Black Incense stick appeared.

The fourth batch was yet another success.

The crowd burst into an uproar.

"Four in a row!"

"Such an event… How could it be? How many times can Naruto succeed in a row?!"

"Twice is a passing grade, but four times… I remember Kurenai at the promotional exam last time, her record was seven!"

Du Lingfei was displeased. She knew that Naruto was better than her, but to see such a great difference exhibited right in front of her… She did not like it.

As for Han Jianye, he was already gnashing his teeth and clenching his fist even more, his entire body trembling. He could barely believe the scene right in front of him.

"Four times, that has to be the limit. No way can he keep that up!"

As the anticipation and excitement was at its peak, the crowd soon realized that Naruto was staring at the incense stick and thinking again.

"This fellow, he's inspecting it again!" The crowd could only feel helpless as they continued to watch Naruto. There was no way they'd leave now. They could only wish that Naruto would stop scrutinising for so long.

Time flew by and eight more hours had passed. Naruto took a deep breath, his eyes showed exhaustion. The spectators were unaware, but he knew perfectly well that he had almost failed the fourth refinement.

As for the discussions the people were having around him, he chose to continue ignoring them. When it came to refining, his determination was inconceivable. Regardless of what people said about him, he couldn't have easily succeeded without a firm view of his success.

After a while, he finally began the fifth batch, to the relief of the spectators straining their eyes to observe him.

Soon after, an explosion echoed out as a thick aroma billowed out, waking the crowd up.

It was a success once again.

Han Jianye just stood there, speechless. He felt deep bitterness, but no words could come out from his mouth.

Without having everyone wait this time, Naruto flourished his sleeve and proceeded to refine the sixth batch.

Not long after, another explosion echoed out and an even denser aroma wafted out, signaling that the sixth batch was a success.

His eyes shining, his hands continuously in motion, Naruto picked up another set of herbs and started refining the seventh batch. An unusual burnt smell was released, shocking Naruto. It was subtle, and only he was able to smell it.

He pinched with his right hand's fingers, lowering the temperature to correct it. The seventh batch - success!

The incense stick that was produced, however, was only three inches long, and was full of impurities, almost falling into the low quality category. Even so, it was still a success!

At this moment, everyone was wide awake and breathing heavily. Xu Baocai, especially, was even more shocked, his eyes full of disbelief.

"Seven in a row! Heavens… This Naruto... he succeeded seven times in a row!"

"The same as Kurenai! According to a legend, one guy from the Jade King Mountain succeeded eight times in a row, but he was already the best of the best, the absolute top of his generation!"

"As for nine times… Is that even possible? None have managed!"

The crowd was in an uproar. Naruto, on the other hand, thought silently, his eyes fixed on the furnace. He had already forgotten about the examination, all that was in his mind was the batch in front of him. He had almost failed, and after careful and lengthy thinking, he took out the herbs and inspected them once again, finally locating the reason.

"It's these spirit roots, this Black Spirit Fruit… All the basic black components have a slight difference in the roots." Naruto stared at the Black Spirit Fruit in his hand, thoroughly analyzing the fruit as he tried to create possible solutions.

Time passed by bit by bit, the people around him were fascinated with his absorbed thought and research, while smiling bitterly. They were excited, but Naruto's thought process were too long for them.

Unwilling to just leave after all that, the disciples crossed their legs and sat down, waiting for Naruto. Some, who were at their limits, even took a nap on some nearby boulders.

Elder Xu had an odd expression on his face. He coughed dryly and took a seat on the ground as well, his legs crossed.

Du Lingfei and Han Jianye refused to leave as well. Naturally, they were also tired, but they were forced to sit along with the others.

It was quiet. Some snores could be heard coming from the surrounding spectators. As for those who weren't snoring, they were still staring at Naruto. Xu Baocai was one of them.

Several hours later, some of the nappers woke up to see Naruto still thinking.

"He's still inspecting it?"

"It's dawn already…"

At long last, ten hours later, Naruto's bloodshot eyes opened as he lifted his head.

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Chapter 45 - Ain't That Hard To F*ck You Up

With his eyes bloodshot, only refinement existed in Naruto's mind. He paid no heed neither to the promotional examination's results, nor to how many times he had succeeded. At that moment, the only thing that mattered to him was how to ensure success for the next batch.

Unless he was absolutely certain, the furnace would never start.

After all, he had that meticulous personality, and its extremity was reflected in his refinements.

But at this moment, he felt that it was to no avail. Unless he condensed the black components from the Black Spirit Fruit, the problem wouldn't be resolved. If he did that, it would be a small adjustment, and it wouldn't be considered as changing the recipe. Having considered it for a moment, he settled on it.

"Looks like those small adjustments are the only way to go. I can't follow the recipe completely." said Naruto as he squeezed the fruit in his hand.

Under the pressure, the fruit was crushed as many droplets of its juice dropped down. They didn't land in the furnace, but remained suspended in mid-air. Naruto was controlling the concentration of the liquid, condensing the droplets together.

This did not impress the audience, nor did it impress Naruto. He used this method because of a personal preference for the stability it provided, that was all.

Elder Xu, however, did not view it the same way, in fact, his eyes were burning with shock. Compared to the seven successes in a row which had managed to only surprise the elder, this shock was much stronger.

"This kid, he's trying to adjust the recipe! It's no wonder I was asked to keep an eye on him!" Elder Xu thought.

A moment after, Naruto swung his fist hard, removing the excess black components, leaving only a small amount which was the size of a fingernail. Only after he threw it in the furnace did he finally take out the rest of the herb set. The eighth batch was then in progress.

The furnace was turning visibly red, and before an hour had passed, the furnace once again shook from the medicinal aroma exploding out. It was, once again, a success.

Elder Xu immediately focused his attention on the furnace. In the furnace, an incense stick ten inches long lay, it had a faint purple hue that could easily be distinguished from its black colour!

"It has almost reached the medium quality!" Elder Xu was astonished.

Naruto's eyes shone, he finally understood why the medicine he had refined before were all low quality.

"Recipes aren't set in stone… they have to be adjusted according to the person making the refinements, that's how you reach above medium quality!" Naruto felt enlightened, his body filling up with excitement. He then began the ninth batch before the crowd even had time to burst into an uproar.

No one spoke; they were all in shock. Naruto had succeeded eight times in a row, it was too much to take in.

Not only had Naruto surpassed Kurenai, he had reached the level of the legendary disciple from the Jade King Mountain!

Naruto's speed had increased. This time, it only took half an hour; this refinement only consumed the time it took for an incense stick to burn. Rumbles followed, and the ninth batch… was successful as well!

"Never before-!"

"Never before has anyone done that! And the fact that these are Black Incense sticks… Naruto did use an incredible amount of time for scrutiny and thinking, but his success rate broke all records!" Xu Baocai could only blink as he stared at Naruto. As

for Du Lingfei, she was suffering a headache.

Han Jianye, on the other hand, was actually relieved. He was bitter about the whole thing, but Naruto was simply on a another level. There was no point for him to compete with him. It was his loss.

"The last one… Will Senior Brother Uzumaki create history? Will he create a… miracle?"

"It's worth it! It doesn't matter how many days we wait for him! It's all worth it now!"

