Refining the Mountains and Rivers Chapter 1: 1, a 13 tzameti fanfic

While the blue light blossoms, the insignificant struggle at the bottom. He grasps the opportunity to change his fate and embarks on an unprecedented path… I will control my destiny, not Heaven! Perhaps he is naïve, or perhaps, is the start of a new epic journey!

Refining the Mountains and Rivers #Chapter 1 – Qin Yu - Read Refining the Mountains and Rivers Chapter 1 – Qin Yu Online - All Page - Novel Usb

Chapter 1 – Qin Yu

As the sun fell, the blazing hot temperature began to cool. Warm rays of light shrouded over the medicine garden as the lush fragrance of spiritual plants in their thousands of shapes and postures began to bloom.

Qin Yu bent over, tightening the wire fence. After making sure that it wouldn't fall over he stood up straight. Suddenly, he violently coughed and a light blush crept up his pale white cheeks.

The light of the setting sun pierced through the canopy of treetops and illuminated the youth, covering half his face in long shadows. With his thin body and eyebrows, he couldn't be considered handsome. There were a few faint spots that marred his looks, but even so he seemed inexplicably kind.

The reason for his current state was that a wild boar had broken into the medicine garden earlier this year. The manager of the garden had experienced a moment of kindheartedness and had allowed Qin Yu to escape the pitiful fate of death by hanging, but, he had still been punished and his wounds hadn't received proper treatment.

Afterwards, there was still that little boy called Potato who had looked after him while he was lying ill and coughing on the bed all day, but his complexion remained paler than that of the average man and he was often mocked as a sickly ghost.

Even so, Qin Yu remained smiling. He turned and looked around indifferently. He was an orphan, and ever since he was young he had understood the truth of the fist – that strength was what mattered in this world, so he would never provoke unnecessary trouble. He tidied up some items, and after some time he bowed down and began to clean the blue stone tiles covering the ground.

This sort of stone was the most famous of the Eastern Mountain Sect. It was defined by its excellent toughness and high quality. Many cultivating sects liked to use these stones to construct their sect entrances, and they could be regarded as one of the key products to come from the Eastern Mountain Sect, earning them a considerable number of spirit stones. Of course, outer court disciples like Qin Yu would never be fated to obtain a high end cultivation item like a spirit stone. Most spirit stones entered the pockets of the Sect Master and various Elders, with only a small number trickling down to the other disciples.

Even after seven years in the Eastern Mountain Sect, would he be able to afford a single one of the blue stone tiles beneath his feet with the entirety of his wealth? Thinking of this, Qin Yu's complexion darkened and he felt burdened. He was well aware of his talent and knew that he was doomed to a life of mediocrity; he wouldn't have thoughts that he shouldn't have.

It was time.

Qin Yu picked up his shovel and began to carefully clean it. He was responsible for the blue stone roads near the medicine garden. All year round there would be pollen, flower petals, leaves, and all sorts of things that were swept out by the wind. When these fell on the stone road they became extremely difficult to clear off. Thus, the tip of this shovel had been enhanced with a little bit of iron used to forge magic tools. Although it only came to the size of a grain of rice, the shovel's degree of sharpness increased by several levels.

Potato always joked that this shovel was Qin Yu's most valuable treasure and could be considered a ninth-grade magic tool. However, the reality was that it belonged to the Eastern Mountain Sect in actuality and he only had the right to use it.

"That brat, what a dirty mouth!" Qin Yu quietly scolded; even as the corners of his lips curved up.

Suddenly, a laugh echoed out from afar. Despite the person's attempts to make their laugh seem as natural and free as possible, they still couldn't cover up the rampant flavor behind it.

Qin Yu was startled. He quickly drew back to the side, bowed his head, and cupped his hands across his chest.

"Third senior-apprentice brother's martial talent defies the heavens. In just 27 days he broke through seven boundaries and reached Foundation Establishment, this is simply a record that has never existed in my Eastern Mountain Sect before!"

"Let alone my Eastern Mountain Sect, you cannot even find someone that can compare with Senior-apprentice Wei Wei within 100,000 miles of the Southern Empire!"

"Senior-apprentice Brother Wei Wei, I have had many questions about my cultivation recently. I wonder if senior-apprentice brother has any time tonight to help me with them?"

"Junior-apprentice Sister Zhang, just who do you think Senior-apprentice Brother Wei Wei is? He has already scheduled his daily cultivating time. If you want to ask your senior-apprentice brother for tips, then you must make an appointment at least three days in advance."

Within the crowd of people, the one with the loudest and brightest laughter was the third senior-apprentice brother. He was surrounded by young and beautiful girls on both sides. Their laughter was like bells and as they snaked around him they wittingly or unwittingly brushed by his body. In addition with the looks of deep admiration in their eyes, it left one even more enchanted by them.

Qin Yu was left dazed for a moment.

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It was unclear just what third senior-apprentice brother Wei Wei's origins were. According to his bragging, he had an ancestor that was once a military officer belonging to the royal family, and that ancestor possessed a peak Golden Core cultivation. When he was judged to have sufficient talent in cultivation, his name was changed by his clansmen so that he could one day reach the same heights that his ancestor reached in the past and revive the glory of his clan.

In the past, everyone had considered his bragging words a joke. This third senior-apprentice brother's name might have sounded grand, but his character and attitude weren't beautiful at all. His words were sharp and biting and he was someone who haggled and took advantage of whoever he could. When one compared him to a seemingly cold and wise military officer of the royal family, it was simply too hard to see the similarities between them.

But beginning two months ago, this third senor-apprentice brother seemed to have decided to write his own epic story of rising from the grass and into the heavens. In 27 days he broke through the seven boundaries of Energy Refining and entered Foundation Establishment with unstoppable force. Then, he continued to rush forwards and it was said that just yesterday he reached the third boundary of Foundation Establishment.

Let alone a tiny faction like the Eastern Mountain Sect, even if this cultivation speed were placed amongst one of the grand immortal cultivation sects it would still be amongst the best of the best!

On the same day that third senior-apprentice brother broke into the Foundation Establishment realm, he prayed and begged overnight to the Sect Master. On the next day, he was officially acknowledged and formally accepted. From that point on, third senior-apprentice brother was like a salted fish that came back to life. He became a direct disciple of the Sect Master and his fame and prestige rose to the peak!

On that day, the nearly thousand-strong outer court disciples of the Eastern Mountain Sect turned red-eyed with envy.

In these days, third senior-apprentice brother seemed to have become the sect's future hope. The other direct disciples were placed under increased pressure even as the third senior-apprentice brother continued blazing forwards with unstoppable arrogance.

"Fellow junior-apprentice brothers and sisters, you praise me too much. I have just stepped onto the road of cultivation and am trying to guard against developing arrogance and insolence. You all shouldn't be trying to harm me like this." Wei Wei's expression was puckered up in anticipation of all the flattery he was about to receive. And as expected, some people said, "'Senior-apprentice brother is too modest," "I am completely sincere," as well as "Senior-apprentice brother's heart is as stable as a rock, how can we possibly shake it?"

With his eyes flitting over the crowd one at a time, Wei Wei's eyes paused on Qin Yu for a brief moment. But soon, he retracted his gaze, his expression indifferent. The two of them no longer stood at the same level and were destined to no longer intersect in the future, so what did it matter if they knew each other in the past?

As the laughter faded away, there were a few faintly angry and coy cries. Third senior-apprentice brother had teased and flirted with a few of the beautiful young girls too much and had suffered some soft punches as a result.

Qin Yu stood up and glanced in a direction before setting off. His figure gradually faded away, his back like a lone bamboo in the setting sunlight.

With his work finished, he didn't yet return to his residence. He passed a few streets, following the hills for some time before arriving at a remote valley.

The vegetation here was thick and lush and rarely saw any activity from people. Qin Yu took several deep breaths and narrowed his eyes. Soon, he found hoofprints in the ground, and from the size and depth, one could see that whatever left these prints was a large fellow.

He crouched down and carefully examined a hoofprint. When he noticed the missing corner, he smiled.

Found you!

The wild boar that haunted this valley was the exact same wild boar that had rushed into the medicine garden half a year ago and nearly caused his death. Qin Yu had kept an eye out for this matter all this time, and in the last few days he had finally narrowed down the beast's whereabouts.

Without entering the mountain valley, Qin Yu stood up on his tiptoes and looked towards a large tree within. As he saw that the trap he laid down was still intact, he turned and left through the route he came.

The spiritual strength surrounding the sect was relatively rich and the wild boars wandering the land were exceptionally smart as a result. They were particularly sensitive to smells and he didn't want his plan to fail midway.

He wanted to deal with this wild boar because of the desire for vengeance in his heart, but that wasn't the only reason.

Qin Yu had listened to others say that this wild boar lacked a corner on one of its hooves and in the past several years it had entered the medicine garden several times and eaten numerous spirit herbs. Because of that, its flesh and blood body contained a massive amount of spiritual strength. What he wanted was this spiritual strength. If he could catch this wild boar and eat its flesh and blood, then perhaps he might be able to cure his illness.

He no longer delayed as he returned to his residence. As usual, several people mocked him along the way.

Qin Yu lowered his head and bitterly smiled. It was only when he entered his own small courtyard that his complexion became calm again. He washed his face and hair and began to eat a meal. He chewed carefully, slowly eating his food with water. He was well aware of his current physical condition. It had not improved, and the stuffiness and tightness in his chest continued to worsen with every day. In the past several mornings he had even coughed up blood.

A great deal of fear brewed in the youth's heart, but he tried his best not to think about it. He forced himself to eat more.

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After he finished eating, he put away his utensils and quietly rested for a moment. Once he had calmed himself, he began to cultivate.

That was right – even outer court disciples could cultivate. After all, in order to join an immortal cultivating sect, the basic requirement was that one possessed the talent to cultivate. The only difference was that their cultivating talent was considerably poorer. 𝗇𝑂𝐕𝖊𝑙𝐮𝓈𝒃.𝓬𝑂𝓂

The outer court disciples of the Eastern Mountain Sect were all issued the same uniform materials: three pages of the True Wood Arts. But even a complete amateur of immortal cultivation like Qin Yu knew that the True Wood Arts was nothing but defective goods. The quality was subpar and incomplete to a frightening degree; it couldn't even be graded.

But there were no other choices available. Qin Yu understood this and never complained. He had cultivated diligently for the last seven years without missing a single day and had barely managed to reach the second level of the Energy Refining realm. When he revolved his cultivation method, he could feel a weak and cool aura circulating through his body, making him feel just a bit more comfortable.

Two hours later, Qin Yu opened his eyes. Disappointment flashed deep in them. He noticed that after every time he cultivated, the pain in his chest would fade away a little, but the magic powers of Energy Refining's second level were far too weak and weren't able to eliminate the hidden wounds in his body.

Moreover, every time the magic power circulated through his chest it would cause a loss. Although it wasn't much, it still surpassed the rate at which Qin Yu could restore himself. By this time, his second level of Energy Refining was teetering on collapse. Once his boundary fell and he was forced to rely on the magic powers of Energy Refining's first level alone, he feared his condition would immediately erupt.

Thus, Qin Yu only dared to cultivate for two hours each day.

He rose up and stretched his muscles. He pushed open the door and began to slowly run along a remote path. This was actually a considerable challenge to Qin Yu's exhausted body, but he knew it helped circulate the blood energy within his body, so he clenched his teeth and persisted through it.

Hu –

His heavy gasps were like worn-out bellows of a shabby smith. A faint red blush began to appear on the youth's pale face. An hour later, Qin Yu stopped. His body swayed a little and his ears began to ring.

He forced himself up, closed his eyes, and adjusted his breath. After his heart rate returned to normal, he turned and walked back on the path he came from.

After running for an hour, he would need at least twice the amount of time to walk back. Normally, he would return to his residence by the time the sun set and today was no exception.

Qin Yu dragged himself back. When he emerged from the remote path, he stopped and surprise colored his face.

When he was a child he discovered that his five senses far surpassed those of an ordinary person, and his hearing and eyesight were particularly keen. At this time, the night wind was blowing and he could hear faint ripples of sound echoing along it. As he listened carefully, he could identify that this sound came from around the steep slope in the back, and not too far from this steep slope was the valley where that wild boar appeared. Could his trap have finally worked?

Suddenly overjoyed, strength somehow gushed out from within Qin Yu's fatigued body. He turned around and rushed towards the slope.

The spiritual energy around the Eastern Mountain Sect was relatively rich, and because of this the weeds that grew here had increased in quality over time. For example, the common vines on the slopes were often harvested by county farmers to feed their livestock, but on this slope, these vines were actually as tough and thick as cowhide.

Qin Yu raced down the slope and the lines of vines constantly whipped against his legs, causing them to burst out in heat. But in his excited state he didn't notice this at all.

As he rushed down the slope he could hear the sounds coming from the valley much more clearly. His eyes brightened. However, as he approached the valley he suddenly heard a pitiful cry sound out and he froze in his steps!

Wei Wei!

This voice, there was no way he would be wrong.

How could he be here?

Qin Yu knew that he had likely been wrong from the very start. Before the sickly sweet smell of blood met his nostrils, his forehead was already covered in beads of sweat. He turned to leave, but then his heart rapidly contracted and he tossed himself to the ground without hesitation.

Woosh –

A faint green blade tore through his robe, cutting dangerously near his head before sinking into the ground. Qin Yu's robe immediately became wet with sweat. If he had been struck just then, he feared he would have been decapitated.

"Junior-apprentice brother, since you've already arrived, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" The sect master's chief disciple said, his complexion pale white. A smile hung on his lips and his voice was mild and steady, completely different from the fierce killing intent displayed just before.

Wei Wei had fallen to the ground, a long wound crossing over his chest and belly. His blood pooled on the ground and he gasped like a fish thrown onto shore. There was still a little bit of the pride and arrogance that he had displayed before. As he saw who arrived, light suddenly burst out from his eyes. He shouted out, "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu! Hurry and help me! Han Dong has gone insane, he wants to kill me!"

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Chapter 2 – A Touch of Blue

The chief disciple was astonished. "You know him?"

Qin Yu was completely unprepared to stumble onto a murder scene. He was terrified. But, the more he thought, the clearer his thoughts became. He rapidly judged the situation and leapt up to his feet, his face pale, "No, no! I don't know him!"

The chief disciple's eyes sparkled. His smile seemed to become even calmer. "It seems that Junior-apprentice Brother Wei Wei knows you though?"

Qin Yu shook his head again and again, horrified.

Wei Wei roared out loud. "Qin Yu, now that you have stumbled into this today Han Dong will never let you go! He has also been severely wounded and that last strike just now cost him all the final dregs of his strength. Hurry up and kill him, otherwise once he recovers his magic powers we will both die here!"

The chief disciple chuckled and clapped his hands together. "Junior-apprentice Brother Wei Wei's thoughts are quite intricate. You want to push Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu to his death and waste my remaining strength. How admirable." He looked towards Qin Yu and sighed. "Brother Wei's plotting nearly cost me my life. Luckily, it seems my fate with junior-apprentice brother here is quite good. We can directly split the harvests here."

The chief disciple pointed to Wei Wei and said, "Kill him and we can equally divide whatever I find on him, and we also do not have to tell anyone of what occurred tonight. How about it?"

Qin Yu's eyes lit up with interest.

But before he could respond, the earth began to shake. A giant wild boar as large as a cow and covered with pitch black spikes suddenly rumbled into the mountain valley. Its jaws opened to reveal fierce fangs and a pair of tusks. It was enraged by its territory being invaded.

As three pairs of eyes fell onto its body, the wild boar's expression stiffened. It stamped a leg on the ground, its imposing stance seeming ridiculous at this moment.

After sneaking its way into the medicine garden and eating some spiritual herbs, the wild boar had gained a small degree of spiritual wisdom. It could naturally feel the tension in the atmosphere. In particular, the auras rolling off Han Dong and Wei Wei were horrifying.

The wild boar's gaze fell upon Qin Yu. Without a doubt, he was the weakest of the three here.

Qin Yu also glanced at the beast. As he saw a missing corner on one of its front hooves, all sorts of complex feelings filled his heart.

Han Dong chuckled. "Today is truly lively. Even such a stupid beast has rushed over to join the fun." He shook his head. Even though this wild boar had a bit of spiritual wisdom he didn't care about it at all. "The further we delay, the more troubles can occur. Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, have you made your decision? I promise you that I will not harm you after this."

Wei Wei roared out, "Once the Sect Master discovers you've killed me, you will die..." He lifted his hand and three arrows shot out from his sleeve, shooting towards Han Dong.

A thin barrier erupted around Han Dong. As the three sleeve arrows struck it, they weren't able to break through. Even so, three wisps of dim black energy penetrated the barrier and shot into his body. Han Dong fell backwards with a stuffy cough, fiercely waving his hand in response and shooting out a talisman.

The four to five meter distance was closed in the blink of an eye. The severely wounded Wei Wei was splayed on the ground and unable to respond to the talisman in time. With a loud whistling sound, ghostly green flames ignited. Wei Wei couldn't even make a sound before he was incinerated into black bones. The eerie green flames burned over his bones and soon extinguished, leaving nothing but a strange glow in the dark night.

The moment the hare was flushed out, the falcon swooped down. Life and death had been decided in an instant!

"Kuh! Kuh!" Han Dong violently coughed. The three wisps of dim black energy had opened three bloody holes in his body. The blood leaking from him was tinted black, clearly indicating poison. He took out a jade bottle from his waist and opened it, swallowing a few pills. He ruefully smiled, "I never imagined that the Nether Melody Bow which appeared just recently would actually have fallen into Wei Wei's hands. I nearly died due to my oversight."

As Han Dong spoke he straightened himself. He glanced back and as he saw the wild boar still frozen beneath the great tree, a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Han Dong's eyes inadvertently swept over Wei Wei's bones. Blue sparkles of light shined, glimmering in the dark like the deepest blue of the sea. Han Dong's gaze instantly turned blazing hot but calmed down in the next moment.

"My pledge remains the same as before. We will divide the items on Wei Wei's body and then forget about what happened tonight. Of course, if junior-apprentice brother believes that you have the confidence to kill me here and take sole possession of these treasures for yourself, then you're free to try."

Qin Yu's eyes widened with greed, but he soon turned timid again. "How...how could I disrespect senior-apprentice brother like this? I am already more than satisfied with half of the harvest."

Han Dong smiled and nodded. "Junior-apprentice brother is such a bold man! It is difficult for me to move right now, so can I bother junior-apprentice brother here to check Wei Wei's corpse and see what treasures he had hidden on him?"

Qin Yu's eyes shined with greed. He locked his eyes on Han Dong and cautiously made his way over to Wei Wei's corpse. Although his complexion was grim and earnest, it was completely different from his voice, because as he spoke, he did so with a slight shudder of excitement. "Senior-apprentice brother, how did you know that Third Senior-apprentice Brother Wei Wei had treasures on him?"

One step. Two steps.

Han Dong's voice sounded out from behind, "Wei Wei's spiritual roots are mixed and uneven. He has cultivated slowly for all these years and yet two months ago he was reborn and broke through seven levels of Energy Refining in 27 days to enter Foundation Establishment. This is the most critical question."

Three steps. Four steps.

"Others think he had made deep preparations for this moment, but I don't believe that at all, because nine years ago when Wei Wei entered the sect, I was the one who examined him."

Five steps. Six steps.

"My memory is quite good. People I see, what they do, those are things I basically won't forget. I naturally wouldn't incorrectly recall Wei Wei's talent."

His voice carried a faint taunting undertone.

Seventh step.

With his back against the large tree, Han Dong's eyes turned ice cold. Bloody light appeared on his fingertips and contempt lined the corner of his lips!

At this moment, Qin Yu staggered as if he had tripped on something. Han Dong's movements slowed for a brief moment before a loud rumbling sound rose up behind him.

Awo –

The frightened wild boar emitted a strange howl. It subconsciously rushed forwards, its fast actions completely out of sync with its enormous body as it mercilessly slammed into Han Dong. Its two giant tusks ripped through Han Dong's chest and pierced his heart. Han Dong's eyes widened and fresh blood gushed out from his mouth. With endless fury and rage swimming in his eyes, he died!

The wild boar swung its head and threw the body away. It rushed away from the valley in a panic, its cries of terror still echoing in the night.

The mass of blood red light burst apart in the air and covered Han Dong's corpse, turning whatever it touched into ashes as it hit the ground.

What a pitiful person. This chief disciple Han Dong had believed that everything was in his grasp, but he had actually been killed by the 'stupid beast' he had mocked just a moment ago, and not even his bones were left remaining.

Qin Yu fell to the ground, feeling as if all the bones in his body had been pulled out. Sweat poured out from every pore until his robes turned sticky and pasted to his body.

By activating the trap, the wild boar had been frightened and as a result it had killed Han Dong...rather than saying this was Qin Yu's plan, this should be called his luck instead. If anything had gone wrong, he would have died.

Looking towards the direction the wild boar fled off to, Qin Yu smiled. "Half a year ago you nearly killed me, but today you rescued me. With that our debts have been settled."

His gaze fell onto Wei Wei's bones and he couldn't suppress the excitement rising in his mind. That deep blue sea color seemed as if it could draw in his mind with a single glance. If it could cause Han Dong to kill his fellow sect disciple without any scruples at all, it was clear how precious it must be. Moreover, there was also Wei Wei's recent meteoric rise as evidence.

Qin Yu gasped several times and struggled up to crawl towards the bones. But before he could take a few steps, a loud snapping sound broke out from within his body and all the strength within him seemed to subside, leaving him feeling incomparably weak and empty. His consciousness began to blur. With his body and mind exhausted and his emotions rising and falling, his fragile second level Energy Refining realm had decided to begin collapsing at this moment!

"No!" Qin Yu roared out in his heart. He knew that once he fell down he would never have a chance to stand back up.

He was not willing to die like this!

His body fell to the ground and he could no longer see everything around him. His shaking hands gripped the dirt as he pulled and squirmed his way forwards. 𝗇𝑂𝐕𝖊𝑙𝐮𝓈𝒃.𝓬𝑂𝓂

He didn't know how long it took, but he finally touched something cold. He didn't know what it was that he touched, but once he grabbed it he didn't let go. Then, his consciousness began to turn dark.

The night was thick and sticky like ink. The wind whistled through the valley, carrying with it the light scent of blood. Small motes of dim green light glowed in the dark like ghostly flames.

Qin Yu lay prone near Wei Wei's bones. The ghostly green light illuminated his young and pale face and that was twisted with pain. His breaths were weak, and without accident, he would die here, becoming another lonely ghost that haunted this valley.

But perhaps it was destiny, perhaps it was luck, or perhaps it was just an accident...he was not destined to die here today.

Qin Yu's right index finger poked through a hole in Wei Wei's clothing and touched his bones. The ghostly green lights that covered his bones seemed to come to life, creeping up towards that finger like wriggling flesh and flowing into his body like mercury.

Qin Yu's entire body turned green and massive tracts of glowing dots appeared on his skin. Although he had already fainted, painful cries still unconsciously sounded out from the depths of his throat as his body twitched out of control.

In truth, Qin Yu was lucky. If this poisonous corpsefire talisman hadn't exhausted almost all of its strength when it killed Wei Wei, then he would have been turned to bones by now!

Although that trace of deep blue was grasped in his hands, there wasn't the tiniest reaction at all. But when that poison corpsefire tried to invade Qin Yu's body, that peaceful deep blue began to surge with rolling waves. Like a spring breeze caressing the surface of a lake, small ripples started to spread out. The terrifying corpsefire spots on Qin Yu's body began to rapidly melt away like snow beneath the sun.

Misfortune had turned into a blessing!

Qin Yu should have died. But after the poisonous corpsefire invaded his body and was also melted away, his breath had finally leveled off. Although it was weak it was steady, and a faint blush of red reappeared on his face.

He grasped the touch of blue and fell to the ground. Then, as if he possessed everything he needed, he fell asleep.

As the skies lit up, Qin Yu was awakened by the morning bells of the Eastern Mountain Sect. His mind was confused for a brief moment and then his eyes suddenly widened. He crawled onto his feet. Although his entire body was sore with aches and pains, his chest felt comfortable and there was no rattling in his breath or occasional pains as he breathed.

How could this be?

Last night he had clearly...

Qin Yu's mind shook. He looked up and swept his gaze around. A complicated light appeared in his eyes. At a large stone beneath the great tree, the bones there as well as the icy coldness he gripped in his palm told him that what he was seeing and what he remembered was not a dream.

Qin Yu's young heart began to panic, but he soon tamped it down. He looked at the thumb-sized lamp in his palm and his eyes brightened. He noticed that a part of his finger had turned a strange ghostly green, but he didn't have time to think about what this meant.

He placed the lamp against his chest and started to quickly clean up the scene. He was an amateur cultivator of the lowest level and had never managed to practice the magic arts of an immortal cultivator. He could only try to erase the traces of evidence himself with his own effort.

Sometime later, besides the large stone beneath the tree, the valley returned to its original state.

Third senior-apprentice brother's bones, clothing, as well a crossbow hidden in his sleeves were buried by Qin Yu. Several jade bottles were also buried; of course, the pills inside them were taken out.

In addition, there were also two pieces of stone as long as a finger. Qin Yu could clearly feel the spirit energy emanating from them.

Spirit stones!

The blood fire that Han Dong released had burnt himself as well as all his possessions to ashes. While this had saved Qin Yu the troubles of having to dispose of his corpse, Qin Yu couldn't help but think that the chief disciple Han Dong surely would have had more possessions on his body. To think that all of these things were destroyed by that blood fire, Qin Yu felt his heart ache a little.

He made a circle and examined the site once more to make sure that he couldn't find any mistakes. Then, he slowly walked backwards and left. Although his speed was slow, he meticulously cleared away his footprints as he left. It was only when he left the valley and discovered the presence of others that he turned and quickly hurried away.

Even though Qin Yu had gone as fast as he could, he still spent a good period of time on this delay. The outer court disciples had already started heading out to work along with the ringing of the morning bell.

However, this made Qin Yu feel a little less troubled. It was only when he returned to his residence and closed the door, isolating himself from the outside, did he truly let out a sigh of relief. An intense wave of fatigue swept over him.

He suppressed his exhaustion and switched his clothes. He hid the lamp, spirit stones, and pills in a hidden drawer beneath the window. Then, he plopped onto his bed and fell asleep.

After an unknown period of time, Qin Yu was awakened by the sounds of rapid knocking on his door. He could see the two doors leading to his room suddenly groan and then fall down. Several vigorous and quick young men rushed into his room and stood to the side with bowed heads.

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Chapter 3 – Changed Destiny

Qin Yu's expression froze for an instant, but this surprise disappeared in the next moment. He put on a frightened look and said, "Xu Jian, what are you doing? Don't mess with me, I am not afraid of you!"

Perhaps it was because he was too worked up, but he violently coughed, his face turning deathly pale as if he was in agonizing pain.

A middle-aged man stepped forwards. He wore blue robes and exuded an imposing appearance. His eyes swept around and he frowned. The residence of an outer court disciple was small and narrow, and it was particularly cramped when several people squeezed themselves in. Still, the injuries of this disciple before him were extremely suspicious at the moment.

As Xu Jian observed the area, he snapped, "Last night, Senior-apprentice Brothers Han Dong and Wei Wei were murdered, and now the entire sect has been sealed off while a search is underway for the killer. High Master Li is going to question you and you need to reply truthfully. If there is a single lie in your words then your life will be in danger!"

Xu Jian turned around and his ferocious appearance suddenly turned servile, as if he were wanting to flatter.

Li Mu simply didn't put the flattery of these outer court disciples in his eyes. He directly aside, "I ask you, where were you last night? And where do your wounds come from?"

Qin Yu's face filled with panic, seeming as if he were completely shocked and overwhelmed. His voice trembled as he said, "I was in my room last night. Because my old illness broke out, I missed today's work. I ask High Master to show mercy!"