They were all on Naruto's side now, excitement filling them as they waited for Naruto to create history. Even Elder Xu stared at Naruto, not daring to turn away, the shock he felt was far stronger than the rest of the audience.

Soon after, Naruto started working again, his face filled with seriousness. He sorted out the components and ingredients, placing them into the furnace accordingly.

Time flowed by, the spectators were so silent that their heartbeats could be heard. One incense stick burned up, half an hour had passed.

As an explosion resounded, the furnace shook. No smoke of failure spread out, nor was an aroma exuded. At this moment, the tension was high.

"Did he fail?" Xu Baocai asked hoarsely.

Staring at the furnace, Naruto's eyes brightened up. He had some idea what would happen next.

Light shone from the furnace, gradually seeping through the cracks. Elder Xu walked toward the furnace where the audience had their eyes fixated. Within the furnace, there was an incense stick that was completely purple and one inch long. The elder's lips widened as he smiled.

"Medium quality!"

Elder Xu laughed, and flung his sleeve to the side.

"This examination has concluded! Naruto, Han Jianye, Du Lingfei, Chen Zi'ang, and Zhao Yiduo, you five have passed the promotional exam. Naruto… first place... and five thousand contribution points!"

The crowd roared, their cheers shook the ground.

"Ten in a row! Ten in a row!"

"That last refinement actually produced medium quality… Medium quality! And he's just a Medicine Apprentice! Unbelievable!"

Everyone still found it hard to believe and all of them were still in shock.

Naruto felt helpless. He didn't have the chance to look at his medium quality work before Elder Xu took it away. He wanted it for himself, but it didn't seem likely that something like that would happen.

Taking in a deep breath, he walked out of the plaza, exhausted. The people looked at him with respect and admiration. They knew that ten in a row would never be a coincidence, and it wasn't something an ordinary person could achieve.

"Congratulations to Senior Brother Uzumaki for making history!"

"Senior Brother Uzumaki , you have my admiration!"

"Senior Brother Uzumaki , there's something I want to learn about herbs, can you help a lady out…"

Naruto blinked. He was so focused on his refinement that he hadn't noticed what happened around him. It took him a moment to realise that he did something phenomenal, and the excitement and passion of the crowd touched him. He turned to the crowd and raised his fists.

He felt warm and happy. He never got to do anything big in front of ten thousand people like he wanted when revealing himself as the Little Turtle, but it had finally happened; it had now finally happened.

As for the Junior Sisters who requested help with their studies, he nodded without hesitation. He did not forget to remind the other Senior Brothers that his name was Naruto, worried that they might forget who he was.

Just as he was enjoying himself, he noticed a youth staring at him with a death glare. With a glance, he knew that it was one of Kurenai's admirers, so he hurriedly left because of the killing intent that youth displayed.

Naruto's head was spinning when he reached his wooden house. The days he spent on refining medicine took a great toll on his body, and he fell asleep right after collapsing on his bed.

His slumber lasted two whole days.

On the third afternoon, Naruto opened his eyes, the exhaustion and throbbing in his head swept away. He recalled his medium quality work and sighed. Elder Xu had taken it away. However, he still felt better when he checked the five thousand contribution points in his pocket.

With these contribution points, Naruto readied himself to continue his cultivation and refinements. He went to the sect and exchanged the points for eight recipes. Choosing one that replenished Qi, he also brought home a great amount of herbs.

The trip was fast, but it was unpleasant. He felt changing expressions as people looked at him, one of them being an admirer of Kurenai, who smiled icily, taking out a jade piece as if to inform other admirers.

Panicked, Naruto had went straight to the Refinement Pavilion instead of the courtyard after obtaining the herbs. With his remaining contribution points, he rented a room for a year's worth of time and rushed in.

"I was too careless this time… Just you wait, when I return my impenetrable skin will be way stronger. Any of you who dare to challenge me will get beaten to a pulp, and if you bring ten, well, I… I'll go to an elder for help!" Naruto ranted, and began refining, without leaving the room.

He knew perfectly well that during the two days he had spent asleep, the news about his success would spread to all corners of the Scented Cloud Mountain.

Actually, people inside the sect had already started suspecting him of being the Little Turtle!

It would be way too coincidental otherwise - the herbs used were all the culmination of what was available to them. Not to mention Naruto's final medium quality product and that he had even succeeded ten times in a row during the examination.

Kurenai's admirers became even more active, even Du Lingfei's admirers joined in. They, however, did not expect Naruto to be so cautious that he went to the pavilion instead of returning to his cabin. They were unhappy when they learned that Naruto had the room rented for an entire year.

They couldn't just charge in the Refinement Pavilion, after all. Naruto was also a disciple, they couldn't really do anything to him either. If they did beat him up, however, the sect wouldn't make a fuss should that happen, it would just mean that Naruto was weaker than them.

With no other methods available, they could only go home grudgingly. The only one left was a freckled youth who stared at the pavilion with a cold glare.

"Don't think I can't do anything to you just because you're hiding in the pavilion. You beat up my cousin Chen Fei, you bullied my dear Junior Sister Zhou… Even Junior Sister Hou, you took the girl I was interested in away from me! You have some talent, Naruto, but it ain't that hard for me to f*ck you up!" The youth laughed coldly. He was the inner sect disciple, Qian Dajin!

Naruto was without a worry in his room, refining medicine every day. Sometimes he'd cultivate. He improved as the days passed.

His skin grew harder, and his speed increased.

"Two more days and my impenetrable iron skin will be utterly complete!" Naruto took a deep breath, feeling pleased.

But on dusk that day, a ray of light shone from the Mission Exchange Pavilion, aimed straight at the pavilion, bypassing the security measures. It appeared in Naruto's room.

After a closer look, Naruto was stunned. It was a golden token.

Here's a bonus chapter for our dear readers. Enjoy!

Translated by: Marcus

Edited by: Arch, Crimsonguard

Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Chapter 46 - The Law Enforcement Agency's Mission!

(ED note: from this point onwards, "identity plate" will be replaced by "identity token")

The token of authority was painted pitch black, except for the word 'LAW' in the center which was exuding a faint chill.

While Naruto was frozen in shock, a cold voice suddenly sounded from within the token, echoing throughout the room.

"Outer sect disciple Naruto, according to the investigations of the Law Enforcement Agency, you have entered the sect years ago, but have only managed to complete a single Spirit Plant cultivation mission. You have breached the Sect rules and as such, you are to be conscripted in the outfield mission three days later, no delays will be entertained!"

The cold voice emitted an icy-cold aura, telling Naruto that if he dared to object, only the merciless punishment of the Law Enforcement Agency would await him!

"Law Enforcement Agency!" Naruto's eyes widened in shock, his heart felt as if it stopped for a moment. The token of authority transformed into a black streak and disappeared without a trace.

Silence fell as Naruto's expression changed. Taking out his own identity token, he realised that a mission he had to complete had appeared against his will.

He had indeed neglected the sect's requirement of completing at least one mission each year, however, no matter how much Naruto thought about it, the sudden appearance of the Law Enforcement Agency's token of authority made him feel that the entire matter was a bit fishy.

(ED note: I'm just as baffled as you are. chapter 16: "Every half a year outer sect disciples were required to complete at least one mission. Naruto would never forget this law." )

Pondering for a moment, Naruto walked out the room, left the

Medicine Refining Pavilion, and headed straight for the mountain peak.

"There's something not right about this matter, and why do I keep feeling a chill on my back…...I have been on this mountain for so many years and I have never been invited to meet the ancestor. This time, I have to find him and ask him clearly about this matter." Along the way, Naruto's heart was heavy with worries. However, after he reached the mountain peak and asked Toruho's assistant, he discovered the Toruho had left months ago and hadn't come back yet.

Naruto could only bitterly lament in his heart. With an uneasy feeling, he turned around and left. Naruto did not immediately go back to the Medicine Refining Pavilion, instead, he went to look for Xu Baocai. After all, the other party was akin to a walking encyclopedia, and Naruto was hoping to dig out some clues from him.

As an outer sect disciple of the Scented Cloud Mountain, Xu Baocai stayed in a courtyard on the other side of the mountain. As the sun was about to set and as the sky gradually darkened, Naruto sprinted towards Xu Baocai's courtyard; barely meeting anybody else on the way, he reached his destination in no time.

Xu Baocai's courtyard was not isolated and quiet like Naruto's, instead, it was squeezed together with seven-eight other courtyards. As night fell, one could see the faint candlelight shining from within these courtyards.

Naruto hung his head low and dashed into the house without knocking on the door. He immediately saw Xu Baocai hunched over, writing something in a notebook.

"Xu Baocai." Naruto said softly. The moment the words left his mouth, Xu Baocai jumped up in shock as he sharply lifted his head up. Only when Xu Baocai saw that it was Naruto did he r

egain his composure.

"Senior brother Uzumaki ." Xu Baocai greeted in surprise as he quickly stood up and invited Naruto into the room.

"Wasn't Senior brother Uzumaki in closed door training in the Medicine

Refining Pavilion, what brings you here?" Xu Baocai curiously asked.

"Xu Baocai, how much do you know about the Law Enforcement Agency?" Naruto immediately asked.

"The Law Enforcement Agency? It is split into the North and the South Department where they have the authority to supervise all outer sect disciples and handymen within their designated area. However, they would usually not show their faces unless someone has committed a grievous crime." Looking at Naruto's gloomy expression, Xu Baocai immediately felt that something was wrong and quickly answered the question.

"But once they appear, with their overwhelming authority, to forcefully make some arrangements is easy, towards those who betrayed the sect, they could even directly kill them. To put it simply, the Law Enforcement Agency is like a knife - a knife that hangs above the heads of the outer sect disciples, making every single one of them fearful of breaking the sect rules."

"And if one commits an offence and is targeted by the Law Enforcement Agency, even if one doesn't die, they would probably still lose a layer of their skin…"

"However, even though the Law Enforcement Agency possesses a considerable amount of authority, they are also bound by numerous restrictions. As long as one does not break any sect rules, then there is no need to pay attention to the Law Enforcement Agency." Xu Baocai explained in detail, giving Naruto every single piece of information he knew about the Law Enforcement Agency.

As he continued explaining further, Xu Baocai even told Naruto about the disciples who were being targeted by the Law Enforcement Agency before and their miserable endings.

"500 years ago, our Spirit River Sect had a defector who betrayed the sect. He was chased by the Law Enforcement Agency for seven days until he was finally killed, his body and soul destroyed!"

"300 years ago, an outer sect disciple committed a serious offence but the Law Enforcement Agency gave him another chance. However, he neither turned over a new leaf nor paid heed to any advice. In the end, the Law Enforcement Agency reported him to the Sect and punished him at the Black Wind Pass. Merciless winds tore through his body from day to night, and till this day. he is still carrying out his punishment."

"100 years ago, Zhou Shandao started a rebellion. The Law Enforcement Agency gave him a warning but he did not listen. They then went into action, killing Zhou Shandao and all the others except for the ordinary civilians, causing shockwaves to be sent throughout the Spirit River Sect."

The more Naruto listened, the uglier his expression became; his heart furiously pounded.

"So what you are saying is, the way the Law Enforcement Agency works is to first give a warning, and if the person does not repent, then a heavier punishment will be carried out?"

"Yup, this is one of the restrictions of the Law Enforcement Agency. Otherwise, wouldn't their authority be limitless." Xu Baocai took a glance at Naruto as he vaguely guessed in his heart that the other party must have been targeted by the Law Enforcement Agency. However, such matters were too sensitive, sharing this information was still acceptable, but to play it safe, Xu Baocai didn't dare to involve himself any further.

Up until the end, when Naruto was about to leave, Xu Baocai was in hesitation. Recalling Naruto's talent in the herbs and plants, he softly spoke to Naruto.

"Senior brother Uzumaki , do you know about the Green Peak Mountain's Inner Sect disciple…...Qian Dajin? He is Chen Fei's elder cousin and is also one of the members of the Law Enforcement Agency."

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Naruto had already left and was on his way back. Looking at the moon shining brightly in the sky, Naruto thought back about Xu Baocai's words. Combing these words and his previous understanding, he came up with a definite conclusion and let out a long sigh.

"In this sect, I have never really offended anyone, if I must pick, only Chen Fei comes to mind, and those Kurenai admirers could be counted as well…...Qian Dajin, Qian Dajin!" Naruto clenched his teeth as he returned to the Medicine Refining Pavilion. Sitting crosslegged in the room and looking at the pill furnace in front of him, his facial muscles twitched for a moment.

"It is more or less clear now; the fact that I did not complete a mission every year is just a red herring. In reality, if no one really investigated, it would not even be such a big matter, after all, it couldn't possibly be that I am the only one who hasn't completed any missions for over a year. As a member of the Law Enforcement Agency, that Qian Dajin is simply using authority to settle his personal grudges!" Naruto pondered in silence with bloodshot eyes.

"If I were to carry out the mission, this person will definitely take action along the way, otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such great lengths. Though this might be the case, his plan still has to be carried out secretly, he wouldn't dare to let the sect find out about this. All in all, he is still in a passive position."

"But if I ignore this warning, then I would be truly falling into his trap; he would no longer be passive, but instead, he could take the initiative to punish me under the guise of a Law Enforcement Agency member!"

After thinking about it for a long time, one way held no answer while the other held no promise. Naruto decided to take out his identity token and carefully study the details of the mission. In no time at all, he quickly spotted a familiar name.

"Hou Yunfei?" Naruto was stunned for a moment. He immediately recalled that when he was first promoted to an outer sect disciple, it was Hou Yunfei that introduced him to the sect in details. After looking through the details of the mission, Naruto closed his eyes and fell in deep thought.

The mission was not difficult; Hou Yunfei had accepted a mission and went out to complete it a few years ago. Every month, he would send a report back to the sect without fail. This was a requirement for any disciple that had accepted a long-term mission.

However, two months ago, the sect lost all contact with Hou Yunfei and no longer received any reports.

Hence, this gave birth to the mission this time around - to have three outer sect disciples go out and investigate the matter, there weren't any certain requirements to find all clues either.

This type of missions were common in the sect. Normally, one only had to search a little, investigate a bit, find some clues, report back to the sect and the sect would handle it from there on.

After all, the disappearance of an outer sect disciple was not a matter of great importance for the sect. But a disciple was still a disciple, no matter what. As such, when it comes to missing people, a proper investigation still had to be carried out.

This was gist of the mission.