Li Mu frowned. He didn't doubt the terror and panic in this disciple's voice. He asked, "Does anyone remember this person's old illness?"

Xu Jian wanted to see Qin Yu suffer, but at this time he didn't dare to speak any lies. He respectfully said, "Reporting to High Master, half a year ago Qin Yu was punished due to the medicine garden accident, and he has indeed not fully healed yet."

Li Mu glanced at Qin Yu's horrified expression and inwardly shook his head. This disciple was only at the first level of Energy Refining and also looked like a sickly ghost on the verge of death, and even his disposition seemed like that of a timid little mouse. How could someone like him possibly be related to the murder? But since he was here, he had to investigate!

He waved his hand, "Search the room!"

Xu Jian and the others began to immediately overturn the entire room, leaving everything in a chaotic mess. 𝚗𝓞𝒱𝔢𝓁𝑢𝗌𝑩.𝐂𝒐𝑚

Of course, they didn't find anything.

Li Mu simply turned around. "We're leaving."

Xu Jian respectfully bowed. He cast back a cold glare before he left, seemingly unwilling to leave like this.

Qin Yu lowered his head, hiding his expression from line of sight. In reality, his heart was shaking at this moment. The deaths of Han Dong and Wei Wei had actually been noticed so quickly! Luckily, he had taken precautions last night and hid away the lamp and other things, otherwise he had no idea how he would die if those things were discovered!

"Qin Yu! Qin Yu! I saw Xu Jian leave just now, did he bully you again? I will settle this score with him later!" A tall and strong youth walked in, his body solid and large like an iron tower made of flesh. The ground seemed to shake with each step he took. Although he was scowling, he had a babyish face that was tender and na?ve; he didn't appear fierce at all.

His name was Lang Tu, but because of his appearance, Qin Yu had jokingly nicknamed him Potato.

Qin Yu waved his hand. "Let them be. Quick, help me up."

Lang Tu was surprised. He quickly helped support Qin Yu. "Is something wrong with you?"

Qin Yu forced a smile. When he saw Xu Jian and the others pass through his door, he had put on an act until they left. But although he had somehow succeeded, he could still feel his heart shivering. Now, his hands and feet were still a bit numb. He grabbed onto Potato and sat up on the bed, wiping off the beads of sweat on his forehead.

"Qin Yu, what happened?" Lang Tu anxiously asked.

Qin Yu briefly explained what had happened. As Lang Tu heard this, his face filled with horror. He never imagined that the situation was so dangerous just now. But then he spoke words that nearly angered Qin Yu to death.

"It's a good thing you have a weak body. It's already difficult for you to kill a chicken so it's impossible for you to be the murderer. If it weren't for your condition things would really be troublesome!"

Qin Yu glared at him. "If you don't have to say something then don't say it. It's like your brain has holes! Hurry up and get me something to eat, I'm starving to death here!"

Lang Tu laughed. "You're just in luck. I stewed a pheasant last night and still have half a pot of meat remaining. I'll bring it to you." As he walked to the door, he rubbed his head and said, "Oh, that's right. I finished your assignments for today so you don't need to worry about being punished later."

As Qin Yu watched Lang Tu leave, his heart warmed. He had a deep understanding into just how incredible Potato's appetite was. Let alone one pheasant, he could clear out ten of them in a single meal if he wanted. When he said he had half a pot of meat left, the truth was that he had left it for him especially.

When he ate the last of the soup and put down the bowl, a warm feeling rose up from his stomach, making him feel much better.

Lang Tu had already left. This boy had poor talent for cultivation, but he was actually born with an overbearing mortal body. He had chosen to walk the road to sainthood with his mortal body, and practiced with stone blocks every day. His diligence and hard work even put Qin Yu to shame. And of course, before he left, he also helped put up a pair of new doors for his room.

After Qin Yu cleaned up, he rose and started to move. Then, he lay back down on his bed to take a nap. The sky began to dim and the room darkened. Qin Yu lay on his bed motionless, his breaths long and gentle, as if he had already entered into a deep sleep.

The moon climbed into the skies and the cold night deepened. Soon, midnight arrived.

Shua –

Qin Yu's eyes opened. They were clear and bright without the least bit of fatigue in them. He rose up, pretending to listen to his surroundings. Then, he sat back down on his bed. After he didn't notice anything strange, he rose back up and carefully went to open the hidden drawer in the wall.

A trace of deep blue light flowed out. Qin Yu was shocked. It was only when he found that this light covered an area a foot in radius did he let out a breath of relief.

He didn't know just what this thumb-sized lamp was. But just from it being normal in the daytime and giving off blue light at night, he could tell that it was something extraordinary!

He sat back down on his bed. After some thought, he took out a knife and made a small cut on his finger, allowing blood to flow out. For better or worse, he was still a disciple of an immortal cultivating sect and had a basic knowledge of what to do in these situations. For instance, what he was doing now was the roughest and most basic method of using a drop of blood to have the treasure recognize him as its master.

He stared helplessly on as the drop of blood fell on the lamp and then rolled off. Qin Yu was disappointed for a moment but then he relaxed. This treasure was something he had risked his life on to obtain, so how could it recognize him as its master so easily? He fiddled with it some more, even using some of his incredibly weak first level Energy Refining magic power. But in the end, he couldn't work out how to use this lamp.

Qin Yu thought for a moment and then put the lamp to the side. He opened up the separately wrapped pills. He didn't forget that he was currently burdened with a grave illness. If he didn't hurry up and cure himself and something were to happen again like last night, he didn't think he would have another stroke of good luck to live through it.

The pills on Wei Wei's body were from four jade bottles. There was a terrifying number of them. Qin Yu spent a great deal of effort picking through them until he managed to identify one kind. It was a minor spirit pill, a pill used to speed up cultivation that the sect passed down to outstanding disciples who displayed a considerable level of talent.

The reason he recognized it was because he had once seen a fellow sect disciple show one off. As for the other three kinds, he could only put them to the side first. He didn't dare to recklessly use them without ascertaining what their effects were.

As he picked up a minor spirit pill that was emitting a rich medicinal fragrance, Qin Yu sighed with emotion. Wei Wei was truly worth being called the disciple most beloved by the Sect Master. Even if it were just these pills alone, there was unlikely to be a single disciple anywhere on the Eastern Mountain Sect that could compare with him.

But now, these pills were his!

He took a deep breath filled with anticipation. Then, Qin Yu swallowed a pill and quickly closed his eyes. This was his first time swallowing a cultivation pill. Without any previous experience in taking them, he could only continue cautiously.

As the minor spirit pill fell into his stomach, warmth began to fill his body and circulate through him, as if he were soaking in a comfortable bath. During the process, the warm medicinal efficiency blended together with his flesh and blood, transforming into pure spiritual strength that flowed into his dantian.

Qin Yu fell in love with this sort of feeling. He never imagined that cultivating could actually be so satisfying. He closed his eyes and stimulated the movement of medicinal efficacy in his body. He could feel the spiritual strength within his body swiftly growing. This sort of clear sensation left him drunk on his own rising power.

He didn't know how much time passed, but the heat within his body began to slowly fade away. Qin Yu's eyes opened. Without any hesitation, he swallowed another minor spirit pill.

He closed his eyes and cultivated, digesting it again.

Unconsciously, the night passed. When the morning light began to rise in the east, Qin Yu's breath suddenly changed. A faint breeze blew into the room, lifting up the lower hem of his clothes.

Energy Refining, second level!

Qin Yu's eyes opened and his face filled with joyous surprise. He never thought his lost cultivation would be recovered overnight. He leapt up onto his feet. He didn't feel exhausted from not having slept the entire night, but felt refreshed both mentally and physically instead!

He could feel the magic power from the second level of Energy Refining flowing through his body as well as the unprecedented comfort in his chest. Qin Yu suppressed his happy laughter. Not only had his cultivation recovered but his old illness had been cured. This was simply two joyous events arriving together.

This also made Qin Yu realize how important pills were to a cultivator. Before this, he had spent seven years to reach the second level of Energy Refining. When compared to the speed of last night, the difference was mind-boggling! If he could have endless pills at his disposal, then no matter how inferior his talent was, he could still possess a cultivation speed that left others bewildered. In the future he might even become a supreme elder of the immortal path that ruled his own domain.

But just as these thoughts appeared, Qin Yu quickly tamped them back down. A look of self-ridicule appeared on his face. Refining pills was not an easy process. Not to mention the rare and precious materials that were required, just the horrific failure rate during the refinement process was enough to leave one shaking in fear.

To eat pills as if one were eating rice in order to increase one's cultivation; that was an impossible prospect. Let alone their small Eastern Mountain Sect, not even Immortal Eclipse Valley, the legendary sect ranked number one within 100,000 miles of the Southern Empire that was also known for their alchemy skills, could achieve this.

"You're daydreaming even at dawn. Hurry and wake up." Qin Yu mumbled to himself. He calmed down and began to think once more.

Although he had somehow muddled through the events of yesterday, he would still need to be more cautious in the upcoming days. He would also need to slow down in taking pills to increase his cultivation. Otherwise, it would be extremely questionable if his cultivation was to rapidly increase, and he didn't want some tragedy to occur due to greedy haste.

He picked up the thumb-sized lamp. The blue light it emitted had disappeared along with the morning light. This was absolutely an amazing treasure, and it was likely that the meteoric rise of Wei Wei was related to it.

He subconsciously tightened his grip on the lamp, his eyes brightening. Pills were good, but in his mind, this lamp was the most important. Just as he was about to put away the remaining minor spirit pills and hide them with the lamp in the hidden drawer, his eyebrows pressed together and surprise colored his face.

Of the minor spirit pills spread out on his bed, a dozen some on the corner appeared to be emitting a faint lustrous brilliance. Although it was weak, there was no way that Qin Yu would misread it. As he put them side by side and contrasted them with the other ordinary ones, the difference was even more conspicuous.

All of the minor spirit pills were the same. Last night when Qin Yu had poured them out, he had taken a good look over all of them. He picked up one of the lustrous minor spirit pills and smelled it. As the medical fragrance wafted into his nose, he was left shocked!

These pills were absolutely extraordinary.

But what was going on here? These pills seemed to have automatically upgraded overnight! A strange heat began to spin around in Qin Yu's heart, as if some possible theory was within his reach. But as he was thinking about it, he still couldn't touch upon what the reason was.

What was it?

Just what was it?

Suddenly, Qin Yu's gaze fell upon the lamp in his hand and a bolt of lightning pierced through the fog on his mind.

The thumb-sized lamp!

Yes, this was it!

Qin Yu's memories were incredibly clear at this moment. He remembered last night. He had put the lamp to the side when he swallowed a pill and started to cultivate. The dozen some pills that had changed were all placed near the lamp. Or to be more precise, they were placed within the foot wide radius of blue light that the thumb-sized lamp emitted.

Qin Yu's heart raced and his mouth turned dry. He bit the tip of his tongue and forcefully maintained his calm.

This was only speculation. First, he had to stabilize himself and wait until after tonight to discover the truth. But at the bottom of his heart, Qin Yu had an intuition that his suspicions were correct, and the rise of Wei Wei was the best evidence for this!

For the rest of the day, Qin Yu was left in a stunned daze. With recuperating as an excuse, he didn't go anywhere. Lang Tu dropped by, and after making a little fuss and ensuring that Qin Yu was in good condition, he agreed to help him finish his daily work and then left in a hurry.

Lang Tu's diligence was day after day, without a single break.

The night returned.

Qin Yu sat in the dark. The thumb-sized lamp was placed on a table. It emitted a blue light, making everything within a foot resemble the deep sea. Ten each of the four different pills were placed on the table, five of them within the blue light and five of them outside.

For the entire night, Qin Yu didn't rest at all.

As the sun rose, he pushed the door open. He stood in his little courtyard, staring at the blazing sun, a dazed look in his eyes. In a dark corner of the room, of the 40 pills on the table, all 20 of the ones that were bathed in the blue light had been upgraded.

He stayed like this for a long, long time.

Qin Yu let out a long breath. Then, the dazed look on his features was swept away. His black pupils were like an ancient well, deep and dark as they reflected the sun. His gaze began to fiercely burn with an unprecedented confidence.

Today, his destiny had changed!

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Chapter 4 – Pill Disposal Department

Half a month later, the blockade around the sect was gradually relaxed. Because of the lack of results, the stormy chase after the murder also began to die down.

However, Han Dong and Wei Wei's corpses hadn't been found and this incident still had to have an explanation. In the end, everything was blamed on the demonic sects. Originally, the demonic sects were the mortal enemies of the immortal sects and throughout the years they committed all sorts of grave and heinous crimes; it wasn't difficult to add another one to the mix.

While Qin Yu felt relieved, this also left him depressed. One of the world's greatest pains was to possess such an extraordinary treasure and yet be unable to use it. In this past half month he had used the lamp to enhance all of the pills. As long as he swallowed and absorbed one, his cultivation would increase by leaps and bounds.

But he didn't dare to!

In 27 days, Wei Wei broke through seven levels of Energy Refining, earning him an unparalleled degree of limelight. Yet, if he hadn't done this he might not have summoned a fatal disaster upon his own head. Qin Yu didn't plan on following in his footsteps.

Could he only waste his time away even with such a treasure in his grasp? This question left Qin Yu with a headache. Unless he could somehow avoid outside attention, this was a problem without any solution at all.

Lang Tu held a fat chicken in his hands. With its bright red crown of feathers one could immediately see that it was an overlord of chickens, a king, one that ruled over and enthralled thousands of hens. But, that majesty was no longer and had since disappeared. Its eyes were misty and dejected as it waited to be chopped up.

"You little chicky chicken, to think even you would cry. Where is your fierce attitude from when you were trying to peck me to death just now?" Lang Tu shook his hands. "Stop being so sad, I've been eyeing you for a long time. I originally planned on letting you live so you could provide generations of chickens, but my brother's body has been in poor condition lately so I'm going to use you to help him recover.

"Rest assured, I will pluck clean all your crown feathers and bury them. That should be enough for you to die in peace. Hehe, I'm righteous, no doubt about it!"

The chicken overlord's eyes widened until they turned white. It was unknown whether it had been scared too much or shaken too much, but its head tilted and it fainted.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

Lang Tu shouted out, "Open the door! Open the door! Qin Yu, I've brought you something delicious!"

Qin Yu opened the door and lazily glanced down at the chicken. With a dull "Oh," he turned and walked back in. Right now he was like a depressed cat, simply unable to summon any enthusiasm.

Lang Tu grumbled in dissatisfaction. "Hey, I brought this chicken to treat you so you might as well at least smile for me. You should appreciate the thoughts of others!" As he finished speaking, he froze for a moment. He nervously said, "Qin Yu, is your sickness erupting again? Don't scare me here!"

Qin Yu slapped away Lang Tu's hand and sighed in exasperation. This boy's hand was far too big and his calluses made his skin as tough as an elephant's. "Stop trying to curse me here, I am feeling great right now!" His lips moved again, "Potato, do you think there is any solution…"

Qin Yu sighed and helplessly shook his head. Like an ill patient willing to find any doctor, he had even asked Potato. It was already incredible if this fellow Potato didn't lose himself on the way here. Trying to ask him to help with this was just a waste of time.

Lang Tu rubbed his head, confused. "What are you trying to say? Do you have a problem? If I can help you then I will help you!"

This boy was too slow-witted.

Qin Yu humorlessly said, "Stop asking. Hurry up and prepare the food, I'm really hungry here!" 𝑵𝑶𝑣𝚎𝗅𝑈𝓈𝑏.𝕔𝑂𝗆

"Okay!" Lang Tu turned back around to leave.

Suddenly, the door to the courtyard was kicked in from the outside. Several vigorous youths filed in.

Lang Tu's complexion changed. He clenched his teeth and growled, "Xu Jian, it's you bastards again. Aren't you scared of me beating you up again? If you dare to bully Qin Yu today then I won't forgive you!"

Xu Jian's complexion turned ugly. He lifted his hand and said, "Lang Tu, I will settle our debts later. But today, I did not come for my own enjoyment. I am only here to announce something."

His gaze fell onto Qin Yu, his face filled with sinister intentions. "Junior-apprentice Brother Wang from the Pill Disposal Department has died, and the outer court needs to recommend a successor to take his place. When the lord supervisor asked me, I recommended Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu. Haha…this is a leisurely and comfortable job with wonderful benefits. Qin Yu, shouldn't you be thanking me?"

Lang Tu roared out, "I'll kill you, you bastard!" But before he could throw himself forwards, Qin Yu grabbed him. Lang Tu didn't struggle, afraid that he would injure Qin Yu. He continued to shout, "Let me go, that bastard wants to kill you! I'll send him on the road first!"

Blood vessels stuck up all over Lang Tu's face. At this time, he was like a man-eating beast ready to devour his enemies. Xu Jian unconsciously stepped backwards. Although his face was flushed red in response, he actually didn't dare to fight him.

"These are orders from the supervisor. Qin Yu must go and report today! And you Lang Tu, stop being so insolent. We're leaving!"

The several people left, flustered.

Lang Tu shouted out, "Qin Yu, why didn't you let me beat them up! Do you know what kind of place the Pill Disposal Department is? Xu Jian is trying to place you in a death trap!"

Qin Yu let go and flicked his wrists. Even though Lang Tu didn't struggle for fear of harming him, he had still used a little bit of strength and Qin Yu's arms were left tingling with a bit of pain and numbness. This boy was simply a vicious beast in human form!

"Stop shouting, I'm already aware. However, Xu Jian has miscalculated the situation this time."

Lang Tu flew into a rage. "I think you've gone crazy! Pill Disposal Department, this is the Pill Disposal Department! They are sealed away from the outside and it is rare that anyone visits even throughout the entire year. They are responsible for processing the wasted pills and variation materials. With all the poisons and corrosive gasses there, your body won't be able to last for another three months!"

He clenched his teeth and turned around. "I'm going to go and plead with the supervisor to substitute for you in entering the Pill Disposal Department."

As Qin Yu saw Lang Tu's angry scowl and his puffed out chest as if he were some brave hero planning on setting off for a final battle, he couldn't help but be moved. He grabbed onto Lang Tu and said, "Lang Tu, of the two of us, who do you think is smarter?"

Lang Tu tilted his head. "Of course…you are smarter."

One of Qin Yu's eyebrows arched up. "Since you know that, do you really believe that I would go and seek my own death?" He gathered himself and earnestly said, "Potato, you are my best friend, my best brother. I wouldn't lie to you. You can rest assured that while the Pill Disposal Department is known as a toxic wasteland to others, it might not be the same for me."

Qin Yu lowered his head and glanced at the green mark that wrapped the index finger of his right hand. A strange light flashed in his eyes.

Xu Jian, this time I really might have to thank you!

Qin Yu had finally realized what the eerie green mark on his index finger was. Just two days ago when he was cleaning up weeds near the medicine garden, he had been able to see for himself just how terrifying it was. He had been digging out the roots of an extremely deep weed that required a considerable amount of effort to pull out. But when his finger just gently touched the roots of that weed, the weed actually turned green and withered away on the spot.

Qin Yu's pupils shrank and he instantly thought back to Wei Wei's bones. After a few more experiments, he had determined that a horrifying corrosive poison had gathered in this finger of his! If it had invaded his body, it would be impossible for him to survive through luck. So, the reason he lived must have been related to that little blue lamp.

Because that was the only possible variable that night.

As it turned out, Qin Yu was right. He found several plants in the surrounding area of the medicine garden that only had a low degree of toxicity. After making sure that they weren't poisonous enough to take his life, he waited until night fell to hold the small blue lamp and drink the grass juices.

As a result, beneath his watchful gaze, threads of poisonous black gas gathered in his fingers and were completely unable to harm him. Qin Yu even ventured out to find plants that were poisonous enough to take down a big bear, but even those poisons were unable to harm him.

With this experiment, Qin Yu discovered that the second function of the small blue lamp was to dispel poison.

Or, if he were to be a little more overbearing in his naming, he might call it poison immunity!

And it was because of this that he remained calm in the face of Xu Jian's plot to kill him. In fact, he was even a little happy.

For cultivators, pills contained endless benefits. But if one failed in refining them, there was a high possibility that some sort of poison would be produced due to the different medicinal efficacies contained within. These sorts of poisons were produced due to the failed refinement of the pill, so if someone were to be tainted by them it would be extremely difficult to remove.

If one possessed a profound cultivation then they could rely upon it to forcefully suppress this poison. However, doing so would result in the stagnation of their cultivation and it would be difficult for them to advance in the future. The vast majority of victims could only cry out in pain and sorrow as they slowly suffered an agonizing death.

It wasn't that every failed pill was poisonous, but that every failed pill had a chance of being poisonous. So no one dared to randomly toss them away. Thus, most sects had a specialized disposal department whose duty was to thoroughly destroy the poisonous failed pills.

With Qin Yu and his little blue lamp, he didn't have to worry about the poison aspect. Then, the leftover things were all good for him.

First of all, the Pill Disposal Department was notorious for being poisonous, so there was rarely anyone who dared step inside. It was a perfect hidden environment for Qin Yu. He could swallow pills and cultivate without needing to worry that he would be found out by others.

Next, the Pill Disposal Department received an incredible number of failed pills all year long. The small blue lamp might not be able to enhance these failed pills, but if it could…just thinking of that left one drooling!

And there was a great number of alchemy texts preserved in the Pill Disposal Department. It was said that they were all written by people who had entered in the previous years and studied pills in hopes of survival. Although they couldn't be considered too profound, they were precious enough for Qin Yu.

With all of these factors combined together, Qin Yu couldn't imagine a place more fitting for him than the Pill Disposal Department.

So Qin Yu didn't delay at all. As soon as Xu Jian and the others left, he sent away the still confused Lang Tu and began packing up his things as he headed off towards a happier life.

Along the way, a chicken accompanied him!

It really was a chicken accompanying him.

According to Lang Tu, his current physical state might not be any stronger than this chicken overlord. Since this chicken managed to escape the fate of being eaten today, then he might as well bring it along with him. If there came a day when things were looking dire, he needed to find a way to utilize this chicken to escape as soon as possible!

To argue with a dull-minded person was an incredibly difficult task. This was because they would use the nonsensical logic in their head and wrap you up around it, until you became equally mired in their ridiculous thinking, and then they would proceed to defeat you again with their words. Qin Yu had already experienced this multiple times beforehand, so he chose instead to simply agree, thinking that if he was ever starving in the future it wouldn't be bad to have a snack on hand.

The Pill Disposal Department. One could imagine that it was placed as far away as possible. As Qin Yu ran over, his face blushed red and his breathing turned heavy, but there was a smile on the corners of his lips that he couldn't conceal.

His appearance left the anxiously waiting senior-apprentice brother stunned and then shocked. Just how na?ve was this person that he didn't know how to spell the word death? Or was he mentally ill in some way? No matter what it was, he didn't want to accompany him further. Just getting near this place left him feeling chilled all over.

The senior-apprentice brother tossed over the entry token and pointed his finger towards where to go. Then, without even a greeting, he circled around Qin Yu and ran away.

A smile appeared on Qin Yu's face. This was the effect that he wanted; it was best if no one came to disturb him. He glanced at the chicken overlord and said, "Hey little fellow, it looks like from now on, it's going to be the two of us together."

The entry token was truly an immortal treasure. With it, one could open the protective array formations around the Pill Disposal Department. In order to prevent pill toxins from spilling over to the outside world, the Eastern Mountain Sect had arranged prohibitive array formations all around the outside of the department. This was more than satisfactory for Qin Yu.

Without the entry token, one could only break their way in, and there was no one stupid enough to enter the Pill Disposal Department of their own volition. This added another layer of protection to the secrecy of this place.

The sealing array formations were maintained by the Eastern Mountain Sect as usual, but it was clear that the disposal department itself didn't experience this sort of treatment. This was immediately visible from the dilapidated entrance.

The entrance was a giant hole dug into the side of a mountain and surrounded with a faint layer of mist. For the Pill Disposal Department to be built in a mountain, one could see how cautious the builders had been.

Qin Yu took a deep breath, revolved his magic power, and poured it into the entry token. A powerful suction force immediately erupted, instantly sucking dry the magic power from within his body. Qin Yu's vision blurred and he nearly fainted where he was. Sweat streamed out from his pores, turning his robes wet.

A faint light emitted from the entry token. There seemed to be a strange resonance in the mist around the entrance, and like water being parted, a passage was revealed in the middle.

Qin Yu took several deep and heavy breaths, only then managing to disperse a little bit of the ache that was tumbling around in his chest. He looked at the opening within the array formation and wryly smiled. The second level of Energy Refining was truly trash. If he was any weaker, he feared he wouldn't even be able to open the array formation!

Qin Yu didn't dare to delay as he didn't know how long the opening in the array formation would last. He stepped into the round hole and the mist closed up behind him.

After entering the cave entrance, he discovered he had completely underestimated how cautious the Eastern Mountain Sect had been. The disposal department wasn't located in the mountain at all, but was diagonally down below, right at the bottom!

The passage was dark and gloomy. Even though there were illuminating array formations, the light was too weak to clearly see the surroundings. Even so, for Qin Yu, this was no different from daytime.

As Qin Yu looked around, his eyes suddenly widened. He discovered that beneath his feet, the stones had been rubbed to a polish. It was clear that a massive number of people had walked through this passage before. And what was even more astonishing was that on the ground and rock walls, there were traces of blood as well as traces of people digging.

The bloodstains were common and hard to see in the dark. If one didn't pay close attention, they wouldn't have noticed at all. Layer after layer, the dark red color seemed to have permeated the stones!

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Chapter 5 – Increase in Cultivation

What was going on here?

Qin Yu immediately raised his guard. He tossed away the chicken overlord without much thought, quickly pulled out a minor spirit pill and swallowed it.

After being shined upon by the little blue lamp, the pill had been upgraded and the medicinal efficacy had drastically risen along with it. The pill was now equal to at least three from before. The medicinal efficacy of the pill circulated through his body, rapidly turning into spiritual strength. Qin Yu's second level Energy Refining magic powers were soon completely restored, and were even a little better than before.

It was too late to regret his choices. So, after taking minor spirit pill, Qin Yu grabbed onto one side of the stone walls and began to slowly make his way downwards. He had already thought over the matter and came to the conclusion that the disposal department was the best path to take, so he couldn't give up here so easily.

Of course, the most important factor in him making such a hasty decision was the knowledge that the Pill Disposal Department had only gone through 10 people in the last seven years. The one that lasted the shortest period of time had still stayed here for two months. From this, it was clear that while there were dangers within, these dangers weren't immediately fatal.

The journey to the bottom continued on in peace.

Besides the sounds of his own footsteps, he could hear nothing else in the quiet tunnel. Qin Yu didn't dare to be careless so he cautiously searched the area several times. After he determined that there was nothing dangerous around him, he finally revealed a thoughtful expression.

Since there were no external dangers, then the traces of digging near the entrance and the blood that was spilled on the ground could only have been left behind by the previous members of the Pill Disposal Department.

Why was that?

Qin Yu was puzzled, but in the end he couldn't come up with a reason. He quietly paid attention to his surroundings and began to clean up the area. The last person who was here, Senior-apprentice Brother Wang, must have been in agonizing pain during the last moments of his life, so he had left the living area in an utter mess. Although Qin Yu didn't care much about his living environment, he might as well clean up a little since he would be staying here for a long time in the foreseeable future.

Two hours later, Qin Yu had finally cleaned up the area. He hadn't found any harvests during the process.

It seemed that there were some things he would need to slowly uncover in the future.

He sat down cross-legged on a round cushion and took out all the minor spirit pills he still had. Counting them, there were 37 left in total. Anticipation lit up within his eyes. He had been patiently waiting all these past days, and now that he finally had a safe and concealed environment, he could no longer hold himself back. Just how much would these 37 minor spirit pills increase his cultivation by?

He swallowed the pills, closed his eyes, and absorbed them!

Qin Yu's thoughts were completely immersed in his own cultivation. The magic powers within his body grew at an incredible speed, constantly rising.