Naruto weighed the pros and cons as he pondered in silence. A moment later, he clenched his teeth.

"This mission, I'm going!" Naruto breathed raggedly. With his eyes bloodshot, he immediately continued the refinement; he had to advance his mastery of the Impenetrable Iron Skin before leaving for the mission.

Two days later, a cracking sound resounded from within Naruto's body, making each and every inch of skin in his body to tremble. In that instant, the colour of his skin turned pitch black before it quickly recovered back to normal. However, if one were to look closely, one could vaguely see strands of red streaking across the surface of his skin.

"Black for Iron and red for Bronze!"

Naruto pressed on his skin and a metallic sound immediately resounded. Standing up, his figure blurred - his speed had significantly increased too!

To test his strength he leaped into the air; his thumb and his index finger gave a vicious pinch as he executed the Throat Crushing Grasp. Unlike before, it didn't produce a cackling sound anymore, instead, a muffled roar echoed. Though it wasn't loud, Naruto could still feel that the strength of his Throat Crushing Grasp was now more than twice as strong compared to before.

"Impenetrable Iron Skin, advanced mastery!" Naruto exclaimed as he felt more confident with regards to the mission.

"It's a pity that I can only refine Grade One medicine which are only suitable for the fifth level Qi Condensation and below. Even if I use spirit refining, the effects after consumption would still not be very good." Naruto lamented as he stood upright in his room. He could only feel pity since time was running out and he still couldn't refine the Grade Two medicine suitable for the eight level Qi Condensation and below.

Hence, in terms of his cultivation, his progress wasn't huge, and he had only reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi Condensation.

"Tomorrow, when dawn breaks, I will have to leave….." Naruto's heart was filled with anxiety. Ever since he had entered the Spirit River Sect, this was truly his first official trip out of the sect and deep inside, he still felt insecure. Thus, he immediately took the shield he had gotten from Chen Fei out of his pocket and used spirit refinement on it three times. Still feeling that it was insufficient, he took the leather armours he wore during the small competition and used spirit refinement on it as well.

After thinking for some time, he spent the night looking for Big Fatso

One and borrowed his Big Black Pot that was rumoured to have an Earth-Fire Array. Even though he still felt anxious, Naruto could no longer come up with any more ideas. In the end, Naruto did not go back to the Medicine Refining Pavilion, and instead, he went to his courtyard, awaiting dawn with a gloomy expression.

"Qian Dajin, just wait until I reach Foundation Establishment, I will definitely teach you a good lesson!" The more Naruto thought about it, the more nervous he became, his eyes gradually turning bloodshot. He was afraid of death - he was no longer the innocent child that had just stepped through the sect doors, and through his time here, he had gained a certain understanding about the world of cultivation.

A night of ridiculous thoughts and unnecessary worries passed…...gradually, the sky brightened and dawn arrived

Chapter 47

Chapter 47

Chapter 47 - Naruto leaves the Sect

When the first ray of dawn fell on earth, Naruto felt his identity token vibrate. He let out a long sigh as he turned around and glanced at the cabin where he had lived for the past two years.

"I must be careful during this journey and not lose this small life of mine…" Naruto had a troubled look on his face as he put seveneight layers of leather clothing as well as Zhang Fatso One's big black pot on his back. Physically, he was small and skinny, so this attire of his made him look like a ball.

Naruto left the Scented Cloud Mountain with a heavy heart, heading toward the South Bank's gate. Along the way, many disciples saw Naruto and were stunned by his attire.

Naruto had a depressed look on his face. If he met acquaintances, he would wave his hand, bidding them farewell. As he slowly approached the South Bank's gate from the side, he discovered two people already waiting there. One of them was a youngster who was meditating with his legs crossed, whereas the other was a girl. Seeing her figure from behind, Naruto felt that she looked familiar. This lady was currently impatiently pacing back and forth near the gate.

"Du Lingfei?" Naruto was stunned.

Du Lingfei also saw Naruto and was stunned for a moment, especially when she noticed Naruto's attire, after which, she could only frown.

"The last person on the mission to investigate Senior Hou's disappearance is you?"

"It is indeed me. What a coincidence…" Naruto dryly coughed and averted his gaze towards the youngster at Du Lingfei's side, as if it was a random gesture. This youngster was expressionless but there was a certain menacing aura surrounding him. When Naruto looked at him, the youngster opened his eyes and glanced at Naruto with a vague smile.

Something stirred in Naruto's heart. Before he had arrived, Naruto had already analysed how Qian Dajin could act during this mission. One of the easiest way was to find a person from the Sect who was similarly executing this mission and once they had left the Sect, this person would secretly dispose of Naruto. This way, it would be known to neither God nor a soul.

In this moment, regardless of whether it was Du Lingfei or this youngster, Naruto was equally suspicious. Naturally, he wouldn't let such thoughts show on his face, he even smiled at that youngster.

"This young one's name is Naruto, and who might this Senior

Brother be…"

"Green Peak Mountain's Feng Yan." The youngster similarly smiled as he spoke.

"So it is Senior Feng. One look at Senior Feng and I can tell that you are definitely not an ordinary senior. This is my first time executing a mission outside the Sect and I hope Senior Feng will offer guidance along the way." Naruto quickly cupped his fist in greeting with an expression suggesting that he was already aware of the other party's cultivation which was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation.

"Well said, well said." There was a hint of scorn that flashed past Feng Yan's eyes. The only reason why he was participating in this mission was because an inner sect disciple, Qian Dajin, had promised him something extremely tempting. Only then did he agree to kill this Naruto during the mission's execution.

This was a very easy task for the youngster, to the point that he did not even need to personally dispose of Naruto. Just by giving Naruto a slight shove, he could make it look like Naruto had died from an accide

nt.

The only thing that he had to be careful of was to not let Du Lingfei notice. However, it was clear to him that Du Lingfei being involved in this mission was also part of Qian Dajin's plan.

Du Lingfei frowned. She would have never thought that she would actually meet that hateful fellow in front of her when she was going out to execute a mission. This mission was not forced onto her by others, but one that she herself had taken the initiative to accept. After all, even though this mission was somewhat dangerous, overall, it was still easy and worth a lot of Contribution Points.

She had been stuck at the peak of the fifth level of Qi Cultivation for a very long time and wanted to obtain enough Contribution Points to exchange for another Soaring Cloud Incense and break through to the next level. At the thought of the Soaring Cloud Incense, her animosity toward Naruto increased.

"He is as cowardly as a mouse!" Seeing Naruto look her way, Du Lingfei loathed him even more from the bottom of her heart, especially since the other party's getup made him look like a ball from head to toe. He was even carrying a big black pot on his back. No matter how you looked at him, it was an appearance of one who feared death to the extreme.

Du Lingfei scoffed coldly and ignored Naruto as she cupped her hands, greeting Feng Yan.

"Senior Feng, everyone is accounted for. Please take out the Wind Rider.

The earlier we finish the mission, the faster we will be able to return."

Feng Yan smiled and used his right hand to pat his storage pouch. A white ray shot against the wind. It then quickly turned into a white boat about two zhang long in mid-air.

(ED note: one zhang is approximately 3.58 meters, or 3.64 yards)

Bursts of fluctuating spiritual energy spread out from the top of this boat, forming an imposing pressure.

"Senior Feng, what is this?" After seeing this, Naruto sized the boat up with excitement. This was the first time that he had seen such a thing, especially with regards to the fact that this boat was floating in mid-air. With a single look at the boat, Naruto could tell that it was meant for transportation, making him feel even more amazed.

Du Lingfei had a look of contempt in her eyes, whereas Feng Yan, who was standing aside, smiled.

"This thing is a Wind Rider. When going out to execute missions, or if going to a faraway place, the Sect would offer this kind of boat for rent. It's very convenient to operate as it does not consume much Qi when controlling it. Its only downside is that it consumes a lot of Spirit Stones." As Feng Yan was speaking, he jumped up and landed inside the boat.

Du Lingfei followed closely behind him, and Naruto also quickly jumped onto the boat. This boat was not big and there was not much space inside, but it was more than enough to fit three people. Naruto sat at the back, and as he touched here and looked there, he found this object even more impressive.

"I should also get myself a boat like this." Naruto said to himself.

"Even if you were to sell yourself, you still wouldn't be able to afford one!" Du Lingfei looked at Naruto as if he was a country bumpkin and mocked him.

After hearing this, Naruto narrowed his eyes at Du Lingfei, sizing her up, and nodded his head.

"Then if I were to sell you, I reckon that I would be able to afford one."

"You!" Du Lingfei glared at Naruto with her eyes curved upwards at the corners. Under Feng Yan's control, the Wind Rider turned into a rainbow headed towards the horizon.

The boat was fast enough to produce a whistling sound, however, a curtain of light blocked the fierce wind, so even though the trio could hear the wind outside, it didn't cause them any discomfort.

From afar, one could see the boat's rainbow slowly disappear beyond the horizon.

At the same time, on top of the Scented Cloud Mountain and inside the

Medicine Master's Temple, Elder Xu, who had been in charge of the Medicine Apprentice's promotional examination, was frowning slightly as he held a jade tablet in his hands.

"The Law Enforcement Agency actually bypassed my Scented Cloud Mountain and forced Naruto to execute a mission?" Elder Xu closely looked at the jade tablet. After a long while, his eyebrows loosened up. He saw that this mission was easy and even though it was dangerous to a certain degree, it still wouldn't endanger Naruto's life.

"This boy has made a habit of being lazy. Occasionally punishing him by making him do a small task is fine too." Elder Xu thought of the task that Toruho had entrusted to him before leaving and remembered what he was told about Naruto's personality. Therefore, he put down the jade tablet, not bothering with it any longer as he continued to refine medicine.

Meanwhile, Qian Dajin was standing outside one of the official caverns in the Green Peak Mountain where the inner sect disciples resided. He was looking at the distantly departing boat with a cold smile on his face.

"With Feng Yan's cultivation, secretly killing this Naruto is as easy as turning one's hand. Naruto… your herb and plant mastery is impressive, unfortunately, you will not have the chance to grow any further. This time, you will die without a doubt!"

The blue sky extended for tens of thousands of li. On the boat, although Naruto was slightly nervous, watching the ground below still gave him a feeling of excitement.

(ED note: ah, the wonder of ancient chinese units. One li is slightly more than ½ of a kilometer, or approximately ⅓ of a mile)

He poked his head out and looked down. He could see mountain peaks as sharp as swords and mountain ranges as long as dragons, especially one… earth-shaking river.

"The Tongtian River…" Naruto inhaled deeply. After he had become an outer sect disciple, he had seen a lot of materials and discovered that, in truth, the whole cultivation world relied on this Tongtian River to cultivate.

This river was the root of all Qi.

Therefore, all sects would be established near the Tongtian River. The higher up the stream, the richer the Qi.

The location of the Spirit River Sect could only considered to be midstream. Even so, it stood tall for tens of thousands of years without falling. In the writings that Naruto had read, it was said that the Spirit River Sect from tens of thousands of years ago had not been in its current location but downstream. There had been an outstanding ancestor that had killed countless sects and cultivator clans, obtaining the upper sects' recognition and only then did they earn the qualifications to open a sect in the midstream.

"It is said that even multiple Spirit River Sects can't compare to the might of a sect located further up the stream of this Tongtian River. Legend has it that at the source of the Tongtian River…exists an even more terrifying sect." Naruto suppressed the excitement in his heart, he had to be vigilant on this journey.

Not far below the bottom of the Tongtian River, a golden coloured river that was continuously rolling and tumbling like the sea could be seen. On the other side of the river, there were four towering mountain peaks emitting an astonishing amount of Qi.

"That must be the North Bank of the Spirit River Sect." Naruto looked into the distance at the four mountain peaks at the North Bank. He even saw the Spirit River Sect's main peak which crossed over the Tongtian River, forming an enormous bridge!

"Zhong Dao Mountain!" Naruto had seen all these locations when he was first brought over by Toruho. The only difference was that he was still an ordinary person at that time, and now he was already an outer sect disciple. Looking at the mountains once again, the feeling that he got from it was completely different.

The boat was quick and it gradually got further away from the sect. It wriggled with the Tongtian River as it flowed downstream, flying in that same direction.

"Junior Du, Junior Uzumaki , I am sure that the both of you have also read the mission's details. The place we are heading to this time is the Fallen Star Mountain Range located downstream of the Tongtian River. This was the place where Junior Hou delivered his last message. This Fallen Star

Mountain Range is as far as the Spirit River Sect's influence extends to. On the other end of the mountain range is the Blood River Sect's territory." Feng Yan lightly spoke. His voice was muffled by the sound of the wind hitting against the boat and was somewhat fuzzy.

"This journey might be dangerous to a certain degree, but having accepted this mission, we should already be mentally prepared. As long as we are cautious, there shouldn't be any serious problems."

"Our destination is too far, so as to prevent from consuming too many Spirit Stones, we will be walking most of the time, only if the place is rather difficult to cross, will we use the boat." Feng Yan finished speaking and a cold glint flashed in the depths of his eyes. He sat down in the front and closed his eyes in meditation.

Du Lingfei was unwilling to pay attention to Naruto, so she leaned on the side and also began meditating.

Naruto was rather vigilant. Even though he was meditating with his legs crossed, he had never stopped thinking about who it was that Qian Dajin had sent among the two people before his eyes.

"The possibility of it being Du Lingfei is minimal…. As for this Feng

Yan, eight or nine out of ten, it would be him!"

Chapter 48

Chapter 48

Chapter 48 - This world

A day later, when the first spirit stone inside the boat was consumed, Feng Yan had the Wind Rider descend. The three of them landed on top of a mountain peak overlooking the stretching forest that gradually grew darker as the last rays of the sunlight disappeared below the horizon.

When they landed, the surroundings turned humid and the chirping of birds as well as monsters' roars occasionally echoed from within the forest.

"Let's take a break after crossing this forest, what do you guys think?" Feng Yan lightly spoke as he glanced at Naruto and Du Lingfei.

"The sky is going to get dark soon, and who knows whether there are monsters inside the forest. I think we better fly across using the Wind Rider." Naruto suggested.

"If you want to rest then do it yourself, it's just a forest." Du Lingfei snorted, evidently exasperated at how scared Naruto was of death. She spun around, then headed into the forest.

A look of scorn flashed deep within Feng Yan's gaze. Nonetheless, he still faked a smile towards Naruto and followed Du Lingfei down the mountain.