When the last minor spirit pill turned into rushing magic power that fused with his cultivation, Qin Yu finally opened his eyes. A sharp light flashed in the darkness, incomparably dazzling. Overall he hadn't changed much, but his cheeks were rosier and his back was straight, causing him to emit a completely different aura from before.

He was calm, steady, and filled with confidence!

As if he had been reborn.

As he felt the magic powers flowing through his body that were several times stronger than before, he couldn't help but reveal a bright smile.

Energy Refining, fifth level!

After eating up 37 minor spirit pills he had managed to forcefully raise his cultivation by three boundaries. Of course, this was because his talent was far too poor and his ability to absorb spiritual strength far too low. The rate at which he could absorb spiritual strength was slow and he had wasted a considerable amount of the pills' medicinal efficacy, otherwise he could have risen to an even higher level.

But this was more than satisfactory for Qin Yu. In the past he never imagined that he would be able to reach the fifth level of Energy Refining. But unfortunately for him, he had used up all the minor spirit pills and he wasn't sure what uses the other pills had, so he could only stop his cultivation here.

He rose up and stretched his body. His joints emitted loud cracking sounds. He quietly calculated the time that had passed and was left startled. Unexpectedly, he had used up nearly seven days; he hadn't felt the passing of time at all and had only thought a moment had passed.

"Immortal cultivation has no sense of time. Hundreds of years can pass in the blink of an eye…"

Qin Yu finally experienced just what these words meant. He sighed and gathered his thoughts before moving to another room. When he cleaned up this area he discovered that this was the study room. There were a great deal of ancient pill books here, but at the time he had been eager to cultivate so he didn't stay here for long.

Now was a good time to read through these texts. If he could determine what sort of pills his remaining ones were then he could continue cultivating. After experiencing the rapid increase in his cultivation, Qin Yu decided he liked this sort of cultivating feeling.

While he called it a study room, it was actually just one of the caves roughly hewn into the stone walls. Besides a few ragged tables and chairs, there wasn't much else. There was an oil lamp on the table used for light as well some dry ink and a stack of paper to the side. There were some messy scribbles on the papers.

Qin Yu didn't need to light the lamp. He first looked over the paper on the table. It was covered with virulent curses overflowing with hatred, completely useless to him.

With a swipe of his hand, he pushed it aside. Then, he turned and picked up a nameless book.

He flipped open the first page.

"I, Xu, have pursued alchemy all my life, but my inferior aptitude will make it difficult to ever reach the highest peaks of knowledge. I leave behind my attainments to the future generations, in hopes that they…"

After glancing over the rest, he noticed it was rambling complaints and turned the page.

Soon, Qin Yu sucked in a deep breath.

This fellow surnamed Xu had actually recorded in detail his own alchemy refining process. This book was similar to alchemy notes, and what was even better was that he had written down descriptions of the various pills he had refined. This was what Qin Yu needed the most right now.

He quickly read through it. Perhaps it was because his cultivation had increased but his memorization ability had also been enhanced. After a moment he was able to approximately remember the contents of the book, in particular the descriptions of various pills.

Maybe it was because this Xu fellow's cultivation wasn't too high, but he was only able to refine low level pills. But, this was what Qin Yu needed in order to determine what kinds of pills he had.

Still, he wasn't careless. He took out several other pill books and flipped through them to verify his initial findings. After making sure there weren't too many discrepancies, he finally determined the three different types of pills he still had. They were called essence augmenting pills, body tempering pills, and fasting pills.

Essence augmenting pills were similar to minor spirit pills; they were pills that increased one's cultivation. But, they were one grade higher and their medicinal efficacy was much stronger.

The main function of body tempering pills was to enhance one's blood vitality and mortal body; there was also a minute effect of increasing one's cultivation.

As for fasting pills, taking a single one meant that he wouldn't need to eat food for an entire month.

Qin Yu happily smiled. There was no need to mention the essence augmenting pills; they were absolutely good things. As for body tempering pills, they were also useful. It seemed that his weak and sickly physical state would soon be able change.

As for fasting pills, when he was digesting pills there would be spiritual energy entering his body so that he wouldn't feel hunger. But once these pills were finished, they might find some use.

This could be called a satisfactory harvest.

With that, he continued to cultivate!

But this time Qin Yu didn't swallow an essence augmenting pill, but instead chose the body tempering pill.

The reason behind this was simple. During the Energy Refining realm his magic powers would be weak and he hadn't studied any offensive magic arts as well. If he were to stumble into some fatal danger, he would have to rely on his body to struggle his way out.

First he would temper his mortal body and then cultivate his magic power; this would add another level of safety. There shouldn't be any hidden dangers in the Pill Disposal Department, but with Qin Yu's character he was naturally suspicious of any possibilities.

The body tempering pill was truly worthy of its name. It was known as an indispensable pill for any cultivator at the Energy Refining realm, and its effects in transforming the mortal body were incredible!

10 days later, all 44 body tempering pills were completely refined. Qin Yu had grown half a head taller and his muscles had become smooth and strong. With his body that overflowed with explosive strength, he could bid farewell to his past weak an emaciated body!

If Lang Tu were to find out about this he would definitely cry out in sorrow. That fellow had suffered so much to attain his current physique but now he might not be any stronger than Qin Yu.

Qin Yu was all smiles. He decided he definitely needed to find a way to give some body tempering pills to Lang Tu later. That fellow's mind was full of muscles and it would be too difficult for him to walk the orthodox route of cultivation; he was more suited for tempering his body instead. 𝐍𝚘𝗏𝓔𝐋𝓊𝐬𝕓.𝐂𝑜𝗆

With the little blue lamp in his possession, Qin Yu believed that he would be able to walk very far on his road of cultivation. But, wouldn't it be lonely if he didn't have any friends to accompany him?

And Potato was his good brother of a lifetime!

The dark underground was an absolutely safe environment, and even time seemed to flow faster. When Qin Yu woke up from his cultivation daze again, he found he had been in the disposal department for an entire month already. All of the essence augmenting pills had been changed into his magic power, and his cultivation has soared to the astonishing eighth level of Energy Refining!

In one month he had broken through six levels of Energy Refining.

"Incredible, pills are really a cultivator's best friend!" Qin Yu couldn't help but sigh.

He was already sure that the reason Third Senior-apprentice Brother Wei Wei was able to break through seven levels of Energy Refining in 27 days and smoothly enter the Foundation Establishment realm was all because of that little blue lamp. Unfortunately, he had made too great a spectacle of himself, and like a meteor soaring into the skies, he also fell like a meteor from the skies.

"The arrow always shoots the first bird. Wei Wei's death is proof of this. I have to keep that thought in mind and make sure I remind myself frequently." Qin Yu said, his eyes earnest and dark. The existence of the little blue lamp had become his greatest secret and he couldn't expose it no matter what. Otherwise, let alone a little Energy Refining cultivator like himself, even a mighty supreme elder would be torn down.

After using up all his pills, Qin Yu's cultivation came to a temporary end. Even after staying a whole month in the dark underground beneath the mountain, in a completely enclosed space, he didn't feel bored at all. His lips curved up. "It seems I'm not completely useless when it comes to cultivation. At least I can withstand loneliness."

But as his voice fell, Qin Yu's eyebrows rose up. An image appeared in his eyes. "So it's you little thing." What appeared before him was the chicken overlord he had brought to the disposal department. On the day he arrived he had tossed it to the side because of his wariness, and had then forgotten about it as he was cultivating.

At this time, the chicken overlord's bright and colorful feathers had lost their original luster, and its fire red crown of feathers was dropping downwards. There was no light in its little eyes and it seemed a bit depressed. It looked at Qin Yu, hesitating, as if it wanted to approach him, but was also afraid of him.

Qin Yu immediately understood why. He lifted his hand and looked at his index finger. Indeed, the ghostly green had become several degrees darker. After being in this environment that was filled with pill toxins in the air, the month of time had caused the invading toxins to accumulate to a high enough degree where they had erupted. He was able to manage since he had the little blue lamp and its poison immunity effects, but the chicken overlord wasn't so lucky.

To not die here even after a month, this chicken must have an astonishing talent. It was indeed worthy of its title as overlord.

Qin Yu thought for a moment. He reached into the chest of his robes and slowly opened them. A deep blue light suddenly bloomed and illuminated the surrounding area for a foot. The chicken overlord's eyes widened with excitement and its claws began restlessly striking the ground, but it still resisted and didn't walk over.

This little fellow actually had several degrees of spiritual wisdom!

Qin Yu revealed a brief look of surprise. All sorts of strange and miraculous things were possible in this world. If he could obtain this little blue lamp, who was to say that the chicken overlord couldn't have its own little fortuitous encounter and develop its own spiritual wisdom? He originally brought it over because he wanted a companion here, and if the chicken overlord had its own spiritual wisdom then that would make things even better.

"Hey little fellow, come over here, I'll help you dispel the poison."

The chicken overlord seemed to understand his words. Its eyes rolled up and it fell to the ground with a thump.

It fainted?

Qin Yu didn't know whether to laugh or to cry. It seemed that this little fellow had already noticed him but had been resisting approaching. If so, then its spiritual wisdom couldn't be considered too low.

He walked over and picked up the chicken overlord. As he bathed it in the light of the little blue lamp, faint threads of black energy rushed towards its claw, turning it black.

He pinched the chicken overlord with his hands. It was fat and plump, and from the feel of it, it was much heavier than when he first brought it in.

Qin Yu rubbed his chin. He hadn't seen the chicken overlord this past month, so just what had it eaten during this time?

The black energy stopped surging; the poison had been dispelled. The chicken overlord's eyes were still closed without any sign that they would wake up soon.

However, if you are unconscious, why are a few of your long tail feathers shaking so hard?

Qin Yu intentionally lifted it up, a diabolical grin on his face. "How fat. Now that your poison has been dispelled, it's time to cook you!"

Pa pa pa!

The chicken overlord began to violently struggle. If Qin Yu hadn't braced himself then it might have already escaped. After a moment, the chicken overlord discovered that the two hands holding it were like two iron hoops, completely unbreakable. The chicken overlord looked at Qin Yu with large and pitiful eyes, tears streaming down its face.

This little fellow, it really had developed a spirit!

A wild chicken spirit?

This sort of name left him feeling inexplicably joyed.

Qin Yu faintly smiled.

The chicken overlord immediately changed its attitude, trying to act like a spoiled little child. It was fine if its feathers were shining, but why was its tail shaking like a windmill?

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Chapter 6 – The Underground Space

"Alright, if I really planned to eat you I wouldn't have needed to dispel your poison." Qin Yu let go. The chicken overlord fluttered down, but before it flew too far away it started to walk back with a dejected expression.

Qin Yu smiled. "I guess you're smart enough. There are pill toxins all over this place. If I don't help you dispel them, just where can you go?"

The chicken overlord waved its wings around, as if to say that it didn't understand.

Qin Yu didn't lower himself to the chicken overlord's level. He went straight to the point, "I'm going to ask you, for this last month, where did you hide away and what did you eat? Don't lie to me. Of course, if you are tired of living, you can ignore my good intentions."

The chicken overlord was swirling its eyes around, but when it heard the last sentence it suddenly froze. With two loud clucking sounds, it stretched out its wings and pointed towards the direction of the exit.

Qin Yu frowned. He hadn't chicken make such sounds, a sharp and grating call like a crow. But now was not the time to think about this. From the chicken overlord's response, it should have found something.

"Lead the way."

The chicken overlord rapidly flew over the stone steps, its wings fluttering with extreme speed. Luckily, Qin Yu had taken the body tempering pills and he was no longer the sickly weakling he was before, so he managed to follow right behind with ease. As he arrived at the entrance, he noticed the bloodstains on the walls and ground once more. The sight filled his heart with sadness again.

He looked around, not discovering anything. He glanced towards the chicken overlord, a questioning light in his eyes.

The little fellow smugly clucked twice more. It unfolded its wings and flew upwards before sneaking into a hole in the wall.

Soon, its cries echoed out from the hole.

Qin Yu's complexion changed. He never thought that there was another mystery to these holes which had been dug by others. He reached his hand inside, probing it. Two feet in, he discovered that there was more space within; the hole actually curved in another direction. In the dark environment it was simply impossible to discover this.

It was good that the chicken overlord was here, otherwise, even if he lived in the disposal department for a hundred years he still might not have found this place.

Where did this hole lead to?

Qin Yu moved back to the side. Soon, the chicken overlord came flying out, a plant seed in its beak. It politely placed the seed in his hand. The seed was dry and had a coating that hadn't completely fallen off yet; it was clear that it was a new seed.

Smelling it, he could make out the fragrance of soil. Qin Yu's eyes brightened.

Wherever this hole led to, that place could clearly grow plants.

The Pill Disposal Department was located deep underground, and yet there was actually such a hidden place here. No matter how he looked at it, this place was sure to be extraordinary!

He definitely had to go in.

But, this hole…

A helpless look colored Qin Yu's face.

The chicken overlord paced back and forth, pride and arrogance in its face. Its small eyes swept over Qin Yu often and smug satisfaction filled them. It was as if it were trying to say, 'So what if I tell you where the place is? It's not like you can go in. Cluck cluck cluck cluck!'

'Of course, if you were to ask me what it's like, it would be irresponsible for me to tell you. You'll have to guess! Cluck cluck cluck!'

Qin Yu's eyes turned icy cold. He cracked his fingers and raised a hand towards the chicken overlord, his complexion darkening. "If you want to keep on living then be obedient and listen to me!"

Even though the chicken overlord had its own spiritual wisdom, its intelligence was only equal to a five or six year old child's. So, as it was being threatened by Qin Yu, it could only follow directions. It flew in again and again, moving its wings in accordance with his instructions to reveal what he saw.

The comprehension ability of a chicken and a youth were naturally not the same. The process of discovery was filled with difficult twists and turns. At the start, the chicken overlord was able to look down on Qin Yu with a condescending look, as if it were trying to signal that he was hopelessly stupid. But afterwards, it could only roll its eyes in helpless disbelief, gasping each time.

Qin Yu took a sharp stone and began to make a rough sketch in the ground. He drew according to the information he obtained, his eyes becoming increasingly bright.

Now he could determine that this hole was a crack that sloped diagonally downwards, and it led to a mysterious place where plants could grow. And according to the angle and approximated length of the hole, this place wasn't too far from the disposal department.

In other words, it was possible there was another entrance to the disposal department!

He picked up the chicken overlord which had fallen to the ground, paralyzed with exhaustion and with its tongue sticking out. Then, he strode back towards the disposal department. His eyes slowly peered around before falling on the entrance to the resting room. Without a doubt, this stone chamber was the closest room to the underground space.

Besides the first time he arrived, Qin Yu hadn't come here again. His eyes swept over the room and he frowned. This was called a resting room but there was only a stone bed, a stone table, and a few lone crumbling stone stools.

He laid down the chicken overlord. Then, starting from the entrance, he gently rapped at the stone walls, trying to determine if there was a hidden space behind from the sounds. But as he continued rapping against the walls, all he found were solid walls, none of them hollow at all. There definitely wasn't a hidden tunnel here. He moved the dirty bed and continued to rap at the walls but didn't find anything, like before.

Besides the walls, there was only the ground. The ground had been polished smooth and didn't have any hidden corners. If there really was a secret passage in the ground it would have long since been discovered by now.

Qin Yu wrinkled his eyebrows. Had he misjudged? According to his calculations, the crack did extend to this area.

He sat down on a stone stool and gently rapped his fingers against the tabletop. Inadvertently he saw a dent in the table. From the look of it, someone had lifted a stone stool and smashed it against the table, resulting in this dent. The several pieces of stone stool in the corner of the room confirmed this.

This stone table was truly made of exceptionally hard materials. After being struck by the stone stool, it had only been dented a little. Subconsciously, Qin Yu seemed to think of something. He stood up, took a few steps backwards, and looked left and right.

The stone table was formed from a single block of stone. Looking at the traces around it, it hadn't been moved in years, as if it had melded together with the ground into one uniform whole.

And, this table was a bit large.

If he hadn't entered this room with suspicions then he definitely wouldn't have thought that this stone table was questionable. But after this thought appeared, he began to think more and more how strange this table was. The bed and stools in this room were in such poor shape, so how could there be a table made of such excellent material in here? Wasn't that just strange? 𝑛𝑶𝓋𝑒𝓛𝑢𝑠𝑏.𝗰𝗈𝗆

Qin Yu stared at the stone table, his eyes becoming increasingly bright.

He definitely had to thank Third Senior-apprentice Brother Wei Wei for leaving behind so many body tempering pills for him. Otherwise, even if he found this questionable point on the room, he wouldn't have been able to do anything about it with his past physique.

He grasped the table with both hands. With a shout, all the muscles in his body began to tense. Ever since taking the body tempering pills, this was the first time that Qin Yu used the full force of his strength. According to his calculation, his current strength was equal to that of a racing horse. This was the strength of a racing horse! But even after using all his strength, the stone table only shook a little before not moving anymore.

As if it really did grow out from the ground!

Hu - !

Qin Yu took great gasping breaths, sweat streaming down his helpless face. Even so, he grew increasingly excited. It was originally only a suspicion, but now he was nearly positive that there was a path leading to that mysterious space hidden beneath this stone table.

After a moment, his breathing returned to normal. Qin Yu coldly sneered and turned around. This was only a stone table! It wouldn't dodge his attacks nor would it strike back. No matter how hard the material was, how could it stop him?

He shoved open the thick stone door and held his breath. His eyes swept around until they settled on a black iron rod. As he held it, he guessed it was around 200-300 jins heavy.

Even with the little blue lamp with him, Qin Yu didn't plan on staying in this Pill Disposal Department for too long.

When he returned to the resting room, he ripped apart large pieces of rags and wrapped them around the iron rod's head. Then, with a loud shot, he clenched his teeth and smashed downwards!

Bang –

With a loud explosion, the iron rod violently trembled, making deep humming sounds. Qin Yu's arms were shaken and numbed so much that he nearly dropped the rod. But, the effects of this rod were too amazing. Tiny cracks appeared on the surface of the stone table where he had smashed.

After a brief moment of rest, Qin Yu raised his hand and brought the rod crashing down again!

Bang –

The dull bangs echoed out like thunder. Luckily, he was deep underground so he didn't need to worry about anyone else noticing him. The stone table was hard, but facing Qin Yu's completely unreasonable method it had no choice but to indignantly turn into a pile of crushed stone. When there was only two feet left of the stone table's pedestal base left rising up from the ground, Qin Yu dropped the iron rod and grabbed the base with both hands.

Kacha –

The squeaking friction sound made the scalp turn numb. The stone base was like a piece of bamboo being pulled up, and with a loud popping sound it tumbled to the side.

Hu –

A gust of wind blew out from the hole, stirring dust into the air. Qin Yu narrowed his eyes as he smelled a strange fragrance. Impressively, within the black cave opening that extended downwards before him, he could make out a weak glow in the distance.

But for Qin Yu, this was more than enough!

His eyes swept over the opening. The crudely hewn stone had a ladder of steps dug into the side of the wall. Although it was simple, it caused Qin Yu's heartbeat to accelerate.

The chicken overlord had already confirmed that there weren't any dangers within the mysterious space. Qin Yu didn't hesitate. He used his hands and lowered himself into the entrance, climbing downwards with the ladder steps.

After around 10 meters, the ladder reached its end. Qin Yu looked down and saw that he was still three to four meters from the ground; this wasn't enough to injure him. He let go and in the next moment he steadily dropped to the ground.

He glanced around. Even though he was mentally prepared, he was still dumbfounded by what he saw.

This was a deep underground space, and for some unknown reason there was a thick layer of soil on the ground. This place had been opened and developed by someone, and a great number of herbs had been planted here; this was a small medicine field. Because there was no one to take care of the field, a thick layer of leaves and seeds had formed over it as well as many dead roots. Several colorful fruits were scattered about, still emitting a sweet fragrance.

Although Qin Yu was a little new cultivator at the Energy Refining realm, he was lucky enough to work near a medicine garden. From what he heard and saw over seven years, he recognized nearly all the spirit grasses grown there.

Now, as he swept his eyes around, he could see snake orchids, thousand safflowers, azure cloud vines, peat lotus seeds, and other such precious spirit plants. Moreover, each one had grown for a long time and was several times more precious than those rare spirit plans that were specially cared for in the Eastern Mountain Sect's medicine garden. This medicine field was around a thousand feet in width and length; it was simply a hidden treasure!

But in the next moment, Qin Yu's face twisted into an incomparably fierce visage. He turned and roared, "You bastard, I'm going to kill you!"

The chicken overlord had already sensed a foreboding situation and had fled without a trace, hiding off somewhere unknown.

Qin Yu finally knew why the chicken overlord had developed spiritual wisdom and why it had managed to stay in this environment for an entire month even with the pill toxins in the air. He even knew why it had grown so much recently! That damned brainless chicken had eaten these precious spirit plants as its food!

In his excitement he had only briefly glanced around and hadn't clearly seen the situation. But now as he looked more carefully, his heart ached and his eyes began to darken.

Those fruits lying on the ground should have been azure cloud fruits. In order for these fruits to flower and bloom, they required at least 60 years. They were natural healing treasures and had amazing effects for healing injuries. It was even said that they could reform lost limbs.

Within the Eastern Mountain Sect's medicine garden, there were two azure cloud vines that were being prepared to bear fruit. But, they had snow kept off them in the winter and fertilizer was applied to them in the summer. They were cared for as if they were the graves of the sect's ancestors. Now, most of the fruits on the ground had been nibbled up. They were left on the ground to rot, leaving behind only their shiny skins.

As for the snake orchid, it had already taken the form of a python, meaning that it had grown for at least 400 years. There might not be a spirit grass of this level in the entire Eastern Mountain Sect; it was absolutely a priceless treasure. But now, it resembled a bare pole with almost all its leaves eaten cleanly off. The few remaining pieces had also been nibbled on!

The peat lotus seeds with their thick and deep earthen aura were spiritual plants formed by the heavens and earth. They could be used to refine pills and that reason alone made them treasures. However, they also possessed the effect of purifying the mind and calming the heart; for a buddhist cultivator they were incomparably precious treasures. But now, several of those lotuses were empty, as if they had been raided upon by bandits.

Qin Yu covered his face and closed his eyes, not daring to continue looking lest he faint. He was even more afraid that he would turn around in a frenzied rage and grab the chicken overlord, tearing it to pieces!

However, he soon composed himself. These destroyed spirit herbs and plants were emitting spiritual strength. If he delayed any longer he truly feared they would turn into a pile of waste.

Qin Yu didn't utter a single word. He carefully searched the field. From time to time his heart would ache, as if he were being stabbed again and again!

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Chapter 7 – Poison Core and Golden Core

An hour later, he had gathered a dozen some spirit grasses in front of him, 20 some fruits, and eight or nine lustrous flower petals that flowed with spiritual energy. This 1000 foot wide medicine field had been here for countless years, slowly producing treasures, but now this was all that was left over!

Qin Yu clenched his jaws. But soon, he sighed. If it weren't for the chicken overlord then he wouldn't have found this medicine field. If he thought like this, then all of these harvests were thanks to the luck of that brainless fellow.

With this in mind, Qin Yu's heart calmed down a great deal. He carefully gathered these treasures and placed them to the side. Then, he turned and washed his face. As he cupped a handful of spring water, the water was unexpectedly sweet and refreshed the heart upon entering his mouth. And, what was even more astonishing was that this spring water contained faint traces of spiritual strength!

Qin Yu's eyes widened. Then, he sighed. The creations of the heavens and earth were mysterious and miraculous. There was a medicine field in this underground space, and near this medicine field was a small springs opening. If so, then there should be a small spirit vein beneath the springs. The spirit plants and grasses had absorbed this spiritual energy and had their growth accelerated.

It was only when all these coincidences gathered together that this miracle-like medicine field was created.

"What a blessed cave paradise. Ignoring the pill toxins in the air, this place is also good for cultivating." Qin Yu looked up to see a thatched hut in the distance. "I wonder which senior was cultivating here and why they would choose this place?"

There was once someone that lived in this mysterious space; this was information that the chicken overlord had brought back a while ago. The broken illumination array formations on the stone walls also confirmed this.

However, the master that once lived here should have left or died.

Qin Yu pushed open the door and looked around.

It seemed that it was the latter.

There was a skeleton on a tattered round cushion. From his posture, he had died in deep meditation. In front of the skeleton were three jade slips. The area was covered in a thick layer of dust, leaving everything in dim pall.

Besides that, there was nothing else in the entire thatched hut.

Looking at the color of the bones, this person should have died hundreds of years ago. Qin Yu straightened his clothes and bowed in respect.

Not to mention how long ago this person had died, just the medicine field they left outside was worthy of this bow.

He walked closer and bent down to pick up a jade slip. This was the first time that Qin Yu had seen such a high grade item of the cultivating world. He hesitated for a moment and then pressed the jade slip against his forehead, probing it with his divine sense.

Within the jade slip was a letter. Or, it was more accurate to call it the final words of the man who had died in meditation. 𝓃𝑂𝔳𝑒𝗅𝒰𝑠𝒷.𝗰𝒪𝗆

The contents were as follows:

My name is Cang Mangzi. Without meaning to, I unintentionally obtained an inheritance and stepped onto the road of cultivation. I was a wandering cultivator who spent my life chasing after the dao of alchemy. I heard that in the Southern Empire there was a great sect called the Eastern Mountain that was personally guarded by an alchemy powerhouse. Travelling the tens of thousands of miles, I came to exchange ideas and compare notes. However, my choice drew disaster upon myself. I was trapped deep in this place until I reached my waning years…

The contents were very long and detailed. In short, this fellow Cang Mangzi had come to the Eastern Mountain Sect to exchange and compete with skills in alchemy. Although he managed to win, he was tricked and plotted against and was trapped at the bottom of this place. With all the pill toxins ruining this land, he was sure to die. But, the ancestors of the Eastern Mountain Sect didn't know that Cang Mangzi actually possessed a poison-attuned body. Although the pill toxins were terrifying, they couldn't take his life.

Cang Mangzi managed to survive. However, during that time the Eastern Mountain Sect had been in their glory years, and they had a Nascent Soul realm master personally guarding their sect. Moreover, there was also that sinister and cruel array formation that only allowed entry. In other words, he was stranded here. This person could be considered a genius in the dao of alchemy. Following an unorthodox route, he found a way to extract raw materials from failed pills and possibly use them to create pills once more.

Of course, these sorts of extracted materials were more or less contaminated with pill toxins. Even with his poison-attuned body, he couldn't completely withstand swallowing all these pill toxins. In the end, Cang Mangzi couldn't find a way out and his cultivation was stalled here until he died a bitter death in meditation.

This underground space was also inadvertently discovered by Cang Mangzi. If Cang Mangzi were to ever find out that the medicine field he placed so much time and effort in was used to benefit the chicken overlord in the end, it was unknown whether he would laugh or cry.

Moreover, this jade slip also mentioned that he had left behind his attainments in alchemy as well as a small cauldron for a predestined friend to made good use of. However, this thatched hut was completely bare. Although there were jade slips, where was the treasure cauldron? Could it be that senior Cang Mangzi had turned muddle-headed before he died?

Qin Yu shook his head and laid down the jade slip. Although he had used up a considerable amount of his divine sense, he couldn't help but pick up another one. As he searched inside, he discovered that it really did contain an exhaustive compilation of alchemy methods, pill recipes, and exquisite alchemy techniques. Qin Yu was left overjoyed.

And, what thrilled him the most was that at the end of this jade slip was actually a Medicine Codex. There was far more content in this Medicine Codex than he expected. It recorded all the various spirit grasses and spirit plants in the world. Not just that, but there were finely drawn illustrations and even details on how to plant and maintain them.

This Medicine Codex was like an encyclopedia on spirit grasses and spirit plants; it was clearly extremely valuable. Perhaps this was the inheritance that Cang Mangzi unintentionally obtained in the past.