Looking at the reactions of the two people, Naruto knitted his brows and let out a sigh. Finally, with a vigilant expression, he followed both of them down the mountain and into the forest.

The humidity inside the forest was even higher; they even came across with swamps from time to time. Occasionally, different types of birds would appear in their path, however, being Qi Condensation cultivators, the three of them had agile bodies and had considerable speed. Hence, they easily avoided the animals as they continuously travelled deeper into the forest.

Time passed and in the blink of an eye, the sky had already darkened and the moon hung brightly in the sky. The trio had already traversed half the distance to their destination and hadn't met any monsters along the way, making the journey extremely smooth. However, when Du Lingfei looked at Naruto, who wore a fearful expression on his face as if he would jump from fright every time he felt something move, Du Lingfei couldn't help but feel contempt for him in her heart.

"Watch out!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed as he immediately stopped in his tracks and put on a worried expression.

Du Lingfei gave a cold laugh and was just about to make a sarcastic comment.

But right at this moment, gusts of violent wind suddenly filled the surroundings, carrying the putrid smell of blood with them. Du Lingfei's expression immediately changed as she raised her head to look deeper into the forest, only to discover countless pairs of eyes staring back.

Every single pair of eyes was crimson red, and as soon their gazes met, sounds of fluttering wings immediately burst forth as palm-sized, TwinHeaded Bats flew out in flocks.

"Twin-Headed Bats, their fangs have deadly poison that will clot your throat with blood until you stop breathing!"

"Split up. We will regroup on the mountain peak on the other side of the forest." Feng Yan cried out in shock as his expression turned serious. He turned to another direction and dashed off with explosive speed.

Du Lingfei's pupils shrunk in fear. With a wave of her hand, a piece of talisman appeared in front of her body. The talisman slowly burned with a blue glow until it transformed into a light barrier enveloping her entire body. With a similar burst of explosive speed, Du Lingfei darted off in another direction. When she glanced back, she was astonished to find that Naruto, who was supposed to be the last in line, had already disappeared without a trace.

Long before the gust of wind had appeared, Naruto h

ad already taken the chance to retreat. His personality was one that prefered stability and safety; moreover, his meticulous character made him all the more sensitive to danger when compared to the average person.

When Du Lingfei retreated, the incoming flock of bats released a piercing screech and split into three smaller flocks that each chased after the trio.

Within the forest, Feng Yan sneered and quickly stashed away an incense stick from his hands. The appearance of these bats was due to this incense stick, and his decision to stop on this mountain to cross the forest was also because he had discovered the existence of these TwinHeaded Bats when he had previously come to this forest for a mission. "Every single one of those bats is no weaker than a cultivator in the third level of Qi Condensation. Naruto, don't blame me, someone just wants you dead." Feng Yan smirked as he slapped his storage pouch and took out a piece of black wood. Giving it a gentle blow, the black wood immediately started burning and black smoke started to rise from it. Instantly, the flock of bats that was chasing after him let out a piercing screech and flew away, evidently disgusted by the fumes.

Feng Yan chucked as he nonchalantly strolled away and disappeared into the foliage.

In another part of the forest, Naruto sprinted quickly as the bats chasing after him whistled through the air. However, no matter how much these bats accelerated, they were still unable to catch up with Naruto. In no time, Naruto had already widened the distance between him and the bats considerably. Occasionally, the beam of a sword would flash across, causing an unlucky bat to let out a piercing screech before dropping onto the ground.

After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, Naruto gradually slowed his pace and stopped. After turning around to look behind him, a frown appeared on his face.

"The appearance of these bats is a little strange…" Naruto fell deep in thought as he traced his steps back. Picking up one of the bats he had killed with his flying sword, he studied it closely, and his eyes suddenly brightened.

"This is not a Twin-Headed Bat, this is a Purple-Veined Bat. Although it also has poison, its fangs are the main ingredient for refining the Grade Two medicine, Boiling Blood Incense Stick!"

"This ingredient can be exchanged for 50 contribution points back at the sect." Naruto immediately exclaimed in surprise. This knowledge was part of the 5th chapter of the Spirit Beasts jade tablet, hence, not many people distinguished it.

Fired up by this discovery, Naruto immediately started gathering the corpses of the bats and found more than ten of them in no time. After plucking out their fangs, his heart trembled with joy.

"These bats don't seem to be very strong…" Naruto let out a soft chuckle as a protective light barrier flashed over his body. Afterwards, he began his search in the forest. In no time, a flock of Purple-Veined Bats spotted him and came screeching toward him.

Naruto gestured with his fingers as the speed of the flying sword surged and streaked toward the bats. Its speed was so fast that before the bats could even come close, mournful cries had already filled the air. The sword quickly pierced the flock of bats, causing them to drop one after another. A few bats managed to come close to Naruto, however, the moment they collided with the protective light barrier covering Naruto, they were immediately bounced back.

Naruto stepped forward and collected the loot. After making sure there was no more danger, he heaved a sigh of relief. With a puff of his chest, he confidently started his search again.

Just like that, he roamed the forest alone, constantly searching for the bats as he gradually collected more and more fangs…

Four hours later, Feng Yan left the forest and reached the rendezvous point at the mountain peak. Sitting cross-legged with a hint of a smile on his face, Feng Yan patiently waited.

After another two hours had passed, Du Lingfei dashed out of the forest with a disheveled look. She looked back at the pitch black forest with lingering fear and immediately hastened her pace. Upon reaching the peak, she saw Feng Yan, but when she swept her glance around, she did not find Naruto.

"Naruto is still not here?" She asked.

"I can only wish him luck. A pity the Twin-Headed Bats are most active during the night, if we were to go back into the forest, I fear we will be unable to save even ourselves." Feng Yan let out a gentle sigh as he shook his head with a bitter smile. To make it more realistic, he did not rest but put on a worried expression as he fixed his anxious gaze on the forest.

Du Lingfei fell into silence. Even though she disliked Naruto, she did not hate him enough to wish he was dead. After all, they were still from the same sect. Sitting cross-legged on the mountain peak, she gazed down on the forest. After a long while, she let out a soft sigh.

Time passed and the sky gradually brightened.

Having waited throughout the night, Naruto still had not appeared and Du Lingfei more or less had a certain premonition deep in her heart.

"To have not arrived by this time, I'm afraid the odds that Naruto is alive…..are slim."

"It's all my fault, if I had not suggested walking through this forest, Junior Brother Uzumaki would not have…...ai." Feng Yan sighed as he stood up. Having spent the night without rest, his eyes were already bloodshot. With an expression of grief and indignation, he gazed at the forest.

"Do not blame yourself Senior Brother Feng, none of us knew that there would be Twin-Headed Bats here. Perhaps Naruto did not die, and even if he is dead, as his fellow sect members, we should at least bring his body back!" A complicated feeling arose deep within Du Lingfei's heart. She had no idea why she was feeling such an emotion; every time she thought of Naruto's cowardly figure, though she truly despised it, she still felt a sense of pity for him. After all, there was no enmity or deep hatred between the both of them.

"You're right Junior Sister Du, no matter what, we must not give up." Feng Yan sucked in a deep breath and nodded his head gravely as the two of them prepared to once again go down the mountain to search for Naruto.