Cang Mangzi possessed a natural talent for alchemy and also obtained a powerful inheritance related to it; he was someone who surely had a great destiny and could have become an overlord of his own domain. But in the end, he ended up in the bottom of this pit without a burial ground for his bones. Although Cang Mangzi and Wei Wei were different people, both of them had underestimated how cruel and dangerous people could be, and ended up suffering as a result.

For Qin Yu who had just entered the world of cultivation, this was a profound lesson.

As for the last jade slip, when Qin Yu probed it with his divine sense, it actually absorbed a wisp of it. The jade slip emitted a sparkle for a brief moment which then dissipated.

Qin Yu thought for a moment. He knew that this jade slip should be some sort of token used to represent a person's identity. But after Cang Mangzi died, his aura had disappeared, and now his own aura had been imprinted within.

This was an unintentional loss and he had no choice but to put it away. Fortunately, unless he took this jade slip out himself it wouldn't be seen by others, so there was no way he should provoke unnecessary problems.

And today he had been blessed by what Cang Mangzi had left behind. If he had a change in the future then he could use this jade slip to perhaps locate his descendants and return the favor to them.

He used a bit of strength and crushed the jade slip that contained Cang Mangzi's last words to pieces. Then, he placed the other two within his robes. This was to avoid future troubles.

Qin Yu bowed. "Senior Cang Mangzi, junior has no way of repaying your graciousness today. I can only give you a peaceful burial. I apologize if I offend you."

The soil was thick and deep. Without using much strength, Qin Yu dug out a square pit within the thatched hut.

He carefully picked up the skeleton and slowly placed it into the pit. But at this moment, there were two light 'pa' sounds as two beads fell to the ground.

Qi Yu's eyes widened!

But he didn't stop his movements. He continued to move the skeleton. It was only when he covered the pit and bowed again that he picked up the two round beads.

Of these two beads, one was ash white with cracks all over its surface. Even so, it glowed with a faint golden light within. The other bead was pitch black as if it were solidified ink. Its surface was smooth and clear and emitted a faint black luster.

What were these?

Qin Yu rose up. But at this moment his body suddenly stiffened. On the surface of that pitch black bead, the dim light gathered into an ugly ghost face that bit down on his hand, entering into his body! Billowing black gas burst out like a broken dam, crazily rushing through Qin Yu's body. With it, a chaotic and vicious will shot into his mind.

This black gas was poison!

The bead was formed by Cang Mangzi's poison-attuned body. It had formed over hundreds of years by absorbing all sorts of poisons, and when Cang Mangzi died, it remained behind. And in these past years it had gradually developed a rudimentary consciousness!

A consciousness of pure poison, it was cruel and destructive!

It was true that Qin Yu was immune to invasion from poisons, but that was only at night when the little blue lamp releases its sea-blue light; it was useless to him in the daytime. Because of that, it only took an instant for the violent poison to invade his body. If it weren't for his cultivation having increased to the eighth level of Energy Refining as well as the massive number of body tempering pills he had taken, then he would have already died by now!

Even so, this only helped him for a few breaths of time as the intensity of the pain began to ramp up. Pain, itching, numbness, all sorts of feelings surged through his body, nearly submerging his consciousness. If this were compared to the time he had been beaten up due to the medicine garden incident, then that would have only been called a little tickle.

But the world was filled with wonderful coincidences. Those several breaths of time that he gained to put up a last ditch struggle might have seemed futile, but they really did save Qin Yu's life. The cracked ash-white bead in his hand suddenly burst out with a dazzlingly golden light. Faintly, one could see a blurry figure sitting deep within that golden light. This golden light pierced into Qin Yu's body like countless needles, suppressing everything!

Within the underground space, a powerful pressure swelled out like a tide, fluctuation without constraints.

Golden Core! This was a Golden Core!

This round bead was actually the Golden Core left behind by Cang Mangzi after his death.

Qin Yu froze on the ground, stiffening up like a statue. The violent poison and vicious will that rampaged through his body was nailed to the ground, unable to move. Even so, it didn't give up. Like a wild beast it desperately fought back, colliding again and again with the strength of the golden light.

All of this was occurring within Qin Yu's body. The battle was like countless knives that slashed away at every inch of flesh and blood in his body. This sort of pain surpassed anything he had ever experienced in his life. His blood vessels suck out and his mouth opened wide, but he couldn't emit even half a sound!

Qin Yu wanted to faint, but it was impossible in this pain. Instead, his consciousness became even sharper. It was also at this time that some memories began to inexplicably appear in his mind, turning from blurry to clear.

These were Cang Mangzi's memories!

Whether it was the poison bead or the Golden Core, they were both things born within Cang Mangzi's body and contained his aura as a result. Now that they were violently clashing in Qin Yu's body, the shockwaves they released were absorbed by him and turned into images.

In the past when Cang Mangzi died of old age, the poison bead and Golden Core were able to mutually balance each other out. It was also because of this that the strength of the poison bead hadn't erupted. If it had, then with the Eastern Mountain Sect having gone into decline, this entire area would have turned into a land of death hundreds of years ago.

Because of the existence of the poison bead, the Golden Core was stimulated and it began to instinctually absorb the strength of the heavens and earth to suppress the poison bead. This was why it had managed to persist until this day without fading away.

Time passed. To Qin Yu, every second was an incomparably long time. In the throes of excruciating pain, it was as if tens of thousands of years were passing.

Then, night finally arrived!

As if noticing Qin Yu's condition, a foot-long area of blue light appeared on his chest. The pure blue light was dazzling to the eyes. The poison bead trembled for a moment and the violent will and instinct that invaded Qin Yu's body screamed before vanishing, as if it had been torn to pieces by a giant invisible hand!

The grotesque face on the poison bead collapsed, turning into a black torrent that crazily poured into Qin Yu's body.

Or, it was more accurate to say that it was being forcefully dragged in!

The mighty black waves flowed into Qin Yu's body and gathered on the index finger of his right hand. The ghostly green knuckle area began to rapidly turn black. Compared to the violent poisons that Cang Mangzi had absorbed through his life, the poison of the corpsefire talisman was nothing at all!

After taking several deep breaths, there was a light cracking sound. The poison bead shattered into powder.

Qin Yu slumped to the ground!

Hu –

He gasped, his entire body shaking and weak. His robes were matted with sweat. As the poison bead shattered, the golden light erupting from the Golden Core also faded away. The powerful pressure in the air disappeared along with it.

Kacha –

With another light sound, an additional crack appeared on the surface of the Golden Core and it returned to its ash-white appearance, looking no different from a pebble on a riverside. If he hadn't personally witnessed the power of this ash-white bead, he would have never believed that it was the Golden Core of a peak Golden Core master, someone close to the Nascent Soul realm!

Before, the figure in the golden light was the divine phantom within the core. It was a hollow Nascent Soul that could have become a true Nascent Soul. The memories that appeared in Qin Yu's mind gave him a clear understanding of what this Golden Core was. His lips twitched and he bitterly smiled.

Cang Mangzi's Golden Core had already reached a spent state. And now, suppressing the poison bead had exhausted the final dregs of its strength; it could be said to be completely wasted.

Of course, if one had to discuss its usefulness, it still did have some use…for instance…helping to put on an act.

By pouring magic power into the Golden Core, it would release the aura pressure of the Golden Core realm. This could only be used one time before the Golden Core would thoroughly disintegrate. He nearly lost his life and had suffered excruciating pain as if he were being boiled alive in frying oil, and yet all he obtained was a hollow Nascent Soul Golden Core that could only be used like this one time.

Qin Yu didn't know whether he should laugh with joy at barely managing to escape death, or cry for his own bad luck.

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Chapter 8 – Separating Waste Pills

Fortunately, he hadn't emerged with nothing.

The violent poisons within the poison pill had been extracted by the little blue lamp and suppressed into the index finger of his right hand. With the terrifying powers of the poison bead, if he were to directly touch a Golden Core realm master they would have no choice but to suffer a tremendous loss. This was a great killing move!

But as he mulled over it some more, he wryly smiled. While the poison bead was strong, if he wanted to use its violent poison powers then he would have to arrive next to that person and touch them.

If he were really to make enemies with a Golden Core realm master they would only need to casually wave their hands from afar to kill him. How would he find a chance to approach them?

This thing was simply worthless!

"It's better than having nothing at least. I might be able to use it in the future." Qin Yu thought, consoling himself. He looked around.

Then, his gaze froze.

He quickly hurried several steps and picked up a large cloth bag that was hidden in the weeds. It didn't seem as if it were woven from cloth, but rather like some sort of animal skin. The opening of the bag was bound by two gold and silver threads. As Qin Yu opened it, he was stunned silly.

Storage bag!

This was actually a storage bag!

He sucked in a breath of cold air. His heart raced, beating like a drum in his chest.

After carefully probing it with his divine sense, he discovered that there was a space around 10 feet wide within; this was undoubtedly a real storage bag.

This was a high grade item. Within the entire Eastern Mountain Sect, there was unlikely to be more than three!

10 feet of space wasn't too large; this could only be considered an ordinary storage bag. But to Qin Yu it was an unimaginable valuable treasure. It had to be known that storage bags were treasures that only Golden Core realm powerhouses had the qualifications to use.

Qin Yu took several deep breaths before he managed to suppress the tumbling emotions within his chest. As he carefully checked that the storage bag was intact and in good condition, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Luck, this was luck. But if he were to think of it another way, this was destiny! 𝐧𝒐𝑣𝓮𝑙𝑢𝗌𝑩.𝒸𝗈𝑀

He had found the little blue lamp and then Cang Mangzi's remains; these were all matters of destiny.

However, strokes of destiny were often accompanied by dire events. This could be seen from the things that Qin Yu had experienced recently.

But now, Qin Yu didn't have any thoughts of caring about this; the bliss of finding a storage bag had flooded his mind. Perhaps it was because Cang Mangzi had utilized any means at his disposal to extend his life before he died, but the storage bag was empty.

Wait. No…there were actually two things inside.

With a touch of his divine sense, a black robe appeared in his hand. The quality of material seemed like some sort of icy silk that was cool to the touch. If a hollow Nascent Soul boundary powerhouse had collected this robe, then that proved this black robe wasn't normal. Qin Yu lifted his hands and donned it.

The black robe was large and voluminous and included a hood. As he put it on, it completely covered him. He immediately discovered that his divine sense was unable to pass through the black robe. It was clearly a treasure used to hide one's identity and conceal one's aura. In the future, if he were doing things and didn't want his identity to be discovered, then wearing this black robe would be the best choice.

The second object was a medicine cauldron the size of a palm. There were marks of heavenly thunder and fire carved into the side as well as many mystical runes; it was obviously an alchemy treasure.

This must have been the treasure cauldron that Cang Mangzi mentioned in his final words. However, it needed to be refined before he could use it, and he couldn't see just what was so special about it right now.

He suppressed his thoughts of immediately refining it. Qin Yu took off the black robe and placed it back in the storage bag along with the medicine cauldron. He carefully searched through the thatched hut one more time, but didn't find anything else.

"This storage bag alone is already an unimaginable harvest. I need to stop being so greedy." Qin Yu said, slapping himself back to his senses. His eyes fell onto Cang Mangzi's grave, and a complicated light appeared in his eyes.

This person had died with a hollow Nascent Soul cultivation. He should have been at the precipice of breaking into the Nascent Soul realm, and if he had managed to do that his lifespan would have increased by 800 years and he would have survived this crisis. Unfortunately, he lacked that final bit of destiny and ended up dying here instead.

But one could not avoid destiny no matter how hard they tried; every bite and sip was preordained. If Cang Mangzi had survived in the past then the Eastern Mountain Sect would have suffered disaster, and Qin Yu wouldn't be standing here today.

He shook his head, ridding himself of these dark thoughts. He cupped his hands against his chest and bowed, "This junior will excuse himself."

He turned and left the thatched hut.

As he looked around, he discovered something peering at him from afar.

Qin Yu sneered, "Didn't you run away? And you still dare to come back!"

The chicken overlord listlessly lowered its head. If it could speak then it definitely would be stamping its feet pitifully right now.

If I didn't fear the poison, then I wouldn't be so stupid to come back!

Qin Yu crooked his finger.

The chicken overlord sauntered over, snorting and puffing the entire way. Its small eyes were bright and intelligent, and it cheerfully swung its tail around.

Qin Yu laughed. "Stop trying to put on a front! I will consider the previous matter settled. After all, I still benefited from your good luck."

He walked over to the spirit grasses, spirit plants, and spirit fruits he had placed to the side. As he counted them to make sure they were all there, his smile brightened. He placed them in his storage bag and left a spirit fruit in his hand.

"This is for you. Eat it."

The chicken overlord immediately brightened up. It waved its wings and raced over, quickly eating up the spirit fruit in several bites. Its small eyes glistened with pleasure.

Qin Yu lightly kicked it away. "Stop enjoying yourself. Come with me to verify something. Otherwise, if we're trapped here for the rest of our lives, how is that different from being dead?"

His voice faded as he spoke, as if he were reminding himself.

In Cang Mangzi's final words, he mentioned that the array formation of the Eastern Mountain Sect's Pill Disposal Department was incredibly cruel and sinister; it only allowed entry and not exit. Qin Yu did not forget this detail. Moreover, he recalled that there really hadn't been anyone that had ever reappeared after they entered the disposal department.

He quickly leapt back up the hole and crawled up to the disposal department. He rapidly ascended through the passage until he reached the entrance, and then took out the entry token and poured his magic power into it.

Hu –

Even without wind, his robes fluttered about him. Qin Yu stuffily coughed as if someone had stabbed a needle into his mind. His vision darkened as a wave of black entered his sight and his magic power of the eighth level of Energy Refining was instantly sucked away. Still, the array formation showed no sign of opening. It was like his magic power was a stone that was dropped into the sea.

He really couldn't leave!

Qin Yu backed up several steps until he hit the stone wall and slumped to the ground. Fear and despair began to rise on his pale face. In the end, he was still a young man. Even though he could forcefully calm himself down in certain situations, when he encountered such a desperate scenario his mind was still left in chaos.

Cang Mangzi had possessed a Golden Core realm cultivation and yet he had been stuck in here without any means to leave. As for himself, he was a mere Energy Refining amateur. The difference between them could be described as the heavens and earth. He feared he wouldn't be able to leave in his entire life!

No wonder there were so many bloodstains at the entrance to the disposal department and so many traces of people digging. These were all left behind by former residents here, and they had done all of that in desperation after they discovered they couldn't leave.

Don't panic!

Qin Yu took several deep breaths. Then, his eyes began to harden. He didn't believe he would really die here. He closed his eyes and began to meditate. He regretted that he had swallowed up all his pills in his impatience. Fortunately, there weren't any dangers here so he had as much time as he needed.

Four hours later, Qin Yu opened his eyes. He took out a jade slip; this was Cang Mangzi's attainments in alchemy. Soon, he found the part detailing separating materials from waste pills. Qin Yu carefully read through it, but soon, a bitter smile formed on his lips.

He managed to understand it and had memorized all the steps, but what did it matter if he knew the methods of a Golden Core master? He simply wasn't able to mimic them!

He grit his teeth and put away the jade slip. Propping himself up, he glanced at the exit before turning back around. Now, there was only one possibility remaining, and if that were also useless, then he might...

He shook his head, causing beads of sweat to rain down. His face hardened. Even if he failed, so what? Cang Mangzi had stayed here underground for hundreds of years, never giving up on finding a way out. If Cang Mangzi could do that then so could he!

Pushing open the stone door, Qin Yu looked at the center of the room where there was a force that connected from the top of the stone chamber to the floor. This furnace had existed here for an unknown period of years and was built when the Eastern Mountain Sect had been in its most glorious era. It could draw the power of destructive fire and destroy the waste pills within.

The upper channel was the entrance where the waste pills came in and the lower channel was where it drew the power of destructive fire from the earth. Even Cang Mangzi hadn't dared to think about using this furnace to escape, so Qin Yu naturally wouldn't court death like that. He stared at it for several moments. Then, he leaned forwards and grabbed the rails at the mouth of the furnace. His muscles quickly tensed and with a loud screeching sound, the mouth opened.

Hu –

A flow of heat rushed out, causing Qin Yu to stream with sweat that soaked his robes. But, what was even more terrifying than the billowing heat was a fog that rushed out along with it and fell upon his body before directly fusing together with his flesh and blood.

These were pill toxins, but not only pill toxins. Rather, the pill toxins had fused together with the power of fire, causing it to rise to a dreadful degree of toxicity! Luckily it just happened to be nighttime and beneath the foot-long range of the sea-blue light, all the toxins that invaded Qin Yu's body were immediately suppressed into his index finger.

Qin Yu might have been the first person in history to open this furnace and come out unscathed. He picked up a black shovel that was placed to the side and thrust it into the furnace.

In just a single breath of time, the edge of the iron shovel began to glow red; it was obvious just how terrifyingly hot the inside of the furnace was. Ignoring the heat waves surging past his face. Qin Yu lowered his head to stare at the black ashes covering the shovel. There were over a hundred waste pills, most of them in a half-melted state.

How come there were so many?

Qin Yu was startled. He was a bit puzzled. Why would the small Eastern Mountain Sect have so many waste pills? It had to be known that every waste pill here consumed a considerable amount of precious materials. But as this thought appeared in his mind he put it to the side. He didn't have the time to care about such matters at the moment.

He tossed the ashes to the ground and thrust the iron shovel in once more, going back and forth seven or eight times. Slowly, a pile of waste pills began to accumulate at his feet. There were likely 600-700 waste pills here, and with the poison gas from the fire and pill toxins spread through the air, it filled the room with a faint haze.

Bang –

With a hard push, the furnace was closed. Qin Yu straightened himself up and tried to compose himself. Even though he had prepared himself for the worst possible situation, he still couldn't prevent himself from being anxious. The poison gas in the furnace room began to gradually thin out, and one could see that it was slowly pouring into Qin Yu's body!

When the last traces of poison has disappeared, he opened his eyes and crouched down. He took out the little blue lamp from his chest. He opened his fingers and a foot-wide range of sea-blue light quietly bloomed, covering dozens of waste pills within.

Failure or success, it all came down to this moment!

Time slowly passed. Then, Qin Yu's eyes began to brighten. He discovered that beneath the deep blue light, the temperature of the waste pills began to rapidly drop.

Soon, a light layer of frost appeared on the surface of the waste pills. As more and more time passed, the frost didn't thicken but instead turned blue in color, just like a diluted version of the blue sea!

Kacha –

Countless cracking sounds spread out into his ears. In Qin Yu's gaze, the waste pills weren't able to withstand the low temperature and began to shatter. Parts of the pills began to evaporate, leaving behind two-thirds that resembled tiny icy crystals.

It worked!

Qin Yu gasped with excitement. He moved the little blue lamp to another pile of waste pills, and watched carefully as these waste pills also broke apart into ice crystals.

After separating from the blue light, the temperature of these ice crystals began to rise. In several breaths of time, they turned into unremarkable black balls. Picking up a few of them, Qin Yu licked his lips. His eyes continued to brighten as joy appeared on his face.

He had succeeded!

Although he didn't recognize all these materials, he knew from taste alone that these were pure pill materials. Moreover, when he tasted one of these pills there was a sour taste to it, just like when he took a minor spirit pill. Without a doubt, this was the acidic grass material used to refine some pills.

With materials, with the alchemy technique and alchemy furnace that Cang Mangzi had left behind, and in addition to the little blue lamp that could upgrade a pill…Qin Yu finally found a ray of light in this hopeless situation. It might be difficult, but as long as he persisted there would be a chance.

….

There was no sense of time beneath the mountain. In the blink of an eye, the weather seemed to change.

Qin Yu constantly formed seals with his hands in a training room. The power of fire rushed out from the alchemy furnace in front of him.

Suddenly, the power of fire emitting from the pill furnace turned unsteady. Dull thumping sounds echoed out from within.

Qin Yu's pupils shrank. His fingers moved faster and faster as he formed 49 seals in seven breaths, as if his ten fingers were all connecting together in a single stretch.

"Open!"

With a loud explosion, the pill furnace blew open. Seven rays of light shot upwards, overflowing with medicinal fragrance. Qin Yu was already prepared for this. He waved his sleeve and gathered all of them.

He spread open his palm to see seven pills quietly lying on it. With excitement on his face, he pumped his hand up in success.

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Chapter 9 – Lang Tu's Death

After failing dozens of times and using up a tremendous amount of materials and time, he had finally refined a Foundation Establishment Pill!

Although he didn't want to admit it, Qin Yu couldn't help but acknowledge that his talent in alchemy was actually quite ordinary.

With the alchemy notes and techniques of an expert like Cang Mangzi in his possession, and even with a powerful alchemy tool like that Fleeting Flame Furnace he had, the road of alchemy was still rough and bumpy.

If it weren't for the Eastern Mountain Sect somehow having an unimaginably high amount of waste pills to continuously provide him with materials, then Qin Yu wouldn't have been able to use up materials so freely and he definitely wouldn't have been able to produce such a high quality pill like a Foundation Establishment Pill. But no matter what the circumstances were, this was enough.

The Foundation Establishment Pill. Just as its name indicated, it could allow a cultivator at the tenth level of the Energy Refining realm to take another step forwards and enter the Foundation Establishment realm.

Drawing upon the support of pills to make a breakthrough could be damaging to his future cultivation and even ruin his foundation, but Qin Yu didn't care about this at all. This was because his cultivation was built upon a pile of pills, and as for foundation…he never had something like that to begin with!

There was still another two hours of nighttime. Qin Yu closed his eyes and started to meditate. He opened the foot-wide sea-blue illumination in the darkness once more and placed the seven Foundation Establishment Pills within.

Beneath the reflection of the dim blue light, Qin Yu's face became even more angular and dashing. Perhaps it was because he hadn't seen sunlight for all this time, but his skin had become fair and pale, with an ivory sheen to it. He had spent a year cultivating in loneliness, and in the silence his temperament seemed to have become more introspective and tenacious…after spending so much time here down below, the youth had slowly and quietly transformed!

The night passed and the blue light disappeared.

Qin Yu put away the little blue lamp, but he didn't move the clearly transformed Foundation Establishment Pills. This was because he discovered that as the rank of the pills increased, they required a longer period of absorbing the blue light.

The second night.

Third night.

When the light of the little blue lamp disappeared once more, Qin Yu's eyes flashed open. His heart, body, and soul had been adjusted in these three days and had reached the peak!

The seven Foundation Establishment Pills had absorbed the deep blue brilliance for three nights and had turned from an azure color to the endless deep blue of the heavens, leaving one enchanted just by looking at them. They were like treasures that exuded an extraordinary brilliant luster!

Without hesitation, Qin Yu picked up a Foundation Establishment Pill and swallowed it down.

Today, he would break past his boundary and reach Foundation Establishment!

When the Foundation Establishment Pill fell into his stomach, it seemed to sizzle around as if it had been dropped in boiling oil. It began to spark and emit blazing flames. The magic power of the tenth level of Energy Refining started to tumble within him, bringing with it bursts of biting pain as if some vicious beast were battering against his insides. 𝗇𝑜𝑣𝗲𝑳𝗎𝓈𝔅.𝓬𝗈𝐌

Qin Yu hugged his hands together. He emptied his thoughts, only allowing a trace of his mind to observe the state of his body, but not interfering in the process at all.

The magic powers of the Energy Refining realm were ethereal and invisible, slowly flowing out from his flesh and blood and marrow. Only by forcing this magic power to boil up and collide with itself could it condense into a base of the Great Dao – this was the boundary of Foundation Establishment.

Bang –

The stormy magic power galloped through his body, quickly sinking into the sea of his dantian and colliding with itself. Violent winds rose up all around Qin Yu and his robes began to stir. He had entered the critical moment of his breakthrough!

Common sense stated that when someone at the tenth level of Energy Refining swallowed a Foundation Establishment Pill, they would have at least a 70% chance of making a breakthrough. Moreover, Qin Yu had purified and upgraded these Foundation Establishment Pills with the little blue lamp. As a result, their medicinal efficacy had risen and a single one could compare with three from before.

A breakthrough should have come smoothly, but Qin Yu soon discovered that the rumbling within his dantian began to slow down and weaken; it simply wasn't able to condense a base of the Great Dao. If things continued like this then his breakthrough would end in failure.

Qin Yu opened his eyes. He picked up another Foundation Establishment Pill and swallowed it down.

Bang –

Silent magic power began to rage in his body like a conflagration. Like a flame with oil added to it, the power within him started to collide at an even faster and more violent pace.

Heart-ripping pain spread through his body, but this degree of collision still wasn't enough!

Qin Yu grit his teeth. He picked up a third Foundation Establishment Pill and swallowed it down.

As the saying went, one's fighting spirit was aroused by the first roll of the drums, depleted by the second, and exhausted by the third. This was his moment!

Bang!

Medicinal efficacy erupted within him, causing his magic power to instantly surpass the limit. Qin Yu coughed as blood started to flow from his head.

But, a clear and sharp smile still hung on the corners of his lips.

Tides of magic power wildly rushed out from within the sea of his dantian. The phantom of a base appeared. Like a black hole, it started to crazily suck in all the outside magic power.

In a short several breaths of time, all the magic power disappeared and the base phantom finally condensed into being. This base was simple and blue, emitting the mystical aura of the Great Dao all around it.

Strictly speaking, this was the first step in cultivating the Great Dao. From this point on, Qin Yu had truly taken his first step in establishing his foundation and entering the great road of cultivation.

Shua –

The violent winds around him suddenly faded away. Qin Yu sat up. Blood still stained his face and his complexion was still pale. Although he had only taken three Foundation Establishment Pills, the truth was that it was equal to taking 10 ordinary ones. It was unknown whether there had been any other Energy Refining cultivators before Qin Yu who would cultivate in such a crazy manner.

If it weren't for Qin Yu having purposefully tempered his body for this past year and having swallowed up so many body tempering pills, making his body far more tenacious than before, then he might not have suffered only wounds right now.

As he felt the earth-shaking changes to the magic power within his body, Qin Yu ruefully laughed at his own martial talent. For him to need the strength of over 10 Foundation Establishment Pills to smoothly enter Foundation Establishment, this proved that he was truly trash amongst trash.

But none of this was important. What mattered was that today he had become a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment realm. A smile appeared on his face, rapidly widening until it became a grin.

Who would imagine that I, Qin Yu, would one day reach Foundation Establishment!

His eyes fell upon the little blue lamp. For some weird reason, he thought that this little blue lamp was also looking at him. But then this feeling disappeared, and the little blue lamp looked no different than usual.

Qin Yu drew back his smile. He thought a little more and placed the little blue lamp back into his chest.

He lifted a hand and swallowed another pill.

He closed his eyes and began meditating.

Four hours later, with the help of the medicinal efficacy, the wounds that came from the colliding magic power in his body finally disappeared. He wiped away the bloodstains on his face, pushed open the stone door and started walking up the steps again.

In this year, every time he made a breakthrough in his cultivation he would attempt to open up the entrance of the disposal department. He had failed every time, but, last time when he was at the tenth level of Energy Refining, he had felt the faintest of tremors within the array formation. It was exactly this faint tremor that gave Qin Yu a tiny amount of hope.

Perhaps...he would succeed today!

When he was meditating he had restored his magic powers to completion. As he walked forwards, he gathered his body, energy, and mind. With this, Qin Yu didn't hesitate. He stood in front of the entrance and poured his Foundation Establishment realm magic power into the entry token.

That familiar and horrifying suction instantly drew out all of Qin Yu's magic power. This time, in the originally unmoving rock array formation, there was finally a stir. Ripples spread out like a rock being dropped into a calm lake surface.

Qin Yu endured the stabbing pain in his mind. He stubbornly looked ahead as a light ringing filled his ears. From the opening in front of him, a speck of black light flew in from the fog. Without any time to react, the light crashed into his chest.

A dreadful strength struck him like a tsunami. Qin Yu was sent flying upside down. He crashed into the stone steps and tumbled down several dozen more. He spat out a mouthful of blood that dyed the front of his robes red.

He violently coughed. With difficulty, he struggled to take out the little blue lamp. There, he discovered that a black nail had been caught in it. If it weren't for the little blue lamp, Qin Yu's heart would have been pierced through and he would have died right then and there.

Nervously checking, Qin Yu discovered that the little blue lamp was completely unmarred and let out a sigh of relief. He looked forwards at the entrance and revealed a carefree smile. Although the array formation spell still existed, he knew that with the entry token the terrifying fate of being imprisoned here had vanished. In other words, in the future he could rely upon this entry token to come and go as he pleased!

Time was the most terrifying power in the world. Not only could it cause Cang Mangzi to die with hatred in his heart, but it also made this sinister and vicious array formation become extremely fragile. Of course, this was all connected to the decline of the Eastern Mountain Sect. No matter how strong an array formation was, if it lay in despair for all these years then it would still eventually be ruined.

His fingers touched the black nail and a small piece of information suddenly appeared in his mind: Corpse Sealing Nail, demonic path, can be activated using magic power.

Such a thought could only be transmitted by a magic tool. Of course, the premise was that this magic hadn't been refined by someone before, otherwise even if the original master's mark was removed, it still wouldn't be able to be used.

The strength of this Corpse Sealing Nail had also declined to the extreme with the passing of time. Otherwise, with the might of this magic tool, even if it were blocked by the little blue lamp, the horrifying strength that transmitted through would have been more than enough to turn his insides into goo.

The person who had arranged this array formation had been truly meticulous. If someone chose to forcefully break through it then they would encounter this Corpse Sealing Nail in their weakened state. That was almost certain death!

Qin Yu coughed twice. He lifted his hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. Then, he wiped it on the nail and watched in satisfaction as the nail absorbed the blood. Items of the demonic path were normally refined with blood, and as he saw today, it was at least true in this situation. At least he hadn't lost his blood in vain.

He placed the Corpse Sealing Nail in the storage bag. As time passed it would automatically restore its spiritual strength. Then, he placed the little blue lamp back in his chest and took out several pills to swallow.

He lavishly used pills and the effects showed. When Qin Yu opened his eyes again, six hours had passed. Not only had he restored his magic power but his wounds had healed up.

Soon, it would be night and he could leave then.

In the dark of night, the sounds of nature were silent. The faint mist separated and Qin Yu quietly stepped out. He looked at the full moon in the skies, staring upwards as the beams of moonlight illuminated his young and smiling face.

He looked around several times to see that there was no one around. Then, he took a deep breath of the night air that was mixed with moonlight and the fragrance of the earth. With a step forwards, he blended into the shadows and disappeared from sight.

He moved forwards smoothly. After a moment, Lang Tu's little courtyard appeared before his eyes.

My good brother, blessings were enjoyed together and misfortunes were endured as one!

If there were people he could truly trust in this world, then Lang Tu was one of them. Although he couldn't tell him about the incident of the little blue lamp, he could still give him some pills.

With several light steps, he fell into the courtyard like a swan. Although he hadn't truly studied any immortal magic arts, the magic power that came with the Foundation Establishment realm was more than enough to make his body as light as a feather. And even without his powerful mortal body strength, he could still accomplish the same.

That fellow Potato would surely be frightened so much he would leap into the air!

Thinking of the cries of horror that Lang Tu would make upon being surprised, Qin Yu grinned. But then, his smile froze. The entire courtyard was in ruins as if it hadn't been maintained for a long time. It was covered in leaves and the stone pillar that Lang Tu trained with all day was covered in weeds. On a stone platform in the front, dark and dry bloodstains were still visible, incomparably blinding beneath the moonlight!

Something had happened.

Qin Yu paled. He forced himself to not think too much about it. He turned around and floated out of the courtyard. His figure was hidden in the shadows as he crossed the ground, and soon he appeared inside another small courtyard.

"If you don't want to die then don't move."

The deep and cold voice sounded out. An outer court disciple that was suddenly woken up was immediately drenched in a cold sweat.

"Three miles southeast of here, there is a small courtyard. Where is the person that lives there?"

The outer court disciple thought about it. Then, the horror on his face rose even higher. "Se-senior…"

The hand on his neck tightened. "Speak!"

"I'll speak, I'll speak! The person living in that courtyard is already dead! He died three months ago!"

The black-robed figure froze. "What is the name of the person living in that courtyard?"

Feeling the piercing cold behind him, the outer court disciple's mind nearly collapsed. He sobbed, saying, "Lang Tu, his name was Lang Tu!"

Qin Yu gasped. Every time he breathed, it was like his heart was being torn out.

He died…Lang Tu had died…

It was a long time before he regained his composure. He quietly hissed, "Who killed him?"

The outer court disciple shook his head. "I don't know, I really don't know!" Panic appeared in his eyes.

Qin Yu drew closer to the outer court disciple. "Tell me, and tonight will only be a nightmare. Otherwise, believe me, I will kill you." His voice was calm, but each syllable carried with it an icy chill that pierced into the marrow!

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Chapter 10 – Grandmaster

The outer court disciple finally cried out. He stammered, saying, "It was Xu Jian! I saw him myself. He poisoned Lang Tu's food and then brought people to kill him at night, finally tossing him over a 100,000 foot cliff. I have already spoken everything I know, senior, please forgive me!"

Qin Yu gripped harder and the outer court disciple's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fainted. He turned and left. In the deep of night, his robe seemed to absorb the moonlight, making it appear even darker.

"Xu Jian…" Qin Yu's entire body was wrapped in a cold aura like a ghastly ghost. A cruel anger blazed in his eyes, but he hadn't lost his reasoning.

It was more than Xu Jian who was responsible for killing Lang Tu. If he wanted to take revenge, then he couldn't let any of the culprits live. And, although he was at the Foundation Establishment realm, he had never learned any offensive magic arts. He only had the demonic Corpse Sealing Needle at his disposal, and he might not be able to win in a direct confrontation.

Qin Yu lifted his right hand, looking at his white and pale fingers. He whispered. "Then how about poison?"

The night faded away and light once again covered the earth. The quiet peace surrounding the Eastern Mountain Sect was broken up by the morning chaos as outer court disciples started to leave their residences and begin their daily chores. No one knew that there was a disciple who woke up early in the morning filled with horror and hesitation. But, as this disciple discovered that everything seemed normal and tranquil, he finally chose to stay silent.

Qin Yu easily entered Xu Jian's courtyard. As one of the leading figures of the outer court disciples, not only was his residence large but the buildings were crafted with much more quality. One could see this from the fact that the courtyard had an underground wine cellar.

Blue bricks formed the vault and the ground was swept clean. The wine racks were the color of wood and emitted a light fragrance that mixed with the aroma of the wine, making it even more enchanting.

Qin Yu glanced around and saw an opened wine pot. There was still a bit of wine within, and this should be leftovers. Once this sort of wine was opened up it had to be finished in a short period of time, otherwise it would sour if left in contact with the air for too long.

He carefully unsealed the wine and dipped his finger within. Afterwards, he wiped away the liquid and resealed the wine pot to its original state. Then, he turned and left.

Xu Jian was a connoisseur of wine, and this was a fact that many people were aware of. He always had many lackeys around him, and this was in large part due to the massive number of good wines that the Xu Family sent up every year. He was able to share his wine with his lackeys, winning over their hearts like this.

And tonight was no exception.

Lang Tu had died and Xu Jian had personally thrown him off a 100,000 foot high cliff. The cliff was so high that one couldn't see the bottom. And, there was a raging river beneath, so anyone that fell in would be unlikely to survive, no matter how good their luck was. But that brat had been troublesome. Even after being poisoned he still seemed to possess a supernatural strength. As Xu Jian thought of this, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest once more.

Luckily, everything had ended. There was still Qin Yu who might be alive. But after staying in that place filled with pill toxins for an entire year, even if he were barely managing to stay alive he was likely dying a slow and excruciating death.

Humph, all those who dared oppose him would suffer miserable ends!

Xu Jian was happy as he thought this. He raised his cup to drink wine. But then, doubt flashed in his eyes. How come there was an additional fragrance in the wine? Could it be because of the contact with the air?

As someone who loved wine, he was prepared to study this new turn of events. Just as he was about to bid others to drink the wine, there was a sudden stabbing pain in his stomach. This sort of feeling was as if someone had stabbed a saber in his stomach and was ruthlessly stirring it around, turning his insides to mush.

Xi Jian's face turned pale white, without the least bit of red. He fell to the ground and opened his mouth wide, trying to call for help, but he couldn't make the tiniest sound. His body bent like a dried shrimp and he crazily scratched at the ground until his nails began to break and his skin cracked. Soon, the rank smell of blood filled the air. His eyes filled with horror as he struggled with pain. Finally, he stiffened in despair.

Qin Yu stood atop a tree, coldly watching everything occur in the courtyard. When Xu Jian's struggling form finally completely stiffened, he turned his head and departed. The world of cultivators was filled with innumerable mysteries. He didn't reveal his presence because he didn't want to leave behind the slightest clue that it was him.

Without delay, Qin Yu returned to the disposal department and made his way to the underground medicine field. He set up a tombstone near the medicine field, one without a body in it. He sat on the ground, without wine, without food, and with hands stained with dirt.

"Potato, do you see how easy it is to kill people? Even without leaving behind any clues, you can make them taste excruciating pain until the moment they die. So, you must admit that this young master here is far more intelligent than you are. But, I still have to scold you. You studied beneath me all these years and called me young master, so how come you weren't able to take in just a little bit of my intelligence? I can't believe that you died so easily. Do you even know what you've missed out on? This young master here was already prepared to share and enjoy the effects of this little blue lamp with you!"

Qin Yu pulled the little blue lamp from his chest and a foot of sea-blue light bloomed with it. "Look, this is the little blue lamp. The name I gave it is appropriate and easy to remember. Aren't you curious how Wei Wei rose so rapidly? Then, let me tell you. This is the reason, and with it, this young master here has also managed to step into the Foundation Establishment realm!"

He rambled on for a long, long time. He even took out a number of pills and placed them in front of the grave.

Qin Yu's mouth felt dry. He wiped his face and began to pick up the pills again. "You died so you don't have any use for these pills. I'll keep them for myself, but from today onwards, I will give you the title of young master. You can rest well here; no one will come to bother you."

He turned and left, crawling up from the tunnel and then falling onto the dirty bed. This was the first time that he hadn't cultivated for a day in the last eight years. Like this, he fell into a deep sleep.

This sleep continued for three days and three nights, as if he was releasing all the exhaustion within his body. When Qin Yu's eyes opened once more, his mind had returned to tranquility. At least, he appeared so on the surface. He began to cultivate once more, and his actions were even more earnest and serious than they were in the past. He even neglected to eat and sleep.

This was because Qin Yu had personally experienced just how frail life could be. Lang Tu's death had made him realize that only with sufficient strength could one continue living on in peace.

But after several days, Qin Yu paused his cultivation. This was because he discovered that after breaking into the Foundation Establishment realm, the effects of Minor Spirit Pills and Essence Augmenting Pills had precipitously fallen; they could no longer quickly increase his cultivation.

The reason behind this was simple. The pills of the Energy Refining realm were certainly limited in use for a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If he wanted to solve this problem then what he needed were pills of a higher rank.

After a day of thought, Qin Yu left the disposal department in the deep of night once more. He glanced up to discern which direction he needed to go in and then quietly left.

After an entire year, the waste pills that had accumulated at the furnace below had nearly been completely used up. If he wanted to continue using pills to cultivate then he could only find them from the outside. But this decision also carried its own risks. Even so, Qin Yu still decided to attempt it. If he could smoothly carry out his plan, his harvests would surely be amazing!

…

East Stream Town was not particularly large. It was around seven or eight main streets in size, but in the surrounding 1000 miles it was known as the most famous trading town square. The Zeng Family's Pill Treasure Pavilion was the most renowned shop in town, and their business model was focused on trading in pills and materials. Because of their reliable quality and reasonable prices, they had an excellent reputation in the outside world.

Beneath the light that filtered through the colored glass windows, the shopkeeper's eyebrows were tightly wrinkled together. He was currently calculating the recent sales of the shop, and the more he calculated the uglier his complexion became.

In the last half month they had sold 421 portions of pill materials, over twice that of usual times. However, the amount they took in was less than a hundred portions, and the volume of pill sales had also fallen by almost 40%.

The shopkeeper had managed the counter for 50 years and had long since developed an instinctual feeling. He could smell something strange about this matter.

"Go and check for me, investigate what is going on here." The shopkeeper waved his hand and a shadowy figure quietly departed from the corners of his eyes. The Zeng Family had dominated East Stream Town for the last several hundred years, and the main reason for this was the powerhouses they were able to produce from their family. And, it was also related to the powerful subordinates that they were able to nurture.

The shopkeeper was confident that as long as the Zeng Family moved, no matter where this undercurrent came from, it would be impossible for them to hide.

Two hours later, several light pieces of paper were delivered to the shopkeeper. As he glanced through them, the carelessness on his face immediately disappeared and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. He didn't dare to delay further. He grabbed these papers and roared out for his men to prepare his carriage as he quickly rushed over to the Zeng Family residence.

….

The vast and boundless mountains were like titanic beasts lying low on the ground. They extended to the end of the horizon, stretching out for tens of thousands of miles. The mountains were covered in poisonous miasma and had monster beasts and demonic creatures wandering the lands. Because these places were rarely visited by outsiders, they were able to maintain a massive amount of spirit grasses and spirit herbs. A great part of the reason East Stream Town had obtained its current status was because of its proximity to these mountains. Countless monster hunters and gatherers would set out from this place.

Cao Hua was one of these monster hunters.

His origins were unknown, but he had slaughtered his way through these vast mountain ranges for the last seven or eight years without dying; this was sufficient proof as to how fierce he was. He gradually rose to fame over the years, and even gained some respect. When others saw him, they would even call him Brother Cao.

"Brother Cao, you've been so leisurely recently. It seems that you haven't entered the mountains for the past several days." On a nearby street, a man with a barrel-like chest loudly greeted as he opened the front of his wine shop.

Cao Hua laughed. "Is it bad for me to rest? If I always go into the mountains I might suffer some accident and lose my life!"

The wine shop owner laughed and several nearby people smirked. Since he was a monster hunter then he had long since stopped caring for his life. If he didn't place his head on the line, then how would he exchange materials for pills to increase his cultivation?

If he feared death then he shouldn't be here!

Cao Hua quickened his steps and turned into an alley, leaving the raucous laughter behind him. A trace of a smile appeared on his lips.

What a bunch of idiots!

Right now I have plenty of spirit stones, so many that I can't even spend them all, so why would I go with you all into the mountains and risk my life to fight for scraps?

Thinking of the little courtyard, Cao Hua's heart began to heat up. Then, anxiousness appeared on his face. "The more time passes the more people will know of this. I have to seize this time to earn as much as I can."

With these thoughts in mind, Cao Hua's steps quickened to the point that he nearly ran out of the alley. He was all smiles as the little secluded courtyard appeared before him.

But soon, the smile froze on his face.

Several carriages were calmly parked on the street. The massive carriages nearly took up the entire street, and the tall and large horses were decorated in luxurious outfits. However, what left Cao Hua shocked the most was the black thorn family emblem that was carved into the side of the carriages.

The Zeng Family!

He still had the materials he had purchased from Pill Treasure Pavilion in the folds of his robes. The back of Cao Hua's robes began to turn wet with a cold sweat. And all of this happened in an instant. After living atop the edge of a blade for so many years, he had long since developed an instinctual feeling for these situations. He lowered his head to express his awe and prepared to pass through the street to the other side.

But at this moment, a voice sounded out from the carriage that caused him to freeze up.

"It's him?"

"Yes, miss."

"Ask him."

"Wait a moment."

The dialog was unhurried and casual. Cao Hua had more than enough time to leave, but it was like his feet had taken root in the ground and he didn't dare to move at all.

The shopkeeper that was standing in front of the carriage stood up straight, his eyes coldly sweeping out around him. "It seems you're smart enough to not run away; at least you don't have to suffer so much. Come with me. Now, tell me, what did you come here for?"

Cao Hua followed him with a pale complexion.

After a moment, the shopkeeper returned to the side of the carriage. He respectfully said, "Miss, I have questioned him. He is the same as the previous three, exchanging for a portion of three to one." As he spoke he looked towards the nearby courtyard, a deep wariness and cautious in his eyes. 𝐧𝒐𝑣𝓮𝑙𝑢𝗌𝑩.𝒸𝗈𝑀

The carriage quieted down. The woman within seemed to be deep in thought. After several breaths of time, the carriage door was pushed open and a flash of blue fluttered down. Her looks weren't amazing and the slant of her eyes made her seem a bit na?ve, but when all of this was combined together she actually exuded an incredible charm. Every movement, every action she made seemed to captivate the mind.

She looked around before her eyes eventually fell on the tightly closed doors and the courtyard that was oblivious to the outside world. Zeng Mo'er's eyes flashed. "I'm going to take a look."

The shopkeeper's eyes widened. "You can't…"

Zeng Mo'er waved her hand, interrupting him. "I came to ask for a pill, and I'm following their request, so how could they dare to embarrass me?" As she spoke her eyes glanced towards the last carriage at the very back, and her heart calmed down, feeling much safer.

The shopkeeper had no way of stopping her. He could only follow behind with a morose expression, carrying with him the prepared materials. This young miss was the most beloved pearl of the high ancestor. He hoped that nothing happened here, because if something did he would prefer to kill himself earlier so that his family would still be able to live on.

There was a knock on the door.

The courtyard was quiet. But as the shopkeeper frowned and prepared to knock again, the sound of lazy footsteps rose from within.

The courtyard door opened, revealing a tall youth. He couldn't be called pretty, but he emitted a somewhat dashing aura. However, his eyes were bloodshot and he seemed seriously tired, making him appear a bit stiff.

"Are you here to ask for pills? You know the rules."

Zeng Mo'er smelled the fragrance of medicine and bowed in greeting. "I heard that a Grandmaster arrived at East Stream Town. I am Pill Treasure Pavilion's Zeng Mo'er, and I have come to request an audience. I didn't think that Grandmaster would actually be so young, it is truly beyond my expectations."

The young man's complexion changed. He waved his hand. "There's no need to talk nonsense. The alchemist is m…the Grandmaster. I'm only responsible for running errands."

"Oh. Then I apologize for my rudeness. May I ask fellow daoist to pass on a message for me, that a junior from Pill Treasure Pavilion's Zeng Family has come to seek an audience?" Zeng Mo'er smiled.

The young man shook his head. "Grandmaster does not receive guests. If you are here to request a pill then offer up the materials. Otherwise, please leave."

Zeng Mo'er's face stiffened. Her complexion began to darken. "Fellow daoist, it would be best if you passed on my message. My Zeng Family could be considered a powerful faction within East Stream Town. Could it be that I don't even have the qualifications to seek an audience with the Grandmaster?"

The young man rolled his eyes. With a loud bang, the door slammed shut and his footsteps soon faded away.

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Chapter 11 – Beneath the Skirt

The shopkeeper quickly said, "Miss, even the servant of the Grandmaster staying here has reached the Foundation Establishment realm at such a young age. You cannot be impulsive."

Zeng Mo'er frowned. The gloominess on her face had long since disappeared. She glared at the tightly shut courtyard doors and turned to leave.

The shopkeeper was secretly embarrassed at himself. The young miss was brave and intelligent, so how could she have lost her temper so easily? She had likely intentionally probed with her question just now, and he had ended up misunderstanding her and talking too much.

As he was lost in his thoughts, he saw Zeng Mo'er move to the last carriage in the back and call out, "Great Grandfather, Mo'er was bullied by someone, you have to help me!"

The shopkeeper's mouth fell open. But, he rapidly composed himself. He quickly hurried forwards with a few servants and fell to his knees. "Greetings, High Ancestor!"

Within the carriage, a mild voice sounded out. "You little monkey, you were clearly rude to others so how could you blame them for closing the door on you?"

The carriage door opened to reveal an old man sitting on a light yellow round cushion. His hair was neatly tied into a purple-gold crown and there was a faint smile on his common features. Even though he sat in the carriage without making any movements, a strange pressure still covered the entire street.

Golden Core realm!

Zeng Chingming cupped his hands together in greetings. His light voice spread out far, "I wonder which fellow daoist arrives? Perhaps you can open the door and meet with this old man?"

Soon, the courtyard doors opened up once more and the youth from before reappeared. He respectfully walked towards the last carriage and said, "Junior Qin Yu greets senior."

Zeng Chingming frowned. The air around him seemed to thicken, becoming heavier.

Qin Yu revealed a look of dread. He forced a smile and said, "Senior Zeng does not need to rattle me. If the Grandmaster doesn't wish to receive guests then there is nothing I can do about it." Then, after a brief pause he probed, "Well, how about you go in yourself. I can't block you in any case, so the Grandmaster shouldn't blame me."

Zeng Chingming looked at the courtyard for several moments in silence. Then, he shook his head and said, "It's fine. Since fellow daoist is wholeheartedly concentrating on alchemy, then this old man shall not disturb you. However, my Zeng Family is based here and the exchange of three proportions to one is making the situation a little awkward for my Pill Treasure Pavilion."

Qin Yu remained respectful. "Grandmaster said that in the future the exchange rate will be five to one, and we will stay here for at most two months before leaving."

Zeng Chingming smiled. "If that's the case, then allow me to engage in some business with fellow daoist." He waved his sleeves and a blue wooden crate appeared. "There are materials for 300 Essence Soul Pills here. Would it be possible to pick them up in seven days?"

Qin Yu thought for a moment. "Five days will be fine." As he spoke he took out a storage bag from his chest and placed the blue wooden crate inside.

Zeng Chingming's pupils shrank and his smile became even warmer. "Then, I'll have Mo'er come and pick up the pills in five days. Little friend, we will bid our farewells here."

Qin Yu watched as the Zeng Family's train of carriages left. Then, he returned to the courtyard and closed the door. He let out a long sigh of relief, his complexion somewhat pale.

On a table across from him was a small bead with cracks all over it; this was the Golden Core left behind by Cang Mangzi. This was what he had used to suppress that old Zeng monster.

Although it was dangerous, there shouldn't be anyone that would dare to stir up trouble after today.

Qin Yu revealed a smile. His true harvest was soon approaching!

…

Within the carriage.

Zeng Chingming sat in meditation with his eyes closed. He suddenly said, "Pass down the order that no one can affront that courtyard." He continued to speak, "And look for an opportunity to establish good terms with that Qin Yu."

Zeng Mo'er frowned. "The Grandmaster is worthy of my Zeng Family's respect, but I can tell with a glance that the boy isn't anyone good at all. What's the point of being on good terms with him?"

Zeng Chingming opened his eyes, smiling as he looked at her. "Oh you, you're still a little chicken that isn't willing to take even the smallest loss." He shook his head and sighed. "Hollow Nascent Soul realm as well as a Grandmaster of alchemy. If he is hiding here focusing on his alchemy, then he should be gathering his mind, body, and soul. When his state reaches the peak he will be a fish that leaps through the dragon gate, and reach the great dao of Nascent Soul. With such a character, how could his disciple be average? And in truth, I was considering whether or not I should try and pair the two of you together."

"That was a gold and silver thread storage bag. Hehe, although it isn't too high a rank, it is still incredibly rare. At least, it is far better than my own!"

Nascent Soul…

In the 100,000 miles of the Southern Empire, there were no more than five people who had achieved this great boundary. As Zeng Mo'er imagined that such a titanic figure was lurking in that seemingly ordinary courtyard, she felt her heart and mind tremble. However, as she heard her grandfather's latter words she immediately regained her composure and her face blushed a charming red. "Great Grandfather, I will accompany you and never marry anyone ever! If you keep saying such things then Mo'er will be angry with you!"

Zeng Chingming smiled. He laughed, saying, "Very well, just forget grandfather's words. My family's Mo'er is outstanding and there is plenty of time to choose in the future. There's no need to be in such a hurry."

Zeng Mo'er lowered her head, a lazy look on her face. She wrinkled her nose and humphed inwardly. Who cares if you are the disciple of a Nascent Soul master? This miss still wouldn't take a liking to you!

Zeng Chingming was the greatest advertisement. With his actions today, everyone suddenly learned that an alchemy Grandmaster had arrived at East Stream Town. Within a day, that remote courtyard suddenly became the third Holy Land, following the residences of the Zeng Family and Kong Family. Countless people came to watch in admiration.

As news of the little courtyard's initial offering of making pills for a three to one ratio of materials spread out, many cultivators who purchased material and sold pills at high prices could only clench their jaws. As for those like Cao Hua who had made a small fortune earlier on, whether or not they were beaten up until their heads looked like pigs was another story.

Not many cared about these minor details.

Qin Yu was extremely busy. With the materials of 300 Essence Soul Pills, no matter how extraordinary the Fleeting Flame Furnace was, it would still be incredibly difficult to complete this order in five days. Luckily, he had many pills so he didn't need to rest at all, and with the existence of the little blue lamp helping him, all he needed was for these pills to take shape for them to reach the average standard.

Of course, this was only the average standard. He couldn't take out top quality pills, at least not now. The situation had just stabilized and East Stream Town's other great family, the Kong Family, had also sent people to greet him. He didn't want to break the current tranquil situation.

Without sleep or even a rest, five days later, Zeng Mo'er politely knocked on the door and took away 60 Essence Soul Pills.

Qin Yu frowned, a bit confused as to why this little girl was so angry with him. Before she left she cast him a glare that was filled with a scary amount of hostility. Luckily for him, he wasn't someone that was overly sensitive nor did he have any interest in Zeng Mo'er. He turned and closed the door, blocking himself off from all the envious eyes outside and restoring his courtyard to tranquility.

The 60 Essence Soul Pills was the final test. Since everything was smoothly completed, there shouldn't be more problems. After announcing that he was suspending the refining of pills, Qin Yu began to swallow pills to cultivate. The reason he had taken the risks to come here was to increase his cultivation. Although practicing alchemy was important, it wasn't like he could place the cart before the horse.

It was clearly much harder to increase his cultivation in the Foundation Establishment realm. If the Energy Refining realm was a pool, then the Foundation Establishment realm was a small lake. To increase his magic powers and fill a pool was simple. But to fill a small lake, the difficulty rose more than ten times over.

He ate pills like food and continued all day without rest. After half a month, Qin Yu's cultivation had only reached the second level of Foundation Establishment. He was originally prepared to cultivate for an additional period of time. He still had plenty of pills remaining so he didn't need to refine any more for a while.

But, the continuous stream of visitors left Qin Yu no choice but to leave seclusion again and again. He tamped down his annoyance and dealt with the waves of young elites.

If a person could be called a young elite, they certainly weren't average. Even if they were the elder senior-apprentice brother of a sect, they still had to have some fame outside. And their cultivation had to be at least at the Foundation Establishment realm; those at the Energy Refining realm would be too embarrassed to even appear.

Since they were young elites, they were certainly busy. Not only did they have to cultivate, but they also had to flatter and please their teachers and masters, they would have to occasionally chat with their fellow apprentice brothers and sisters beneath the stars, and they would also have to perform some good deeds now and then. And if everybody was so busy, there was definitely a reason that they had gathered at East Stream Town.

As a 'Grandmaster's disciple', Qin Yu didn't need much effort to find out the reason.

So, it turned out that the demonic path was recently rampaging through this area of the Southern Empire, committing innumerable atrocities. There were many sect disciples that had lost their lives and even more that vanished and went unaccounted for. The disciples of various sects were gathering together to negotiate forming a Demon Purging Alliance to prevent demonic flames wreaking havoc in the Southern Empire. 𝓃𝑶𝒱𝓮𝒍𝓤𝗌𝓫.𝓒𝑜𝑚

It was rumored that the Eastern Mountain Sect's elder senior-apprentice brother Han Dong and the rising talent Wei Wei had lost their lives to the hands of the demonic path. Even though he was indignant about so many outer court disciples dying, Qin Yu could only suppress his grievances. After all, he had added to the problem to begin with.