Just at this moment, however, they saw Naruto lazily stroll out from the forest. Naruto yawned as he walked out and even started to stretch his body as if he had just woken up.

Du Lingfei's eyes widened with surprise and Feng Yan's gaze was filled with disbelief. He was bewildered while watching Naruto casually tread the mountain trail, slowly heading in their direction.

Especially when looking at Naruto's current expression, it was as if he had such a good night's sleep - lively and vigorous. This was in sharp contrast with the both of them who hadn't rested since the previous night and were fighting their fatigue just to stay awake.

In no time at all, Naruto had ascended the mountain. The moment he saw the duo, he immediately ran over and greeted them.

"Morning! Senior Brother Feng, Senior Sister Du, this forest is too scary, I almost lost my life." Naruto indeed had a good rest after eliminating almost all of the bats in the forest. Not only had he gained a bountiful harvest, he even had a peaceful sleep in the bats' cave.

Du Lingfei stared at Naruto with an ugly expression and gave a cold snort. Looking at his face and recalling the conflicted emotions she felt a while ago, she felt even more irritated with Naruto.

A hint of coldness flashed deep inside Feng Yan's eyes, though on the surface, he showed a joyful expression.

"It doesn't matter so long as Junior Brother Uzumaki is fine. We were worried throughout the whole night."

Naruto chuckled embarrassedly, however, deep within his gaze, a streak of coldness similarly flashed for a moment.

Not long after, the trio continued their journey without using the boat. Having experienced this incident, Naruto suggested flying with the boat during the night and walking on foot during the day. Du Lingfei showed a rare agreement with Naruto's suggestion and Feng Yan also nodded his head after thinking for a moment.

The trio slowly faded into the distance as they continued their journey downstream along the Tongtian River.

Time slowly passed and before they knew it, a month had already passed.

And in this month, Naruto had walked more than ever before in his whole life. He saw mountains after mountains, forests after forests; the surroundings were bereft of any humans. The entire area was just like a wasteland.

Once when the three of them were on their way, the ground suddenly started trembling. To his horror, Naruto discovered that far away in the distance, amidst the mountain range, a giant whose body was covered with hair from head to toe was slowly approaching them. With every step the giant took, the ground shook.

This giant made Naruto take a deep breath of shock.

At another time, the trio were in the flying boat during the night, when they suddenly heard a thunderous roar in the distance. And what greeted Naruto's sight was …an enormous bird, as big as the size of the Scented Cloud Mountain, soaring through the sky, with countless streaks of lightning wiggling all over its body, looking especially imposing in the darkness of the night.

But what Naruto remembered the most was that during one bright and sunny day, he saw this short-limbed monster with a head as big as a small mountain get devoured in a single bite by a 10,000 zhang long golden crocodile. The four-limbed beast was at the bank of the Tongtian River when the crocodile jumped out from the river with a cold gaze. It even took a glance at the trio who were hiding far away in the distance, and this unforgettable scene deeply shocked the three of them.

With just a single glance, a boom had resounded within the trio's minds as blood seeped out from the corners of their mouths. The three of them had a splitting headache which lasted for days before they finally recovered.

"It's too scary, the outside world is too scary!" Naruto repeatedly murmured to himself as his body shivered with fear.

1/10 guaranteed chapter of the week. Thank you for reading!

Translated by: Xin

Edited by: Arch, Crimsonguard

Chapter 49

Chapter 49

Chapter 49 - The Fallen Chen Clan

Even though Feng Yan had participated in outfield missions numerous times before, this was his first time travelling this far out. And after encountering those hair-raising sights one after another, he could feel his scalp grow numb. For Feng Yan to feel like that, one needn't mention Du Lingfei who had even less experience than him.

Fortunately, the fearsome creatures that they came across on the way did not launch any attacks against them; at most, these creatures would throw them a glance, as if there was some kind of aura shielding them from the enmity of these creatures.

Naruto guessed that it was because they were disciples of the Spirit River Sect and after all…..in this boundless area, every inch of land was under the Spirit River Sect's influence.

Just like that, the trio continued their journey with some dread. Every month, on a fixed date, they would send a report on their current location back to the Sect. Two months later, they had finally arrived at the borders of the Spirit River Sect's influence - the Fallen Star Mountain Range.

Along the way, it wasn't that Feng Yan didn't want to covertly take action, but rather, he wasn't in the mood to do anything because of the constant shocks and hair-raising situations throughout the journey. Not only did he have to deal with his own fears, but Naruto had also became more cautious and sticked closer to Du Lingfei. Hence, with so many factors involved, Feng Yan could not find any opportunity to take action and thus, the only thing he could do was to endure.

Currently, they had arrived at the Fallen Star Mountain Range. Feng Yan gazed at Naruto as a dark chill unnoticed by the others flashed in his eyes.

"This is some serious determination to have me killed…...just how big is this grudge." Naruto lamented in his heart as he narrowed his eyes. His meticulous personality had long since noticed Feng Yan's intentions.

The Fallen Star Mountain Range stretched across a large area from the north to the south. One could not even see its end with the naked eye; as if it was a dragon waiting in ambush, dividing the ground into two.

If one could see far enough, they might even notice the sky on the other side of the mountain was a little different - as if there was a tinge of blood-red.

According to legend, in distant times, a star fell from above the skies and crashed into the ground. This caused the ground to crumble, and some parts of the ground were raised while some sunk; thus, forming this mountain range.

Within the mountain range, dense forests thoroughly spread, filling the area with various monsters and a diversity of rare herbs and plants. Because of that, even if this area was filled with danger, many cultivators still took the risk to explore it.

"We have reached the Fallen Star Mountain Range." Du Lingfei slowly opened her mouth and spoke. The experiences she had along the journey had laden her with fatigue. And now that they had finally reached their destination, she heaved a sigh of relief from the bottom of her heart.

"According to the last time Junior Brother Hou contacted the sect, the coordinates came from this area." Feng Yan slapped his storage pouch and a compass-like device appeared in his hand.

The device had a needle attached to it which was currently spinning rapidly.

"According to the rules of the sect, disciples who travel on outfield missions have to send their coordinates back to the sect every month. This Spirit River Compass will help us find the location where Junior Brother Hou last sent his coordinates from." Just as he was holding the compass and explaining its uses, the compass needle suddenly

stopped and pointed in a certain direction.

"Found it!" In a flash, Feng Yan leapt following the direction. Du Lingfei's expression changed and quickly followed.

Naruto gazed at the enormous Fallen Star Mountain Range before his eyes; in this place, the grasses and plants formed into forests, and these forests were like an ocean - boundless and limitless. From time to time, the chirping of a birds could be heard, and sometimes, a distant roar of a monster would echo from deep within the forest.

With a serious expression, Naruto activated the protective light barrier of the jade tablet. After ensuring that even the slightest movement of the wind or grass would alert him, Naruto then carefully started his journey forward, making sure to keep his distance from Feng Yan at the same time.

Both Feng Yan and Du Lingfei did not slow down the whole way, they sped through the Fallen Star Mountain Range and slowly travelled deep into a mountain valley. In this mountain valley, there was a large number of trees, and if one looked closely, they would discover that some of these trees seemed to be very old. These trees had trunks and branches that criss-crossed each other like a weave of pythons, with every branch joint forming a weird knot. If it was nighttime, such a sight would have sent chills ran down everyone's spines.

Two hours later, the trio had already travelled deep into the the mountain valley when they suddenly came to a stop. Feng Yan looked down at the compass in his hand; the needle was clearly pointing towards a humongous tree by the side.

"Junior Brother Uzumaki , go check it out." Feng Yan looked towards Naruto and pointed towards the big tree.

Naruto hesitated for a moment as he closely inspected that tree. After making sure that there was no danger, his right hand pressed onto the jade tablet hanging on his waist. Immediately, the protective light barrier that was already covering Naruto thickened by another layer. Naruto even took out some talismans and plastered them onto his body. Only when all of this was done did he finally approach the large tree, step by step.

"If you are so scared of death, why did you even become a cultivator at the first place!" Du Lingfei snorted coldly. She already held Naruto in contempt; throughout the journey, even though there were some dreadful situations, Naruto's reactions were simply just too exaggerated, as if he could die any moment. Now that they had reached their destination, Du Lingfei could feel her contempt for Naruto increase even further, seeing that he still had such a cowardly mentality.

Naruto did not have time to care about Du Lingfei, right now, having cautiously approached the huge tree, he took out a flying sword and peeled the tree bark. There was a patch of tree bark that had recently grown out, and the moment it was peeled off, a jade slip hidden behind it was revealed.

After carefully taking out this jade slip, Naruto swept it with his divine sense and his expression changed slightly. He then threw the jade slip to Feng Yan.

The jade slip only contained a sentence the explained neither heads or tails.

"I found some other clues, I'll go to the Fallen Chen Clan to confirm them…...:"

After Feng Yan read it, his brows knitted into a frown then threw the jade slip to Du Lingfei. After Du Lingfei had read the message, she too frowned and fell deep in thought.

"Fallen Chen Clan…" a few moments later, Du Lingfei softly murmured under her breath as she turned her head and gazed deep into the Fallen Star Mountain Range.

The Fallen Star Mountain Range covered a large area and was filled with bountiful resources. Such an area was not only under the control of the Spirit River Sect, it was lying right at the border between the Spirit River Sect and the Blood River Sect. The Spirit River Sect naturally had to arrange some people to protect such an area, and the clan responsible for this protection was…...the Fallen Chen Clan.

The Fallen Chen Clan had a considerable amount of people and had already been garrisoned at the Fallen Star Mountain Range for a thousand years. Every generation had a Foundation Establishment patriarch to watch over the clan; be it for protection or deterrence purposes, it was more than enough.

In their mission's details, it was even stated that if there was any danger, they could contact the Fallen Chen Clan for help.

But according to Hou Yunfei's message on the jade slip, it actually pointed them towards the Fallen Chen Clan, and it seems that…..Hou Yunfei went to the Fallen Chen Clan to investigate some of the clues and went missing from there on.

"What do you guys think, should we go take a look at the Fallen Chen Clan?" Feng Yan seemingly gave a superficial glance over Naruto before looking at Du Lingfei.

"Senior Brother Feng, Senior Sister Du, having found this jade slip, our mission can be considered to be completed…...I think we should put safety first, there is no need to do unnecessary actions." Naruto quickly opened his mouth and he nervously surveyed his surroundings; he felt some intangible pressure from this place.

Du Lingfei hesitated for a moment, if they went back like that, she speculated that they would just get the basic amount of contribution points. However, if they investigated more leads, the amount of contribution points would also be larger.

Feng Yan frowned slightly as he watched Du Lingfei hesitate; if they were to go back now, he was worried that he would be unable to find any opportunities to kill Naruto. Thinking up to this point, Feng Yan calmly opened his mouth.

"My opinion is that we should go take a look at the Fallen Chen Clan. Since we are here already, we can't simply leave just like that. Not only can we ask clearly what exactly happened to Junior Brother Hou, but we might also be able to enlist the Fallen Chen Clan's help in the search. If this is the case, our contribution points would be much higher.

"Moreover…...we do not have to enter the deep areas of the Fallen Star Mountain Range for this journey. As long as we stick close to the borders, there would not be much danger. As for the Fallen Chen Clan, hmph, any cultivator clan within the influence of the Spirit River Sect has a seal placed on their bloodlines; regardless of how many generations have passed, they could never betray us, even more so, show us any disrespect." Feng Yan spoke slowly and gazed at Du Lingfei after finishing.

Du Lingfei nodded her head as she felt that the words Feng Yan spoke had made sense.

"Okay, let's go take a look at the Fallen Chen Clan, perhaps they might know the reason why Senior Brother Hou went missing after leaving the Fallen Chen Clan."

Seeing that Du Lingfei had agreed, Feng Yan smiled. He then looked towards Naruto as a cold glint flashed deep within his gaze.

"Since the mission is already completed, why are we asking for more trouble?" Naruto furrowed his brows.

"If you're scared of dying then don't follow us anymore." Du Lingfei did not bother with Naruto anymore as she turned her body and proceeded onwards.

"Junior Brother Uzumaki , I am also responsible for the team during this mission, the three of us should advance and retreat together, no matter the circumstances. If you do not go, it will only make things hard for me when we get back to the sect." Feng Yan looked at Naruto with a vague smile and then proceeded in Du Lingfei's direction. He deduced that Naruto would definitely follow them, otherwise, with Du Lingfei as a witness, he could simply give Naruto a 'negligence of duty' offence and Naruto would be unable to avoid the investigation of the Law Enforcement Agency.

With a gloomy expression, Naruto could feel his blood boiling. Looking at the disappearing silhouette of Feng Yan, blood vessels started to slowly appear in Naruto's eyes. Even though he was scared of death, he was slowly reaching the conclusion that the safest and best method was making the first move in order to disrupt Feng Yan's plans.

"Feng Yan, you shouldn't have forced me!" Naruto stood there immersed in his thoughts for a couple breaths. Finally, he lowered his head and dashed forward, following behind Feng Yan and Du Lingfei as the three of them slowly disappeared into the depths of the forest.

Four hours later, under the constant pace of the trio, dusk arrived and as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon, the forest grew darker as well.

"We're here!" Feng Yan suddenly opened his mouth as the trio came to a halt. When they lifted their heads to look forward, they saw that the trees grew sparser on the path ahead, and the number of bluestones on the ground increased, paving a path in the open area.

In this area, there were a few courtyards that huddled together to form a mansion that looked big enough to house a couple hundred people. However, now that it was dusk, the time when the family clan was supposed to be the most rowdy and active, the mansion was instead bathed in darkness and silence, as if it had perfectly blended into the night, giving a desolate impression.

The only light came from the two lanterns that hung on the two sides of the main door, releasing a dim light. There was no wind blowing, yet these two lamps slowly swayed in the air, illuminating the two lion statues erected in front of the main door, each wearing a dark and unsettling expression.

Upon seeing this scene, the expressions of both Feng Yan and Du Lingfei immediately changed.

As for Naruto, the instant he saw this mansion, a strong sense of danger surged within the bottom of his heart, as if every fiber in his body was screaming at him.

"Something's not right…" Feng Yan's heart skipped a beat, his words hadn't even finished.

All of a sudden, with a long, harrowing creak, the main door of the mansion slowly opened. A gust of chilly wind blew out from within, and faintly, a silhouette seemed to appear behind the door, without sound nor breath.

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