After his pill refining and cultivation was interrupted several times, Qin Yu simply moved his chair to the courtyard entrance and began declining all requests for pills and audiences.

But soon, he regretted his decision.

His reputation of being the direct disciple of an alchemy Grandmaster attracted numerous green-headed flies to buzz around him, and their flattery stunk to the high heavens. After lasting for less than an hour, Qin Yu retreated in defeat. He rose up, preparing to greet the guests when he suddenly heard cries of exclamation in his ears.

A white cloud flew in from the horizon with a young woman atop it.

If Zeng Mo'er's beauty originated from the combination of her facial features and her temperament, creating a charming aura all around her, then this young woman was perfect from head to toe, every single feature of hers reaching the peak of perfection. It was hard to imagine just how such a perfect individual could be born in the world. She was like a goddess descending to the mortal world. Her tranquil gaze released a natural elegance that made it difficult for anyone to think of blaspheming her.

Qin Yu's mind shook, and a strange numb feeling rose from the depths of his heart. But he quickly suppressed it. However, in the next moment his eyes popped wide open. He gasped out in surprise and quickly lowered his head.

Ning Ling frowned. The white cloud beneath her was formed from a magic tool. Just now the circulation of her magic power had stagnated, causing it to scatter. But, this was only for a brief instant. The circulation of her magic power quickly recovered and the white cloud hadn't truly dispersed, so no one should have seen beneath her skirt. But for some unknown reason, she felt something strange just then…

Her vision immediately sharpened. She swept her gaze over the crowd below her, coldness in her eyes. But before she could continue looking, her attention was interrupted by several people flying upwards.

The chief disciple of the Skycloud Sword Sect approached, his face as cold as ice. "Why is junior-apprentice sister Ning injured? I will go and demand justice for you!"

Ning Ling greeted the several people. She said in a soft voice, "I happened to encounter a Little Monarch of the demonic path on my way here and I exchanged several moves with him. That person is definitely worthy of being called a promising youth of the demonic path. He is an extremely formidable individual. If fellow daoists are to stumble across him in the future, you must all be careful."

The several young elites were enraged.

"Little Monarch of the demonic path, Liang Taizu! I came here to discuss exterminating the demonic path, and yet he dares act so rampantly! He best not meet me in the future, otherwise I will make sure he is caught in a life or death struggle!"

"This is exactly the reason I came here! In my Seven Star City we have already had four disciples fall beneath their treachery! It's good that junior-apprentice sister Ning was able to withdraw safely today."

"Come, since we met today, we must carefully discuss how we will hunt down this pig!"

The ones who spoke up were all talented individuals of outstanding ability. They crowded around Ning Ling but only served to contrast against her, making her noble and elegant demeanor that much more amazing. Countless people were left in a dazed haze, all of them ashamed at their own inferiority.

Ning Ling nodded. Her gaze swept over the ground again, but that young boy had disappeared without a trace. She maintained her expression as she entered East Stream Town with the several people.

After closing the courtyard door, Qin Yu let out a long breath of relief. Although he hadn't done anything wrong, he still felt a little guilty. But, the problem was that his actions hadn't been intentional. His eyes actually possessed the ability to faintly see through things; how had he never discovered this before!

When the white cloud began to disperse but hadn't scattered, his line of sight was still covered up. But for some reason Qin Yu was actually able to see through it with utter clarity. He had seen beneath her skirt and saw her slightly torn underwear as well as the bloodstains that covered her leg. The blood had contrasted against her snow-white skin, making the sight even more stirring.

Qin Yu forcefully shook his head, but he couldn't prevent himself from recalling the sight. The image was like a mark that was branded in his heart, one that he feared he would never forget. Hah, since he couldn't forget it, it was still fine. In any case, he was unlikely to see her again in the future, so he should just consider this a wonderful accident. And if he were extremely bored in the future, perhaps he could…no, that was dirty, just too dirty!

Qin Yu slapped his head. Lechery sprung from warmth and nourishment and he was far from reaching this step; he needed to rid himself of such thoughts. He pushed open the door to the house, deciding to not go out in the future.

However, there were some matters that couldn't necessarily be avoided even if you wanted to.

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Chapter 12 – Enduring Glamour Pill

The next day when Qin Yu opened the courtyard doors, the first sight he saw was Zeng Mo'er. When he looked beside her he stiffened, but after a moment of shock he quickly hid his surprise and greeted her. He cupped his hands together and said, "And this fairy maiden is?"

For some reason, Zeng Mo'er felt angry upon seeing Qin Yu properly greet her. She said with irritation, "That has nothing to do with you! Big Sister Ning, you must be especially careful, there are some shameless people in this world!"

Qin Yu was left helpless. Including today, the two of them had only met each other three times and had exchanged less than 20 sentences, so how could she just call him shameless?

Ning Ling's eyes flashed. Without answering the question she said, "I seem to have seen fellow daoist yesterday?"

Qin Yu immediately began to emit a cold sweat. But, he kept his expression neutral. "Really? I don't seem to recall anything."

Ning Ling observed his expression. She faintly smiled after several breaths of time. "My name is Ning Ling."

Qin Yu was perturbed. He cupped his hands across his chest and said, "Qin Yu."

Zeng Mo'er whined, "Big Sister Ning, why would you tell him your name? I'm telling you, you must be careful!"

Qin Yu coughed. "Miss Zeng, I believe that I haven't treated you with the least bit of disrespect. If you continue to impugn my reputation again and again, then I will have no choice but to…fulfill your wishes."

Zeng Mo'er was startled. Then, she understood his meaning. Her eyes popped wide open, "You dare!?"

Ning Ling blocked her. She lightly said, "Fellow daoist Qin Yu, I heard that a Grandmaster stays here so I asked Mo'er to bring me to request a pill."

As she spoke, she flicked her hand and a jade chest appeared.

Storage bag!

This woman definitely had a considerable background.

Qin Yu was intimidated. He firmed his heart that he absolutely could not reveal the slightest mistake in his words.

"There are materials for three Enduring Glamour Pills in this jade chest; this is all I have. I was wondering if Grandmaster could refine one for me so that I may gift it to one of my Elders as a congratulatory birthday present. Of course, even if all attempts fail, I still won't complain."

An Enduring Glamour Pill affected one's face. Depending on one's individual physique, by swallowing one they could maintain their current appearance for 20-30 year without change. This was a particularly precious pill, especially for women. It was a Foundation Establishment level pill, but in terms of the difficulty of refining one, it was nearly equal to a Golden Core level pill. The failure rate was horrendous!

Qin Yu frowned. He originally wanted to refuse, but when he faced Ning Ling's deep, pool-like pupils he found himself unexpectedly nodding. After coming to an agreement, the two women no longer dallied. They agreed to come back in two days to take the pill, and then left together.

Watching those two leave, Qin Yu slapped his head and revealed a bitter smile. Beautiful women were like jade. Although they were pleasant to the eyes, they still disturbed the mind! He secretly warned himself to not do this again in the future, and then stepped back into the courtyard and went straight to his alchemy room.

An Enduring Glamour Pill. If he didn't have the little blue lamp then he would have simply given up. And even though he had the little blue lamp, he still couldn't be careless. After all, he still had to maintain his reputation as an alchemy Grandmaster. While an Enduring Glamour Pill was hard to refine, he should be able to manage it as long as he tried!

Bang –

Muffled ringing sounds constantly emitted from the alchemy room. Although Qin Yu had already expected this, the difficulty of refining an Enduring Glamour Pill had far surpassed his imagination.

The three sets of materials were all used up in failure. At night, he took advantage of the little blue lamp to extract the materials and then continued. After two days and two nights, Qin Yu made at least 30 attempts. Luckily, during the second night, he managed to somehow refine a pill.

Of course, this pill might not even possess a third of the effect of an ordinary Enduring Glamour Pill. If any other alchemist were to judge this pill, they would consider it completely useless.

Fortunately, he had the little blue lamp!

He ignored the fact that the pill in his hands was half the size of a normal pill and placed it in the foot-wide range of sea-blue light. There was still some time until dawn arrived, so he hoped he could succeed.

After finishing this, he yawned. A deep sense of weariness rose up all over him. As he stretched his body, his bones cracked all over. He sat down cross-legged, took out some Essence Soul Pills, Essence Augmenting Pills, Body Forging Pills, and swallowed them down as he meditated.

Essence Soul Pills enhanced the divine sense, Essence Augmenting Pills increased one's magic power, and Body Forging Pills tempered the body; they were all upgraded versions of Energy Refining realm pills.

As for why he swallowed all three types at once, if he had pills, didn't that mean he could do whatever he wanted with them?

What? Others said that absorbing them like this meant that the effects wouldn't be as good? Well, if he had to look at it from another perspective…those with plenty of pills could be so capricious!

Like this, the capricious Qin Yu meditated until sunrise. It was then that he heard a rapid knocking on his door, waking him up. He lifted his tired head and opened the courtyard doors to receive his guests.

The one knocking on the door was indeed Zeng Mo'er. This little girl seemed to know that the 'Grandmaster' wouldn't bother with someone on such a low level as her, thus her actions became increasingly rampant.

Before Ning Ling could open her mouth, Zeng Mo'er immediately spoke up. "It's time; where is the Enduring Glamour Pill? The Grandmaster's reputation has spread out so far and wide, so don't tell me you completely failed!"

Qin Yu ignored her. He looked at Ning Ling and said, "Wait a moment. I'll bring it out now."

He turned around and left, leaving the courtyard doors wide open. Zeng Mo'er fumed and stamped her feet, but she actually didn't dare to take a single step inwards. To show a little bit of her temper and to go against the will of the Grandmaster, these were crimes on completely different levels. She even suspected that Qin Yu had deliberately left the door open in order to trick her. This despicable fellow!

"He hasn't come out? Why would it take so long to bring out a pill?" Zeng Mo'er grit her teeth.

Ning Ling also frowned.

After another period of time, Qin Yu appeared in their sight once more. Without waiting for Zeng Mo'er to shout, he respectfully said, "Two misses, please follow me into the courtyard." 𝓃𝑜𝑣𝞮𝓵𝚞𝐬𝐛.𝓬𝑜𝕞

Ning Ling was faintly astonished. She glanced deeply into the courtyard.

Qin Yu nodded. "This is the Grandmaster's will."

Ning Ling prevented Zeng Mo'er from saying any more disdainful words and pulled her into the small courtyard. The courtyard was messy and the ground was littered with dead leaves. It was evident that this place hadn't been cleaned in a long time.

Qin Yu closed the courtyard doors and said. "It's a bit chaotic here, so please don't mind." He took a deep breath and brought out a jade bottle from his chest.

When no one answered, Ning Ling frowned. Beside her, Zeng Mo'er smirked, as if she had finally caught him in his act.

Qin Yu laughed and shook his head. He placed the jade bottle on the table behind him and then drew several steps back. "Miss Ning Ling, please take a look."

Ning Ling hesitated for a moment, then picked up the jade bottle and opened it. With a light gasp she watched as a small deep blue pill peacefully rolled into her palm. Its size was only half that of a normal pill, but at this time no one cared about that. Her eyes were glued onto it.

A rich medicinal fragrance spread through the air. It was only after a long time that the deathly silence was broken by a trembling voice. "Big Sister Ning…this…this is…"

Zeng Mo'er stuttered, her small and shocked face beginning to blush red.

Ning Ling took a deep breath. "Fellow daoist Qin Yu?"

Qin Yu's expression was filled with praise. "This is a top grade Enduring Glamour Pill! Miss Ning need not ask, because I also don't know the reason. This is all the intention of the Grandmaster. However, I must ask that Miss Ning keep this a secret and not reveal it to anyone else."

Ning Ling turned and bowed towards the depths of the courtyard. "This pill is called the Enduring Glamour Pill, and after swallowing one, it will guarantee that one's appearance will remain unchanged for their remaining lifetime. Ning Ling thanks the Grandmaster for such a generous gift."

She put the Enduring Glamour Pill away. Then, with a wave of her hand she took out a jade pendant from her storage bag. This jade pendant was the size of a knuckle and shined with a crystalline light. Its surface shimmered with layers of strange light.

"The value of an Enduring Glamour Pill is unmatched; this junior naturally must show some measure of gratitude. This aura restraining pendant might not be as valuable as this pill, but I ask Grandmaster to accept it."

The moment Qin Yu received the jade pendant, a piece of information appeared in his mind. Then, he was left speechless.

Aura restraining pendant. After refining, one could conceal their own aura, even against the divine sense of a Golden Core master.

This jade pendant was something he desperately needed.

Maintaining a calm expression, Qin Yu turned and bowed. "Grandmaster, junior here favors this jade pendant. What do you think?"

There was only silence in response.

Qin Yu smiled happily. "It's accepted. Thank you very much, Miss Ning!"

Ning Ling looked at him and shook her head. "No, I must be the one thanking fellow daoist Qin. If I were to accept such a pill without giving anything in return, it would be hard to find peace of mind." She bowed once more. "Then I won't disturb Grandmaster any longer. Junior bids her farewells."

Zeng Mo'er was clearly somewhat distracted. She fluttered close behind Ning Ling.

Qin Yu sent off the two people and returned to his alchemy room. He immediately frowned. He didn't understand what had happened. In just half a night, the grade of the Enduring Glamour Pill rose all the way to the highest level.

He didn't know whether this incident would cause great waves to rise up in the future. Qin Yu frowned and lost himself in thought. After a long time, he let out a deep breath. Although a top grade Enduring Glamour Pill was amazing, it shouldn't be beyond the range of an alchemy Grandmaster. As long as he remained careful and didn't give away other top grade pills in the future, this matter would soon blow over.

Although the incident today had seemed calm and casual, the truth was that he had been walking on a steel wire the entire time. A single mistake and he would have fallen beyond redemption!

Careful.

He had to be careful!

….

The carriage was incomparably quiet.

Ning Ling was deep in thought. Across from her, Zeng Mo'er tried to speak up several times but hesitated.

Finally, she couldn't hold herself back any longer. She asked in a soft voice. "Big Sister Ning, do you know this Grandmaster?"

Ning Ling thought for a moment. "It should be because of my family."

Zeng Mo'er nodded. She had already heard the old ancestor mention that Ning Ling's identity was out of the ordinary, and there was a tremendous background hiding behind her. Today's matters had verified this. She gathered her courage and asked, "Big Sister Ning, if I were to ask Grandmaster for a pill, do you think he would agree?"

Ning Ling was silent for several moments. "Mo'er, if this Grandmaster can recognize my origins, he must inevitably be some impressive person. When it comes to such an existence, you can make a request, but you cannot resent him and you cannot even form the tiniest bit of disrespect in your heart. Do you understand what I am trying to say?"

Zeng Mo'er smiled. She wryly smiled. "Big Sister Ning need not worry; I know just what my weight is. Even so, I still must try."

She leaned back in the carriage and closed her eyes, no longer speaking.

Ning Ling sighed. She knew the reason why Zeng Mo'er would request a pill, but obtaining an Enduring Glamour Pill today was already a tremendous favor; it wasn't something that a single magic tool could compare with. It was best if she didn't speak too much about this matter.

Hopefully, the Grandmaster would show compassion.

The Zeng Family's old ancestor Zeng Chingming came again to pay a visit. This time, his following was even grander than before. He brought all sorts of gifts, so many that they piled up into a small hill.

After seeing all of this, Qin Yu's complexion turned ugly. He glanced at Zeng Mo'er, his voice deep as he said, "Senior Zeng, what is the meaning of this? Could it be that you want to force Grandmaster to refine pills for your Zeng Family!?"

Zeng Chingming sighed. "Little friend, please don't think that. Within the entire Zeng Family there is no one who would dare disrespect the Grandmaster. But, I really have no choice in this matter so I earnestly request the lord for help. This old man would be deeply grateful!"

Qin Yu directly refused. "Miss Ning's Enduring Glamour Pill already cost the Grandmaster a considerable amount of effort and energy to make. Senior Zeng needs to understand that it is impossible for the Grandmaster to help at this moment. I ask that you take the gifts back with you."

Zeng Chingming's heart trembled. He already guessed that the Grandmaster was gathering his body, energy, and soul to break into the Nascent Soul realm. Now Qin Yu's words had proven this beyond a doubt. If so, then it was completely impossible for him to ask for a pill right now.

His complexion immediately dimmed and he seemed to grow much older in that moment. He rose up and said, "It was just the momentary rashness of an old man. I will take my leave."

"Great Grandfather!" Zeng Mo'er cried out. She fell to her knees. "Grandmaster, I ask you to rescue my uncle! He's going to die! He's really going to die!"

As she cried, Qin Yu finally understood why Zeng Mo'er would have such an intense reaction. The Zeng Family had a son named Zeng Zhongxiu. He was a heaven-gifted genius who had reached the tenth level of Energy Refining by 16 years of age, and in terms of alchemy, he possessed an even greater level of talent.

The junior of a large family who also possessed such a high degree of talent should have had an incomparably bright future awaiting him. However, his youthful heart and brashness had been his own undoing. He tried to break through Energy Refining and reach Foundation Establishment on his own, but in that critical moment, his cultivation had been broken by Zeng Mo'er who had suddenly rushed in. Not only had his breakthrough failed but he suffered a backlash as a result. From that point on, his cultivation no longer advanced and he fell ill in bed with sickness. No matter how deep the background of the Zeng Family was, they had no way of preventing his life draining out of him, and now he verged on the border of death.

Zeng Mo'er's tears fell like rain. She turned and bowed. "Big Brother Qin, I know that I offended you with my youthful ignorance, but I beg that you don't quarrel with someone as low as me, and please ask Grandmaster for me. As long as he can bestow us a single top grade Foundation Establishment Pill, I can agree with any condition you like."

Zeng Chingming painfully closed his eyes. But when he opened them, they had returned to tranquility. "Mo'er, shut up!" he cupped his hands together and faced the courtyard, "This little girl doesn't mean anything. Grandmaster, please don't mind her. I will bring her away first."

Zeng Mo'er rose up, her entire body wooden and stiff. As she followed behind her grandfather, she seemed to have lost her soul, without any of her previous rambunctiousness.

Qin Yu coughed. "So you want a Foundation Establishment Pill…?"

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Chapter 13 – Demonic Path

Zeng Mo'er froze in place. She suddenly turned, her eyes looking straight towards him, filled with pleading.

Qin Yu took out his storage bag and pulled out a jade bottle. Then, he rolled a pill onto his palm. "Is this enough?"

Zeng Chingming's breathing quickened and the wrinkles on his face began to shake; it was obvious just how excited he was. "Enough! It's enough!"

Of course it was enough. There were still four leftover pills from when Qin Yu broke into Foundation Establishment, and all of them were top grade pills.

"My talent was poor so I required Foundation Establishment pills bestowed upon me from Grandmaster in order to make my breakthrough. Since the Zeng Family needs one, it shouldn't be a problem for me to give one away."

"After today, young friend here will be the most honored guest of my Zeng Family!" Zeng Chingming said, deep veneration in his voice.

Zeng Mo'er's hands shivered as she took the top grade Foundation Establishment Pill from Qin Yu's hand. Then, she carefully put it away and bowed.

Leaving behind all the gifts, the Zeng Family left.

Qin Yu was preparing to close the courtyard door when he suddenly saw a beautiful figure standing on the side of the street. He hesitated for a moment before cupping his hands across his chest and saying, "Miss Ning, is there something wrong?"

Ning Ling said, "Mo'er already said that as long as you gave her a pill, she would be willing to agree to any conditions you put forth. I understand her character and if she says something she will not go back on her word. Fellow daoist Qin, it seems you've lost a good opportunity here."

Qin Yu wryly smiled. "Miss Ning, please don't tease me. I certainly cannot take anything Miss Zeng says seriously, otherwise people might believe I really think of the Zeng Family's old ancestor as some piece of furniture just sitting there. To trade that pill for a little bit of sentiment is more than enough for me."

Ning Ling looked at him, her pupils dark and profound. It was like she could see through everything and it was impossible to hide any thought from her. Qin Yu felt his hairs stand on end, and just as his calm fa?ade was about to crack apart, she said, "I happen to have an aura restraining law formula in my hands. While it isn't a particularly high level technique, it shares similar roots with the aura restraining pendant. If you were to use the two together, then even a Nascent Soul level cultivator would find it hard to detect you."

To hide from the divine sense of a Nascent Soul master, this law formula obviously wasn't as simple as she said it was.

Qin Yu looked at the jade slip that was held out before him. The plain texture of the jade slip melded together with the skin of her hands, producing an oddly aesthetic sense.

At this time, he suddenly recalled the first time he saw her and the few bloodstains that she hid beneath her skirt. His thoughts heated up and his face began to flush red.

"Thank…thank you Miss Ning."

He received the jade slip, being careful not to touch her fingers. As he thought that he had inadvertently taken a peek beneath her skirt and had even received this law formula from her today, he suddenly developed a bit of guilt in his heart. He subconsciously asked, "Miss Ning, how are your injuries doing?"

Ning Ling smiled. "I must thank fellow daoist Qin for worrying over me. My injuries are much better."

Qin Yu nodded. "You should make sure your wounds don't touch water and you move as little as possible…" His voice suddenly halted. He looked up and saw Ning Ling's eyes narrowing as she stared at him, coldness beginning to flash from deep within her gaze.

"How does fellow daoist Qin know that I am wounded?"

A faint sheen of sweat appeared on Qin Yu's forehead. He said, "It's my sense of smell, yes, my sense of smell! I was born with an inherent sensitivity to the smell of blood, so although Miss Ning took good care of your wounds, I was still able to discover them." Qin Yu coughed. "Well, it's getting late and I have to help Grandmaster refine pills. Miss Ning, farewell." With that, he turned and left. Although he tried to keep his waist and back as straight as possible, it was still clear that he was moving away in a panicked haste.

Ning Ling bit her lips, looking towards the courtyard doors. A bit of anger and shame colored her face. Finally, she sighed. Qin Yu had clearly explained this matter and there was nothing she could do about it. Did she really think she could just walk up to him and ask if he had seen beneath her skirt?

Mo'er had been right all along. This fellow was hateful to the extreme!

She stamped her feet and revealed the rare temper of a young girl. Then, she turned and left.

As she vanished, it was only then that some figures began to appear outside the small courtyard. They all glanced at each other, all of them feeling heartfelt admiration for what had just occurred.

This young fellow Qin Yu was truly worthy of being the disciple of the Grandmaster; he was even skilled when it came to the relationships between men and women! He had actually managed to stir up the thoughts of this proud daughter of heaven. The figures lingering around the courtyard had no choice but to admit defeat!

Shaking their heads, several people left with faces full of envy. Without accident, the minor affair between the Grandmaster's disciple and Fairy Ning Ling would soon spread throughout East Stream Town, causing the eyes of countless young elites to go red with jealousy. If they weren't deterred by the Grandmaster's reputation, then this small courtyard might have already been declared a warzone by the resentful young elites and their wild hormones.

As things stood, one event led to another. With the top grade Foundation Establishment Pill, Zeng Zhongxiu was able to successfully break into Foundation Establishment, and then he came to express his thanks. According to principle, Qin Yu could only receive him.

"Brother Qin, I will never forget the graciousness of bestowing this pill upon me! If an opportunity ever arises someday, I will surely repay the favor!" Zeng Zhongxiu had the appearance of a middle-aged man, but the occasional white hair did nothing to ruin his dashing appearance. The vicissitudes of time that wrapped around him gave him an even more clean and affable appearance. If the person standing across from Qin Yu was a young girl, he might have long since been captivated by her.

But this person didn't have any feminine aura at all. Every action and movement was open and broad, and when he spoke he did so with deep admiration. One could feel the sincerity in his words.

Qin Yu didn't dare to ignore him. He earnestly replied, "Brother Zeng takes this too seriously. The Foundation Establishment Pill was exchanged for by the Zeng Family; I wouldn't dare to take credit for it."

Zeng Zhongxiu smiled, no longer speaking of this matter. From his appearance, it was clear he would engrave this matter in his heart. He looked towards the depths of the courtyard and lightly sighed. "I envy Brother Qin, that you can follow beside the Grandmaster and learn the art of alchemy from him. I wonder if I will ever have such a lucky chance in the future."

Qin Yu didn't know how to reply. He knew that the person in front of him was someone deeply infatuated with the dao of alchemy and what he said was the truth. But, the problem was that there was no so-called 'alchemy Grandmaster', and no matter how sincere Zeng Zhongxiu was, he would never be accepted as a disciple.

Noticing Qin Yu's silence, Zeng Zhongxiu realized the awkward situation. He smiled, "There is no need to think about it Brother Qin, I was merely expressing my emotions for a moment. And the world is vast and boundless. Even if I miss the Grandmaster, there will surely be countless opportunities awaiting me. I have already packed up my things. Today I will leave for Immortal Eclipse Valley and enter their sect to study alchemy. If there is a chance in the future, Brother Qin must come visit Immortal Eclipse Valley and we can meet again."

With that, he laughed as he strode out of the courtyard. As the dappled sunlight fell across his back, he seemed carefree and unfettered.

Qin Yu rose up and sent him off, a happy smile on his face. People were strange yet wonderful like this. They had clearly met for the first time and yet they felt extremely close to each other already.

This Zeng Zhongxiu was a man of true virtue and passion. If he had a chance in the future, he would definitely see him again.

Half a day after Zeng Zhongxiu left, Zeng Mo'er appeared before him. Qin Yu was uncomfortable and confused by her polite attitude and greetings. In particular, her bright and wide eyes occasionally glanced up at him, and the strange shimmer within left his heart beating a little faster.

"Big Brother Qin, has my uncle come to bid his farewells already? Did you know that there is no one happier than me that he has recovered? Otherwise, I would have to live my entire life in guilt. I know that I was rude in the past, and I ask Big Brother Qin to forgive me for any offenses." A blush of red appeared on Zeng Mo'er's face. "A top grade Foundation Establishment Pill is incomparably precious and the gifts that my family delivered are only common; they cannot be compared. If Big Brother Qin has a condition that you would like to put forth, then I will agree to it on behalf of the Zeng Family."

This situation didn't seem right at all! This Zeng Mo'er definitely could not agree to anything on behalf of the Zeng Family. If she was representing someone, it could only be herself!

Qin Yu's mouth was dry. "The Zeng Family's gifts are more than enough. Moreover, I have already entered Foundation Establishment, so top grade Foundation Establishment Pills are useless to me. Miss Zeng need not worry about this; you can let this matter go as it is."

A flash of disappointment appeared in Zeng Mo'er's eyes, but they soon brightened up again. This Big Brother Qin was truly a modest and noble gentleman. They chatted for several more moments, but just as Qin Yu was nearly unable to withstand the burning look in her eyes, she was called back by the Zeng Family to greet an honored guest.

Zeng Mo'er bid her farewells with a bit of reluctance.

Qin Yu sent her out the door.

"Big Brother Qin, how long will you be staying in East Stream Town?" Zeng Mo'er suddenly asked.

Qin Yu shook his head, "It all depends on the Grandmaster. But, he once mentioned that he will stay for at most two months, and that time is soon approaching."

He needed to leave soon.

The reputation of an alchemy Grandmaster had become increasingly loud. He feared that if he didn't leave soon, some incident would occur.

"Ah, you're leaving!" Zeng Mo'er suddenly felt anxious, but she soon realized she had no standing to be anxious, and she immediately turned dispirited.

Qin Yu's expression was calm. He had become aware of this young woman's changing emotions around him, but all of that was based upon a web of lies. There simply was no alchemy Grandmaster, and he was only an outer court disciple of the Eastern Mountain Sect who had come across a bit of good fortune. There were thoughts that he shouldn't have, lest he harm others and himself.

But suddenly, Qin Yu's heart shook and all the hairs on his body stood up on end. In the next moment, two terrifying eruptions sounded out, nearly at the same time. It was like two thunderclaps that shook the earth, causing incredible airwaves to surge outwards and scatter sand and stone into the air. Several small trees on the street snapped in half and flew away, and nearly all the leaves and branches broke apart, turning into powder that rained down from the skies!

The world seemed to darken. If someone were standing high in the sky and looking down at East Stream Town, then they would discover that the two largest and most luxurious residences had been turned into ruins, with two massive pits in the center and horrifying cracks spreading out from them.

Woosh –

The sound of whistling air rose up from nowhere. Qin Yu quickly grabbed Zeng Mo'er and flew onto the roof. In the next moment a giant block of stone crashed into the location where the two had just been. If they had been even a moment slower, then even if someone with a Foundation Establishment cultivation wouldn't die, they would still lose most of their skin!

He lifted his hand, wanting to wipe the cold sweat that formed on his forehead. But at this time, Zeng Mo'er began to struggle from his grasp. She cried out, "My family, that's my family!"

Qin Yu's complexion changed. The Zeng Family had ruled over East Stream Town for generations and also had a Golden Core powerhouse assuming personal command, so who would dare move against them?

He soon had an answer.

Bang –

Black demonic energy shot into the skies, as thick as ink. A green-clothed devil was lifting a corpse high in the air, a hand inserted into its stomach. Then, flesh and blood rained down as the devil pulled out a Golden Core. Licking his lips, the green-clothed devil cackled and bit down on the corpse's neck. As the corpse's throat twitched about, it began to wither away at a speed visible to the eyes.

Demonic cultivator…the one who died was the Kong Family's old ancestor!

A headache began to develop in Qin Yu's head and his complexion became extremely ugly. The Southern Empire was located in a remote area, and had never been regarded as too important or valuable by the immortal and demonic sects. Although there had been endless posturing and threats made throughout the years, there had never truly been a war that erupted between the immortal and demonic sides.

But today, he had struck the jackpot! 𝑛𝐎𝗏𝞮𝑙𝐮𝔰𝒷.𝗰𝒪𝓂

"Grandfather!" Zeng Mo'er called out in alarm, nearly fainting.

Qin Yu held her up, whispering, "Senior is alright!" But before his voice fell, two figures shot up from the ruins of the Zeng Family residence. A black-robed old man cried out miserably as an arm was sent flying away.

Zeng Chingming's face was pale as he held a long sword in his hand. As he swept his eyes over the ruins of the Zeng Family before him, his eye sockets seemed as if they would crack open. Even if the Zeng Family still had their bloodline outside, today's catastrophe meant that the Zeng Family was on the precipice of destruction!

"Seven Slaughter Demon Sect, how brave of you, you actually dared to break the agreement and invade the south. I swear I will never forgive you!"

Just as he roared, 12 billowing demonic auras rose up from 12 different spots around East Stream Town, blocking everything within so that no one could sense what was occurring inside.

A youth stepped out from the black energy. He was delicate and pretty, with red lips the color of blood and black hair that fell behind him like a waterfall. If he were to wear the clothing of a woman, then his beauty would be enough to topple empires. At this moment, his lips were curled up in a small smile that revealed dimples. But although his expression seemed warm and inviting, there wasn't the least bit of warmth in his pitch black eyes.

"The demonic path's Little Monarch!"

The crowd cried out in shock.

Liang Taizu cupped his hands across his chest. "Just what sort of character is senior? Yet you would actually think about using such a method to send out information; this junior is truly saddened. Today, my demon sect hasn't brought many people here, so I had no choice but to block out the aura so that no outsiders would disturb us. I'm afraid senior must be left disappointed."

He swept his eyes out, causing shrieks of panic to rise up from wherever he looked. His smile rose even higher. "Ning Ling, you are the woman who I have set my eyes on. Even if you flee to the ends of the earth, you cannot escape me. Be a good little girl and return with me to the Seven Slaughter Demon Sect and become my dual cultivating dao companion."

"Otherwise…" Liang Taizu swept his finger across his neck. "Everyone here will die!"

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Chapter 14 – Intimidation

"A mere demonic path creature dares to pester junior-apprentice sister Ning, it's as if you have no idea of death or danger!" The Skycloud Sword Sect's chief disciple frostily glared. He stepped forwards, his sword howling as he stabbed straight towards Liang Taizu's head.

Liang Taizu sneered. He flicked his sleeves and a mass of dark light shrouded the sword, instantly turning the blade black.

The chief disciple spat out a mouthful of blood, horror and panic filling his eyes. "Corrupting demon light!" He began to revolve his law technique, trying to shake away the sword and flee.

Liang Taizu laughed. "Then I will accept this sword!" He lifted and tapped the sword blade. The sword immediately turned pitch black and it leapt up as if struck by a bolt of lightning. The brilliant spiritual light that emanated from it began to disappear.

The chief disciple vomited another mouthful of blood, his face pale with panic. His eyes were flooded with endless hatred. His life's sword had been destroyed and his cultivation shattered; it was unlikely he would be able to restore it. He was now nothing but a crippled man.

The several people on the side revealed expressions of panic and all of them shut their mouths, not daring to say a single sword. That sword sect chief disciple was a top figure amongst their group, and yet he had been crippled in a single exchange against Liang Taizu. If it were them, their fates would only be worse.

"A demonic path Little Monarch, just how horrifying is he? He was able to instantly kill the chief disciple of the Skycloud Sword Sect!"

"It isn't exaggerating to say that he is invincible amongst the Foundation Establishment realm. This person is terrifying!"

With deep gasps, the young elites from the various factions within East Stream Town all revealed panic-stricken looks. The Demon Purging Alliance hadn't even formed but they were already all scared witless.

Liang Taizu laughed uproariously. "For these past years, you so-called righteous immortal sects have blamed us demonic sects for countless sins. Now, today, I have brought my subordinates here to teach you just how much trouble loose tongues can cause!"

The green-clothed devil flew forwards, his aura as deep as a hellish prison. "Young Master, please accept this Golden Core. Once I kill that old man Zeng, I will give you another one."

"Li Yunmo, old man Zeng is mine! If you dare to interfere then I will kill you!" The black-clothed old man furiously roared. 𝑛𝒐𝐯𝖾𝓵𝓊𝐒𝒷.𝓬𝔬𝐌

"You useless thing, even with the demon treasure granted by the young master, you still lost an arm to a sneak attack. You have shamed my Seven Slaughter Demon Sect!" Li Yunmo coldly jeered.

"You are courting death!" The black-clothed old man shouted, enraged.

Liang Taizu looked at this without expression. "Enough." Although he only had a Foundation Establishment cultivation, as soon as he spoke the two Golden Core devils lowered their heads, their faces filled with reverence.

"Look at the situation you're in before you start arguing. Senior Zeng is going to take you two as a joke." He took the Golden Core that was dripping with blood and licked his crimson lips. "I am practicing my devil arts and am missing several Golden Cores to serve as support. Senior Kong was wise and compassionate and was willing to help, so I hope that Senior Zeng can also be so kind as to help this junior."

Zeng Chingming raised his sword, smiling with anger. "My Golden Core is in my abdomen. If you want it, then come and take it!"

Liang Taizu chuckled. "Senior Zeng's gallant spirit soars to the heavens! Li Yunmo, didn't you hear him? Senior Zeng has issued an invitation, so why don't you go help me and take out his Golden Core."

Li Yunmo obeyed. "Yes!" He raised his hand and produced a black skeleton. This skeleton has green flames in its eyes, and its jaw emitted macabre clacking sounds. It rose up in the wind, immediately growing over ten feet tall as it rushed towards Zeng Chingming, wanting to swallow him whole.

"Gra–" Before Zeng Mo'er could speak a word, Qin Yu covered her mouth. "Do you want to be captured as a hostage? Then be quiet!"

Mo'er immediately responded by biting down on her lips. Tears began flowing down her cheeks.

Qin Yu was too busy to think of comforting her. His mind was rapidly racing. If the demonic path invaded the Southern Empire, then they must have completed all the required preparations and planned for any contingencies. Otherwise, if news were to leak of this, none of these Seven Slaughter Demon Sect people would escape with their lives…in this world, only the dead could safely keep secrets! And before this, with the Zeng Family and Kong Family being ambushed from nowhere, this clearly indicated that these demonic cultivators intended to kill them all.

Qin Yu felt his heart sink to his stomach. This was the sorrow of lacking strength. No matter how magnificent an identity he could weave from scratch, none of that would be useful facing a demonic cultivator.

A single finger from them would be enough to place him in a life or death crisis!

What should he do?

As Qin Yu's mind was racing, the battle between Zeng Chingming and Li Yunmo was reaching its white-hot phase.

A giant golden flag appeared above Zeng Chingming's head, causing endless golden tornados to rush outwards. The tornados cut through the air, issuing loud muffled thumping sounds. The black skeleton continued to strangely cackle. It emitted a vast amount of demonic energy that transformed into the phantoms of sabers and swords as it rushed forwards.

The two magic tools collided with each other. With the support of the magic power of Golden Core masters, an astonishing amount of energy erupted outwards. In that instant, half of East Stream Town was destroyed. The two people seemed evenly matched, but the demonic path side still had a Golden Core cultivator that hadn't moved. Even though this person had lost an arm, a Golden Core was still a Golden Core; he was more than enough to suppress all other cultivators in East Stream Town.

Suddenly, a deep whistling exploded from the southeast direction where the demon energy was blocking out the area. Dazzling divine light erupted and Ning Ling fell backwards, her beautiful face pale white.

Liang Taizu laughed. "My beauty, you have finally revealed yourself. I cannot wait to bring you back and make love to you."

Ning Ling looked back at him without expression. "If you want me, then come and take me yourself."

Liang Taizu said, "You want to provoke me? Very well, then I will personally seize you!"

His fist crashed outward and tyrannical demon energy erupted, instantly forming a wolf's head. But, no one expected that this powerful strike was only a cover. Liang Taizu twisted his fingers and a black rope came howling outwards.

Ning Ling seemed to have already expected this. She wasn't shaken by the appearance of the wolf head and immediately drew backwards to avoid the sneak attack of the black rope. Lifting her hand, her fingers moved as she released an astonishing white beam of chilling energy.

Liang Taizu smiled wide, not embarrassed at all. "You are truly worthy of being the woman I have set my eyes upon. If you were to obey me so easily, then I wouldn't have taken such a liking to you." He casually moved sideways, easily avoiding the killing beam. The wolf head shot forwards, cruel and vicious. Demonic path cultivators were all sinister and vicious with their attacks, each attack aiming to settle life or death. Even if their opponent was a woman they liked, they wouldn't show the least bit of mercy.

Ning Ling was already wounded to begin with. Although she had gradually suppressed them, having to resist the attack of the wolf head and Liang Taizu's sneak attacks caused several wounds to open up on her body and her white clothes to be dyed red.

Liang Taizu's eyes turned blazing hot, as if he wanted to swallow her down whole. But suddenly he emitted a strange cry. Billowing black demon energy erupted from his blood rune robes, trying to fend off a sudden eruption of ice cold energy. Even so, his entire body as well as the demon energy around him was frozen by ice, sealed within.

Ning Ling's eyes turned swift and fierce. She quickly moved her fingers, every movement part of her supernatural powers. An opportunity had suddenly presented itself to her, so how could she miss out on it? She rushed forwards, aiming at the frozen ice. But soon she had no choice but to stop. Her palm came slapping out as it collided with demon energy, and her figure was forced to fly backwards, her face even paler than before.

The black-clothed old man slapped the ice. Cracks formed on the block of ice before immediately shattering. Liang Taizu strode out, lifting his hand to slap the black-clothed old man. "You unruly thing, who said that you can touch my woman?"

Liang Taizu flicked off the pieces of ice covering him. He praised, "Ning Ling, I nearly died beneath your hands, and now I only love you that much more. Be a good little girl and don't resist me anymore, otherwise I will have no choice but to have Hei Nu grab you. I don't want to do that, so don't force me to."

The black-clothed old man strangely smiled. "Young Master, this old servant will be careful. I will be sure not to harm the mistress." He didn't seem to mind being slapped at all.

Ning Ling shouted out, "How shameless!"

Liang Taizu rubbed his chin. "Well, I am a demonic cultivator, so in your eyes, when have the likes of us ever kept our word? I know I am not your match, so why would I continue to suffer difficulties just to save a little bit of face? Keeping promises is only a specialty of you immortal sects; that's not something I can learn."

Ning Ling turned and flew away. Trying to spar verbally with Liang Taizu was useless and speaking any more would be a waste of time. But then, her eyes lit up and she fell onto a nearby roof.

"Big Sister Ning!" Zeng Mo'er plunged into her arms and burst into tears.

Ning Ling patted Zeng Mo'er and looked behind her.

Qin Yu frowned, gently shaking his head.

Ning Ling's eyes darkened.

Zeng Mo'er had no idea that the two people had exchanged a conversation in a single breath of time. She sobbed, saying, "Big Sister Ning, what do we do? Do you think something will happen to Grandfather?"

Ning Ling comforted her. "Don't worry. Senior Zeng has a deep cultivation and a treasure in his hands; nothing should happen to him."

Qin Yu sighed. If this were really true, why would your eyes hold so much worry? Of course, this was something that the panicking Zeng Mo'er wouldn't be able to notice.

Qin Yu felt his heart suddenly chill, as if some viper had locked onto him. He looked up to see Liang Taizu staring at him with a warm and gentle expression. "Brat, how dare you flirt with my woman right beneath my eyes? Do you think I am blind? Today, you are sure to die a miserable death.

Qin Yu said without expression, "I'll wait for you."

Liang Taizu laughed. "You've got guts. I'll let you live a little bit longer!" He waved his hand and shouted out. "Li Yunmi, it's been long enough."

Ning Ling had already guessed what Liang Taizu's character was like. Since he spoke up, he definitely would not let this matter go. She apologized, "Fellow daoist Qin, I've drawn you into this mess."

Qin Yu waved his hand. "If the demonic sects came today, then they should have planned to not let anyone off to begin with. Even without Miss Ning here the situation wouldn't have changed."

"Ahhh!"

With a miserable shout, Zeng Chingming drew backwards and spat out a mouthful of blood. An additional black handprint had appeared on his back.

Li Yunmo was enraged. "Hei Nu, who told you to meddle in my battle. I was just about to kill him!"

Hei Nu sneered. "The young master is already impatient with waiting." He turned around, his eyes cold and dense. "You old ghost Zeng, you cut off my arm, so returning a palm to you makes us equal."

Zeng Mo'er screamed. "Grandfather!" Her face was full of panic. "Big Brother Qin, please ask the Grandmaster to help us, to save my grandfather!"

"So it's the Zeng Family's prized daughter. Rumors of Miss Mo'er's beauty have long since spread wide and far, and as I see today, you are truly extraordinary." Liang Taizu said, happiness all over his face. "I didn't think that besides Ning Ling, there would also be such a harvest. After today you can be my concubine. I will make sure to treat you well."

Hei Nu approached, his body billowing with demon energy. "To become the concubine of my family's young master is the good fortune you have gathered over your past several lives. Why don't you prepare yourself and follow me away!"

Zeng Mo'er cried out in fear. "Big Brother Qin, save me! Save me!"

Qin Yu stiffened like a rod of iron. Beneath the Gaze of a Golden Core, the magic power within his body seemed to freeze, making it so that it was difficult to move even an inch. He lowered his head, silent, as he avoided Zeng Mo'er's eyes.

Zeng Mo'er's eyes widened. Disbelief colored her face.

"When a beautiful woman sheds tears, even I feel pity. Yet, boy, you actually remain unmoved. I must say I am truly impressed by you. It's no wonder that you were received as a disciple by the Grandmaster." Liang Taizu's eyes flashed. "Why don't you try? If the Grandmaster asks it, then I can let Miss Zeng off. We can even discuss Senior Zeng's Golden Core."

Qin Yu's heart iced over. From the moment Liang Taizu noticed him, he had a deep foreboding feeling in his heart, and that was the only reason he responded. Now, he was almost certain that this man came here with a plan beforehand…it was likely aimed at the non-existent alchemy Grandmaster behind him. If this matter were to be revealed, then all that awaited him was death!

Even with fear seeping into his bones, Qin Yu's expression didn't reveal anything. "If Grandmaster was willing to interfere, then he would have already spoken. I wouldn't need to say anything at all."

Liang Taizu laughed. "You are indeed worthy of being the Grandmaster's disciple; you can recognize just what the circumstances are. Then, as a show of respect to the Grandmaster, I will take back my words of killing you. So, boy, before I change my mind, screw off!"

Without another word, Qin Yu leapt off the roof.

Zeng Mo'er watched, dazed. Seeing him leave without hesitation, her heart began to turn ice cold.

Grandfather said that since the Grandmaster trusts you so much, you must be the descendant he plans on passing down his legacy to. If so, then all you have to do is open your mouth to save me and save Grandfather, just like you saved my uncle. So why won't you say anything? Why?

"Hold on!" Hei Nu shouted out. He turned and bowed. "Young Master, your devil arts cultivation has reached the critical point. If you had a top grade Spirit Protecting Pill, then that would guarantee you absolute success. Since you met the Grandmaster today, why not request one from him?"

Liang Taizu hesitated for a moment. "A top grade pill can only be found and not asked for, especially for a pill as rare as the Spirit Protecting Pill. Even an alchemy Grandmaster might not be able to successfully refine it."

Hei Nu respectfully replied, "You should still try."

"The Grandmaster can refine top grade pills." Zeng Mo'er suddenly spoke up. "Not too long ago, the Zeng Family exchanged for a top grade Foundation Establishment Pill."

Qin Yu stiffened.

Liang Taizu's eyes began to heat up. "Miss Zeng, are you speaking the truth?"

Zeng Mo'er's face turned pale white, but her expression remained calm. "Of course. Big Sister Ning also asked the Grandmaster to refine a top grade Enduring Glamour Pill earlier, so she knows of this too."

Liang Taizu's eyes swept past Ning Ling's icy gaze and he raised his head up and laughed. "Good! Good! Miss Zeng is truly my lucky star. Without even having become my concubine, you have already given me such a pleasant surprise." He turned and looked at Qin Yu. "Boy, pass down a message to the Grandmaster. No matter what, he must refine a top grade Spirit Protecting Pill for me.

"Remember, if the Grandmaster does not agree then I will consider this as you intentionally creating trouble for me, and I will burn you alive with demonfire!"

Qin Yu didn't turn back. He coldly said, "Fine!"

He strode into the courtyard and slammed the doors shut behind him.

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Chapter 15 – Exalted One

Zeng Mo'er's expression was filled with a complexity of emotions, but soon she turned ice-cold. The Zeng Family had been suddenly destroyed, and no one knew just what sort of earth-shaking changes had occurred within her heart in such a short period of time.

Ning Ling shouted out, "Mo'er, to repay kindness with ingratitude, you have gone too far!"

Zeng Mo'er bit her lips. "This is what he deserves! If he doesn't save us then he can give up any thoughts of drawing back safely!" 𝓝𝑂𝚟𝑒𝐥𝐔𝚜𝒷.𝑐𝒐𝓂

Ning Ling's eyes turned frigid. "Fellow daoist Qin and the Zeng Family have no connection to each other. If he helps, it would be because of affection, not because of duty. Moreover, this isn't something that he can decide himself anyways! You have now brought a disaster down upon him, so how wouldn't you know? Mo'er, you ignored my heeding and have given in to your inner demons…I hope that you don't come to regret this in the future."

A bead of blood emerged from the corner of Zeng Mo'er's lips. Sorrow appeared in the depths of her eyes and her complexion grew even paler.

Squeak –

With a light sound, the courtyard doors opened and a black-robed figure stepped out. "The Seven Slaughter Demon Sect actually dares to covet this old man. It seems you have grown much bolder in these past years." A low and deep voice sounded out. Even though it didn't possess any fluctuations of strength, it contained more than enough confidence and daring!

Liang Taizu's breathing quickened. As the black-robed figure's gaze fell upon him, it seemed as if his high and lofty position had become nothing at all. This was the aura of a superior individual.

He had only felt such a feeling from his teacher before. His eyes flashed and he cupped his hands across his chest. "This junior was impolite before. I ask that Grandmaster be broad-minded and forgiving."

He quietly drew backwards. Hei Nu turned around and protectively placed him behind, his eyes cold as he faced this powerful aura.

Hu –

The black robes fluttered even without wind.

The Grandmaster's voice was calm. "For you to provoke me, no matter how noble your background, you still must be punished. Since I have a bit of affection for the demonic path from my past, I shall give you a chance. No matter if it is you or the man in front of you, as long as you can receive the force of a single finger of mine, then I shall no longer investigate this incident, and I will even give you a top grade Spirit Protecting Pill."

Liang Taizu's eyes brightened. "Grandmaster, are you serious?"

"My words are my life. Not even mountains and rivers can move them."

Liang Taizu laughed. "Good, then I ask Grandmaster to give pointers to this servant of mine."

Bang –

Demon energy began boiling over from within Hei Nu's body as black demon seals started to appear all over his body. He was revolving his demon arts to their limits. He roared out loud, "You and I are both Golden Cores. I would also like to experience just what the strength of Grandmaster's single finger can do to me."

Li Yunmo was confident. Hei Nu's Heavenly Demon Arts had reached large success, and if he revolved the entirety of his strength, even a Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to kill him in one strike.

The Grandmaster lightly said, "Come forwards."

Hei Nu felt his heart chill. It was not wise to provoke an alchemist; this was a truth that everyone accepted. But, he had already passed the point of no return. He took a deep breath and revolved his demon arts past their limits. Each step he took seemed to shake the heavens and earth, causing deep cracks to spread outwards.

The Grandmaster lifted his hand. Five fingers thrust out from his black robes, clear and pale, completely unlike the skin of an old man. But, an alchemist was synonymous with mystery in this world, and no one was surprised. All eyes gathered upon his hand, waiting to see what this world-shaking blow would be like.

The Grandmaster curled four fingers.

The Grandmaster pointed one finger.

The Grandmaster's index finger fell.

And then the Grandmaster drew back his hand.

Without any pervasive pressure, without any overwhelming momentum, he simply lifted his hand, pointed a finger, and then drew back.

As simple and understated as a joke!

Countless people were left with widened eyes. What was this new development? Grandmaster, this is completely dissimilar to your previously aggressive words! Is this because you knew you didn't have any method to refuse them, so you simply used this method to claw back some face?

Ah! But wasn't this too great a loss of face!?

The brilliant and blinding image of the Grandmaster suddenly fell to the pit in the hearts of innumerable people; it even loudly collapsed.

Liang Taizu joyously laughed. "Junior must thank Grandmaster for the help!"

"There is no need to thank me." The Grandmaster lightly said, "I originally wanted to give a little punishment, but I really disliked this servant of yours so I simply sent him along the road."

Liang Taizu's complexion stiffened. He shouted out, "Hei Nu, come back!"

However, his words had no effect.

The Grandmaster flicked his sleeves. "Bury him."

Hei Nu flew backwards, falling right in front of Liang Taizu. It was only now that one could see the horror and panic that twisted Hei Nu's face. Before his aura had even dispersed, he had already completely died.

Li Yunmo's eyes turned blood red as he saw this. He roared out in anger, "Poison! You actually used poison! I'll kill you!"

Bang – !

The Grandmaster's robes fluttered in the stillness. Then, his aura erupted like a volcano, as if it would flush away the heavens. Golden light erupted from his body, as if a giant sun had descended upon the world. A horrifying aura spread out like a limitless ocean, submerging all within.

And at this moment, what left Li Yunmo shaken the most was that there was a figure faintly visible within the golden light. This figure was bathed in the vicissitudes of time, as if it were a god overlooking the world.

"Hollow Nascent Soul realm!"

Li Yunmo shrieked. From the aura of this Golden Core he could feel endless disdain and overbearing tyranny. Moreover, there was a violence that shocked the heart. It was cruel and wild, as if it wanted to crush him, even if he were to flee to the ends of the world!

The Grandmaster's voice echoed between the heavens and earth, rumbling like thunder. "You want to kill this old man?"

Li Yunmo turned deathly pale. He was only at the fifth level of the Golden Core, so how could he be the opponent of a hollow Nascent Soul? Moreover, this person's Golden Core aura was vast and boundless; the disparity of strength was at least five times over…kill him? It was the same as committing suicide!

The entire East Stream Town was left wreathed in a deathly silence.

Countless gazes revealed looks of shame. Grandmaster was truly Grandmaster. Not only was his alchemy amazing, but his cultivation was earthshaking. A hollow Nascent Soul realm; that meant there was only a single step before he could step into the great dao of the Nascent Soul and become a true overlord of the Southern Empire.

How could such a grand figure be humiliated so easily? These demonic cultivators had truly suffered a spell of bad luck!

Ning Ling looked at the Grandmaster, her eyes filled with respect, but also a hint of hesitation. The figure beneath those voluminous black robes seemed somewhat familiar.

Zeng Mo'er's face paled. She lowered her head, her hands shivering.

"Grandmaster is magnanimous and merciful. This junior admits defeat!" Liang Taizu squeezed out a smile. Then, he used some strength and twisted his fingers beneath his robes, causing a bloodhawk to fly into the skies. Its wings were like lightning as it flew towards the distant mountains.

"Junior will pass on news of today's matter of encountering Grandmaster to my sect. Before long, I am sure that a lord from my sect will come to thank Grandmaster for the graciousness."

The Grandmaster looked up. "Are you threatening me?"

Liang Taizu bowed. "Junior does not dare." He glanced at the bloodhawk flying away. As it turned into a black spot against the sun, his heart began to relax.

Those with wealth loved to protect themselves, and he had far more than just wealth; he naturally wouldn't allow his life or death to be decided by others. By sending a message to his sect, Liang Taizu was confident that since this person knew of his identity, no one would dare to try and kill him!

The Grandmaster sneered. A dark light flashed out, crossing miles in the blink of an eye. A miserable hawk's screech echoed out from the distance. Liang Taizu stuffily coughed and blood flowed out from the corners of his mouth.

Shua –

The dark light returned, hovering above the Grandmaster's finger. It was actually a black nail as large as a knuckle, one that emitted an awe-inspiring amount of killing intent.

"Corpse Sealing Nail!" Liang Taizu cried out. He quickly fell to his knees. "Seven Slaughter Demon Sect's Liang Taizu greets Exalted One!"

Li Yunmo seemed to let out a breath of relief and quickly bowed.

The Grandmaster paused for a moment, his tone dark. "Killing your bloodhawk is a lesson. If I wanted to kill you, no one could save you."

Liang Taizu's expression was respectful and cautious. "Junior has affronted Exalted One. To kill or to maim, your will shall be done."

"Humph!" The Grandmaster coldly coughed. "Although I haven't agreed to become any sort of Exalted One, I do have some fateful origins with the demonic path. Since I revealed the Corpse Sealing Nail today, I have already decided not to kill you. Leave behind the Kong Family's Golden Core and a storage bag, and you may leave."

Laing Taizu used both hands to take out the Golden Core and ceremoniously laid it upon the ground.

Li Yunmo felt as if a knife were twisting apart his heart, but he didn't dare to hesitate. He loosened the storage bag at his waist.

"Then junior bids his farewells!"

Liang Taizu shot into the sky. Li Yunmo carried Hei Nu's corpse and followed close behind. The 12 columns of demon energy that sealed up East Stream Town began to rapidly dissipate.

In the blink of an eye, the group of demonic cultivations vanished into the mountains.

The Grandmaster sneered. He could feel the Corpse Sealing Nail faintly quivering. "And you're still trying to play little tricks. Since you've stayed down, you should already have made preparations to die."

Within the dense forest, a demonic cultivator flew out. He fell down to one knee and bowed before slapping himself in the forehead, instantly dying as blood gushed from his head.

Within the forest, Liang Taizu paused. He coldly said, "Mei Ba died."

Li Yunmo's eyes shined with a dense light. "Young Master, could this person plan on not letting us go?"

"You idiot, since he killed Mei Ba, that proves he will stop here and not chase us down." Liang Taizu's complexion darkened. "It's because I didn't consider the matter enough. I should not have drawn such a powerful alchemist into the plan, otherwise we wouldn't have failed so miserably, even losing Hei Nu in the process."

Li Yunmo shouted out, "There was a flaw in the information!"

Liang Taizu narrowed his eyes. "Yes, it seems that someone wants to kill us with a borrowed knife. It looks like we'll need to return to the sect for some time and quell internal matters first, shouldn't we?"

Li Yunmo diabolically grinned, "They will regret this!"

As the demonic cultivators left, the quiet East Stream Town suddenly erupted in wild cheers.

"I thank Grandmaster for saving our lives. We will never forget this!"

"Grandmaster has rescued everything in East Stream Town. I am filled with gratitude!"

"Junior would like to respectfully congratulate Grandmaster on soon stepping into the Nascent Soul realm!"

Flattery surged in from all sides.

The Grandmaster took back the Corpse Sealing Nail and placed it in his storage bag. He lightly said, "The Kong Family's Golden Core, take it."

Several figures rushed out. They fell to their knees and bowed again and again before taking away their old ancestor's Golden Core.

The middle-aged man leading them offered a black iron token with both hands. "With this token, if Grandmaster has any need in the future, the Kong Family will go through fire and water to help!" With another deep bow, he led the others to leave.

The Grandmaster turned. His eyes fell upon Zeng Mo'er, pausing there for a moment. Then, he lightly stepped up like a willow in the wind and fluttered away.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Grandmaster is so principled and generous. Even though he rescued us, he doesn't ask for anything in return."

"That's right. Such virtue should be the model for our generation to aspire to."

"To not see the Grandmaster's true appearance, that is my life's greatest shame!"

As everyone continued to express their emotions, no one scattered. However, their eyes faintly gathered towards somewhere.

Ning Ling looked away. Her eyes were slightly cold as she said, "Senior Zeng injured himself to save us juniors. I will help him back."

Zeng Chingming opened his eyes, light shining in them. He smiled and said, "Then I'll have to trouble Miss Ning."

Zeng Mo'er straightened up as if she awoke from a dream. She quickly went to support him.

A bit of shame appeared in the eyes of those remaining. As they glanced at Ning Ling, they began to scatter.

The Zeng Family's main residence was destroyed, but they still had other properties where they could temporarily stay. After issuing orders for the remnants of his family to go, he sent them away. At this time, the originally calm and steady Zeng Chingming violently coughed, blood flowing from his mouth.

"Grandfather!" Zeng Mo'er cried out in alarm.

Zeng Chingming waved his hand. "I'm fine." He forced a smile and cupped his hands against his chest. "I must thank Miss Ning for the help. Otherwise, I fear the Zeng Family would have suffered true disaster today."

Ning Ling rose up. "Over the years, Senior Zeng looked after me, so this is what junior should have done. But, it's best not to stay here for too long, and senior should also make a decision as soon as possible. Then, junior bids her farewell."

As her voice fell she turned and left.

Zeng Mo'er's lips shivered, her face pale.

Zeng Chingming sighed. "Mo'er, in order to save me, in order to save our Zeng Family, you have been wronged!"

Tears immediately began to fall. Zeng Mo'er wiped them, but for some reason she couldn't wipe them cleanly away. Within her mind, the image of Qin Yu's cold back continued to appear. It was like a knife that constantly cut at her heart.

No matter what difficulties she had, no matter what her reasons were, betrayal was betrayal. Within his heart, Big Brother Qin should hate her, right? But even so, Big Brother Qin had forgiven her, otherwise how could the Grandmaster not have punished her for her actions? Thinking of this, Zeng Mo'er felt even more pained and distressed in her heart. Her field of vision darkened and she fainted where she was.

Ning Ling left the Zeng Family, sighing awkwardly. She had already guessed what Zeng Mo'er's thoughts were. If she looked at things from Mo'er's perspective, then perhaps what she did was right. But even so, she didn't like it. If so, then there was no choice but for them to drift apart. In any case, she would have to return before long.

Suddenly feeling a bit dispirited, Ning Ling's thoughts stirred. A white cloud picked her up and she flew into the distance.

She should return to the mountain sect first.

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Chapter 16 – Seeing Ning Ling Once More

Within the dense forest, Qin Yu took off his black robes and continued to move forwards. The multi-hued miasma of poison wasn't able to affect him in the least. He journeyed forwards dozens of miles until he found a cave. He chose not to kill the few wild wolves living inside because the smell of blood in these wooded mountains would have been far too conspicuous.

He carefully concealed his traces and blocked the cave entrance with a boulder. After waiting within for two hours and making sure that no one had followed him, he was unable to continue any longer. He fell asleep to the smell of dried grass around him. He didn't sleep for long. Soon, he woke up, and after a moment of remembering where he was, he straightened up, sat down cross-legged, and swallowed a few pills.

It was only now that Qin Yu could think about everything that occurred at East Stream Town. Even though he had managed to survive unscathed, his clothes were still dripping with sweat.

From the very start, Liang Taizu already had thoughts of aiming at the 'alchemist Grandmaster'. Even without Zeng Mo'er's words, he still would have suffered troubles. He took out pieces of a broken stone from his chest pocket and bitterly smiled. His poisonous finger, Cang Mangzi's Golden Core, the Pill Disposal Department's Corpse Sealing Nail….he had used every method at his disposal and only then was he able to fool his enemies and live until now.

But would he be so lucky next time?

Strength was everything! This meant that he would have to cultivate even more diligently!

However, there was still another important matter before him.

Li Yunmo's storage bag!

As a Golden Core cultivator, and also a demonic realm Golden Core who committed all sorts of atrocities, one could imagine just how wealthy he was. He took out the storage bag and undid the seal, his appearance filled with rapt attention and wariness as he probed it. However, after noticing that there were no changes around him, he relaxed.

He waved his hand and the contents of the storage bag formed a small hill in front of him; it was actually a number of jade boxes, all of them in various sizes. The jade boxes were pitch black with occasional blood spots on them. They emitted a cold energy that immediately lowered the surrounding temperature.

Qin Yu's eyes flashed. He looked over the jade boxes for several moments to determine that there wasn't any problem with them. Then, he picked up a jade box and opened it. Within it were the bones of some unknown creature. The bones were crystalline, as if they were crafted from jade.

Just what use was this? He laid down the jade box and picked up another one, opening it.

What he saw was a bunch of slippery, tentacle-like objects. They continued to wriggle and emitted a sour, acrid smell.

He quickly opened a third jade box.

What he saw was a palm-sized shell. The patterns on it were rarely seen, but why was there a crack in it?

A solemn demonic Golden Core cultivator's storage bag only held such things? As he looked through all the jade boxes, his complexion began to dark. There were a total of 36 jade boxes in total, and they all contained weird and macabre items. None of them were useful!

He forced a smile and shook his head. He put away everything. He was afraid that if he continued looking, he would be so angry he would suffer internal injuries.

The greater the expectations, the greater the disappointment!

…

Half a month later.

Within the cave, Qin Yu opened his eyes. A sharp light flashed within his pupils, soon followed by happiness. Perhaps the events in East Stream Town had stimulated him and caused his potential to erupt at an unprecedented rate, but his cultivation had taken another step forwards, allowing him to reach the third level of Foundation Establishment in this short period of time.

Although he still had many pills and he had collected a massive amount of materials, Qin Yu still paused his cultivation to consider his future path.

Should he return to the Eastern Mountain Sect?

This thought swam in his mind. Simply put, he was considering the advantages and disadvantages.

If he returned, he would have to cultivate cautiously so that he wouldn't be discovered by others.

If he didn't return, then he would be like now, able to wander around freely without rules.

Of course, there was one certainty, and that was that the outside world couldn't compare to the safety of being within the sect.

After a long time, Qin Yu let out a deep breath.

He decided to return to the Eastern Mountain Sect!

The reason was for his own safety. 𝑛𝒪𝓥𝚎𝓁𝑈𝚜𝚋.𝑪𝐎𝓂

His cultivation was still too weak. If he were to run into a slightly large storm, he would die without a grave. With the little blue lamp in his possession, he fervently decided to grow as strong as possible, but his own safety still came first. The longer he lived the stronger he would become. If he died, everything he did would come to nothing.

An hour later, Qin Yu left the cave he lived in for half a month. He washed himself in a nearby stream, eliminating the stench that covered him, and then he flew towards the Eastern Mountain Sect.

….

The sky was clear. Although there were stars, one couldn't see the moon, and it was so dark that one couldn't even see their own fingers before their face. Even so, the dim starlight was more than enough for Qin Yu to discern which direction he was going in.

He smoothly entered the Eastern Mountain Sect. It was only when he stepped past the Pill Disposal Department's array formation that he started to skip forwards, a light smile on his face.

Nearly two months had passed. Even though he had left behind some anti-poison pills, it was enough to teach the chicken overlord a lesson. This little fellow had followed by his side for too long and had learned to steal pills and other medicines, allowing it to become even more intelligent and spiritual. If he didn't let it suffer a bit of pain now, it would become completely lawless in the future.

Walking down the stone steps, Qin Yu swept his eyes around. Then, his smile froze.

Someone had come!

Footsteps echoed behind him. Qin Yu quickly turned around and came face to face with a pale man. The shock on this person's face immediately turned to joy and he began to gnash his teeth.

Kacha –

Even the lightest sound was particularly clear in the quiet underground.

Qin Yu's heart shrank. He stepped forwards and chopped down at the poisoned man, causing him to softly slump to the ground, unconscious.

Qin Yu shoved his fingers into the man's mouth, and with a little bit of fumbling around, he pulled out a broken tooth. The unconscious man's body twitched.

Looking at this tooth that was covered in blood as well as flashing with a faint light, Qin Yu's complexion immediately turned ugly.

"Calm down!"

Qin Yu took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed the rising panic in his heart. He looked down at this person, earnestly staring at his face. Soon, he recalled the memory of just who this man was.

Yu Yi, outer court disciple of the Eastern Mountain Sect!

Qin Yu's face darkened.

The Pill Disposal Department's array formation only permitted entry and not exit, but, the Eastern Mountain Sect clearly had methods to bypass this because when he first arrived here, he hadn't found the corpse of the last person who was here. If Yu Yi were here, then that indicated the Eastern Mountain Sect had discovered that he had left somehow.

He had to flee!

Just as he thought of this he immediately suppressed it. Yu Yi had likely already sent out the message that he had returned to the Eastern Mountain Sect, so it was too late for him to run away now. Even if he did manage to escape, he would only draw others into his mess. Although he didn't have a family, there were still people that he cared for.

If he couldn't run away then that meant he could only deal with this new situation head on. Qin Yu rushed into the resting room. As his eyes swept over the stone that blocked the underground entrance, he realized that the underground space had been discovered.

With a deep roar, he combined his magic powers with the strength of his body and moved the stone away. He shouted out, "It's me! If you don't want to die, then hurry up and get out here!"

With fluttering sounds, the frazzled chicken overlord rushed over. It put on a sad and petulant act, like a little child wanting to find pity, but Qin Yu immediately stopped it with a hand.

He pulled out two storage bags. Just as he was about to throw them away, a light suddenly shined in his eyes. He dumped out all the jade boxes from within Li Yunmo's storage bag and placed them into the golden and silver thread storage bag. Then, he tossed that storage bag into the hole.

"Take the storage bag and hide it away. Make sure that no one can find it!"

The chicken overlord took the storage bag in its beak and flew away.

Qin Yu's heart calmed down a little. He picked up the stone and covered the entrance once more, and then put the empty storage bag back into his chest.

Suddenly, the entry token began to heat up. Someone had rushed in!

Qin Yu turned and rushed out, panic coloring his expression. He saw a man with wild gray hair, thin cheeks, and brown eyes that made his heart tremble. The old man waved his sleeve and Qin Yu fell to the ground, completely frozen.

The old man searched him and soon found the storage bag. He coldly sneered and opened it, his complexion immediately dark.

"Boy, what was in this storage bag?"

Qin Yu was panic-stricken.

The old man frowned. He lifted his hand and unraveled a bit of the spell.

Qin Yu shouted out, "Grand Martial Uncle, please forgive me!"

This old man was one of the Eastern Mountain Sect's two great Golden Core cultivators, the High Master of the current Sect Master – Huang Dangui.

"You recognize me?" Huang Dangui revealed a strange smile. "Then hurry up and speak the truth. Otherwise, you should also have heard of my methods."

Qin Yu shivered. "It's empty, the storage bag is empty!"

Huang Dangui said, "Since you want to experience them, allow me to help you."

He lifted a hand and struck Qin Yu. Black gas gushed out. Qin Yu cried out in pain as he tumbled onto the ground, violently spasming.

Huang Dangui coldly sneered, "Are you going to speak or not?"

"Grand Martial Uncle, this disciple hasn't lied at all…kill me…just kill me…" Qin Yu cried out in pain and misery. Of course, most of this was just an act. For over an entire year, he had lost track of the number of vicious poisons that had been stored within his body, and he had already developed an extremely strong resistance to poisons. Although Huang Dangui's poison was fierce, it wasn't to the point of causing him to collapse.

At this time, another voice sounded, "High Master, he is still a sect disciple. How about we clarify the situation before dealing with him."

This voice was calm and gentle, yet filled with dignity. If there was someone that could speak like this and possess such a cultivation, then it could only be the Eastern Mountain Sect's Sect Master.

Huang Dangui frowned. He nodded, "Very well." He lifted a hand and removed the black gas from Qin Yu's body. Then, he lifted him and flew away.

A Golden Core cultivator could fly at incredible speeds. They soon arrived at the main hall of the Eastern Mountain Sect. With a loud crash, Qin Yu fell to the floor and Huang Dangui sat in his seat.

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master was a middle-aged man with a loose, three foot long beard that made him seem somewhat free and unfettered. He cupped his hands across his chest and said, "I apologize for bothering High Master for the help."

Huang Dangui replied with a light, "Mm," before closing his eyes, completely disregarding any respectful reply.

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master didn't bother with his. His eyes fell on Qin Yu and suddenly turned swift and fierce. "Qin Yu, tell me, how did you leave the Pill Disposal Department?"

Huang Dangui's partly opened eyes shined with a sharp light. It was clear that he was paying attention to this matter.

Qin Yu's voice trembled. "Reporting to the Sect Master, around two months ago at night, someone suddenly broke into the Pill Disposal Department and brought this disciple away."

"What nonsense!" Huang Dangui shouted out loud. "if you want to spout rubbish then I will make you bleed from your head until you die!"

Qin Yu was flustered, "Everything I said is true!"

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master turned around. "High Master, please allow him to explain in detail." He looked back at Qin Yu. "This is a vital matter. Qin Yu, you must consider your situation carefully, otherwise I will not be able to save you."

"Yes, yes, I will tell you everything I know!" Qin Yu's face filled with gratitude. He seemed to think back to the past and quickly said, "This disciple clearly remembers what happened. During that night, I was cultivating when someone suddenly appeared before me. I was suppressed without any chance to resist. He originally planned to kill me, but when he discovered that the secret tunnel in the resting room was opened by me, he ignored me and leapt in."

"What secret tunnel?"

Qin Yu revealed a look of shock. "Sect Master, I inadvertently discovered an underground space beneath the Pill Disposal Department. There is a medicine field within, and also a skeleton that belonged to a man called Cang Mangzi."

Huang Dangui's eyes shot open, light bursting out from them. "Cang Mangzi, are you sure that it was Cang Mangzi?"

Qin Yu nodded. "I found a jade slip there, and that was what he said…he also said that he had been trapped underground…"

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master's complexion was dignified. "Continue."

"After I discovered the underground space, I also found a storage bag near Cang Mangzi's skeleton. In a moment of compassion, I decided to bury him. When the mysterious person left the underground space, he seemed extremely sad. He knocked me unconscious and took me away from the disposal department.

"After that, he said that we were fated to meet and he wanted to test me. If I qualified, he would accept me as his disciple." Then, shame appeared on Qin Yu's face. "I failed due to my own incompetence, so I returned here."

Huang Dangui sneered. "You said that you buried Cang Mangzi? Then what about the other grave?"

Qin Yu's eyes widened in surprise. "What grave? There is only one, and that is the one that I personally dug up in the thatched hut."

Huang Dangui's gaze deepened. "Boy, you are purposefully trying to conceal things. Do you want to die?"

Qin Yu was horrified. "I had no idea, I truly had no idea! Once that person came out he knocked me unconscious!"

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master asked, "Is Cang Mangzi's storage bag the one in the High Master's hands?"

Qin Yu shook his head, "It isn't. Grandmaster took away Cang Mangzi's bag. The storage bag in Grand Martial Uncle's hands was taken from the Seven Slaughter Demon Sect's Li Yunmo, but Grandmaster gave it to me."

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master's eyes brightened. "The Seven Slaughter Demon Sect's Li Yunmo? Are you speaking about the incident in East Stream Town?"

"How does the Sect Master know of this?" Qin Yu asked, suddenly startled. "Of course, half a month has already passed so that matter of East Stream Town has surely spread out already. Then that is great, I can finally prove my innocence. The one who brought me away was that Grandmaster at East Stream Town."

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master's voice deepened. "Qin Yu, you should know that a great number of people are aware of this matter. I can quickly find someone to testify against you. If you dared to lie, then no one can save you!"

"Sect Master, this disciple can testify that Qin Yu didn't lie." A cold voice sounded from outside the hall. With it, a beautiful figure appeared.

This figure was shrouded in light and her face covered in shadows. Even so, it couldn't conceal the beauty that moved the heart and soul.

Qin Yu's heart trembled. Ning Ling! This person was Ning Ling!

Their gazes touched before looking past each other. She brought her hands together and bowed. "I greet Sect Master and Grandmaster Huang."

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Chapter 17 – Inner Court Disciple

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master raised his hand, "No need for formalities. Ning Ling, you personally experienced the incident in East Stream Town, so can you tell us if Qin Yu was really someone who followed beside the Grandmaster?"

Ning Ling nodded, "I am sure."

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master and Huang Dangui glanced at each other. Although this situation was strange, with Ning Ling's testimony, it was likely the boy was telling the truth.

Huang Dangui suddenly said, "Qin Yu, tell me, how did you achieve a Foundation Establishment cultivation in such a short period of time? And, where did you come across your aura concealing technique?"

This was something he only discovered after locking down Qin Yu.

Qin Yu respectfully replied, "Reporting to Grand Martial Uncle, this disciple's cultivation was bestowed upon me by Grandmaster. He said that I had no talent for cultivation, so he gave me pills to reach Foundation Establishment and would consider this an end to our karma." Then he glanced at Ning Ling, "As for my aura concealing technique…"

Ning Ling suddenly spoke up, "I asked Grandmaster for a pill and gave an aura restraining pendant as payment for the graciousness. Grandmaster then gave this item to Qin Yu; I saw this occur with my own eyes."

These were all facts.

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master suddenly said, "Qin Yu, you followed by the Grandmaster's side for a long time, so you should know who he is…mm, what relationship does he have with Cang Mangzi?"

Qin Yu shook his head, "This disciple didn't see Grandmaster's true appearance. He always wore a black robe, but I did hear him speak out loud one time. He said that any past fate had come to an end, and there was no one to blame for what happened. As for what he meant, I have no idea."

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master looked at Huang Dangui, their hearts shaking. The reputation of East Stream Town's mysterious alchemy Grandmaster had spread out like rolling thunder. Not only did he possess extraordinary alchemy skills, but his hollow Nascent Soul cultivation was amazing. He surely had to have some sort of connection with Cang Mangzi. If he were to seek revenge then the Eastern Mountain Sect might be in trouble, but according to these words, he didn't plan to pursue that path.

This was wonderful!

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master smiled. "Qin Yu, what did the Grandmaster teach you?"

Qin Yu looked down with shame. "Grandmaster taught me some cultivation methods, but I simply wasn't able to understand them at all. Grandmaster also taught me alchemy skills, but I wasn't suited for them. Afterwards, Grandmaster refined many pills for me and said that he wouldn't bother with me anymore once I reached Foundation Establishment."

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master's expression stiffened. 𝐧𝗈𝗏𝖾𝑳𝔲𝓢𝔟.𝚌𝑜𝓂

But Huang Dangui didn't hold back. He shouted out loud, "What a waste of such a great stroke of good fortune! The saying is true that rotten wood cannot be turned into a carving!" He waved his hand and tossed out the storage bag. "Since the Grandmaster gave this to you, it's yours. Now take it and run off, lest you continue to dirty my eyes!"

He discovered that there was still a hint of demonic energy that had yet to disperse from the storage bag. It was clear that Qin Yu hadn't lied about its origins. As for the things within, they had already been taken away by the Grandmaster. If it were him, he would have done the same. It would be useless giving away any more treasures to a piece of garbage.

Qin Yu was overjoyed. He picked up the storage bag and bowed repeatedly. He hesitated for a moment and then warily said, "Before Grandmaster left, he told me to look after Cang Mangzi's grave. About this matter…"

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master waved his hand. "Since the Grandmaster ordered you to, then do it."

After leaving the main hall, Qin Yu's steps were light and fast. He was ecstatic, as if a massive stone had been lifted off his heart. In particular, when he ran into several outer court disciples, they all respectfully bowed to him upon sensing his Foundation Establishment aura. He faced them, showing a proud and calm posture.

"Qin Yu!" Ning Ling fell to the ground, floating down like a fairy.

Qin Yu quickly bowed, "Greetings, Senior-apprentice Sister."

Ning Ling's eyes flashed, "You know me?"

Qin Yu praised, "Who in the sect doesn't know that the most splendid disciple here is the mysterious elder apprentice-sister who rarely reveals herself in public? I certainly was able to guess that. If I offended you before then I ask Senior-apprentice Sister to be open-minded and not haggle over that with someone like me."

Ning Ling's gaze was deep as she asked, "Qin Yu, tell me, when the Grandmaster gave up on you, was that related to the Zeng Family?"

Qin Yu shook his head. "No, it was only because my talent was too poor and it didn't enter into Grandmaster's eyes. Of course, I am more than satisfied that I was able to reach Foundation Establishment."

After speaking, he cupped his hands across his chest. "Upon reaching Foundation Establishment, I can become an inner court disciple. There are still many matters I need to deal with, so I will bid my farewells first."

As Ning Ling looked at his departing back, she frowned.

….

"Sect Master, Grand Martial Uncle, I followed Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu outside and he seemed happy and relaxed, without anything wrong with him at all. Afterwards, Senior-apprentice Sister Ning Ling appeared and I didn't feel right continuing to follow them, so I returned first." In the main hall, a disciple of the Eastern Mountain Sect calmly and respectfully reported what he saw.

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master waves his hand. "Withdraw." As the disciple left, he turned and said, "High Master, it seems the events he spoke of were true."

Huang Dangui hesitated. "Observe him a little longer. Although Ning Ling testified on his behalf and everything can be explained, I am still a little suspicious."

He spoke calmly, without the least bit of his previous anger.

To play good guy and bad guy, this was one of the simplest means of interrogation.

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master nodded. "That is also good. The spell around the forbidden zone has been destroyed, so we have to come up with some method to prevent it being detected by others." He sighed. "Luckily, that mysterious alchemy Grandmaster has no intention of taking my Eastern Mountain Sect as his enemy, otherwise there is no way the furnace down below would have escaped his attention."

Huang Dangui rose up. "I will deal with this matter."

…

In a single day, news of Junior-apprentice Brother's good fortune soon spread throughout the entire Eastern Mountain Sect. It was said that he was simply sitting in his courtyard when pills fell down from the skies, allowing him to easily reach Foundation Establishment. These miraculous events caused the eyes of countless people to turn red with envy.

Qin Yu returned to the living area of the outer court disciples. They gathered around him and he accepted their flattery. Then, beneath the watchful gaze of eyes filled with envy, jealousy, and hate, he casually meandered over to the inner mountain entrance.

There was no strict divide separating the inner and outer sect areas. But, besides for work, outer court disciple could not enter, otherwise they would be captured and punished.

One could obtain an inner court disciple status upon reaching Foundation Establishment. The place Qin Yu was headed to now was the Merit Hall, where he could upgrade his status.

The one managing Merit Hall was a familiar face; he was Elder Li Mu, one of the people who had come to question him the day after Han Dong was murdered in order to find the killer. It was said that he used to be a scholar who taught students, and one day he managed to stumble across an ancient book from which he learned a cultivation method. From that point on, he stepped onto the road of cultivation and joined the Eastern Mountain Sect.

But he had started too late and had missed the best moments of his life to cultivate. No matter how great Li Mu's talent was, after he reached the eighth level of Foundation Establishment it was difficult for him to go any further. He was stubbornly stranded at this step. In terms of cultivation, besides the Eastern Mountain Sect's two great Golden Core cultivators, he could be considered a top character with a status similar to the Sect Master.

"You've arrived Qin Yu. Come, quickly sit." Li Mu smiled, his tone of voice close and intimate. He waved towards the server disciple to bring forth some good spirit tea. "Taste it. This was picked from an old tea tree in the medicine harden. The Sect Master sees that I have been growing older, so he specially gave this to me."

It was clear that he had long since forgotten about the outer court disciple he saw once before.

Qin Yu revealed a grateful and flattered expression, "Greetings, High Master!"

"No need, no need." Li Mu waved his hand. "Cultivators should only look at cultivation. You and I are both at the Foundation Establishment realm, so privately we can consider each other contemporaries. If you don't mind, you can even call me Old Brother Li."

Qin Yu's face reddened, seeming as if he were incomparably excited. "This…this…this is against the rules. Within the sect, this disciple should call you High Master." The hidden meaning was that after leaving the sect, the two could continue calling each other brothers.

Li Mu's smile grew wider. He clapped his hands and another disciple approached, bringing a wooden plate to the table. "Qin Yu, you are already an inner court disciple so there are things you cannot lack. This is an inner court token, inner court robes, as well as the basic cultivation law formula for inner court disciples. Why don't you take a look?"

Qin Yu expressed his thanks again and again. He picked up the token and rubbed it; this was his identity token that proved he was officially recognized by the sect as an inner court disciple. Later, if he went out adventuring through the wider world and came across some troubles, taking this token out might save his life.

Seeing that Qin Yu couldn't bear to put it down, Li Mu's eyes flashed and he gently sighed.

Qin Yu looked up, "What is it, High Master?"

These were the words he was waiting for. Li Mu said, "Qin Yu, you should know that I have grown old, and I frequently forget some minor matters within the Merit Hall due to my own absentmindedness. I've been applying to the Sect Master for a storage bag so that I could store items in it, but my requests are never fulfilled. This really gives me a headache.

Qin Yu's complexion changed. He lowered his head.

Seeing Qin Yu remain silent, Li Mu slightly frowned. He coughed and openly said, "Little Brother Qin, Old Brother here knows that you have a storage bag. I have no other meaning, it's just that I think you won't have any use for it temporarily, so how about trading it to me instead? Little Brother Qin has no need to worry; your Old Brother here will give you an absolutely fair price. I have gathered a few dozen spirit stones as well as some pills these past years; I will give them all to you."

As he spoke, he pulled out a scroll from his chest and opened it on the table. With a face full of smiles he said, "Little Brother Qin, this is a map marking all the residences of our Eastern Mountain Sect. I've labeled all the ones that aren't occupied right now. If you take a liking to one, feel free to tell me. And if you cannot decide on one, then simply choose a location and I will send people out to build it there. I guarantee I will have it built in the shortest time possible."

As he finished speaking, he looked at Qin Yu with a wide smile on his face, waiting for an answer.

Qin Yu awkwardly said, "High Master…"

Li Mu interrupted him, "Little Brother Qin, if you think this isn't enough then we can still discuss the issue. For better or worse, I am in charge of managing the Merit Hall, and once we complete this transaction we will be brothers. In the future, Old Brother here will definitely take good care of you."

Of course, the other meaning behind this was that if he refused, then don't blame him for being rude.

Qin Yu said, "High Master, this is something given to me by Grandmaster. It isn't something I can randomly trade away."

Li Mu shook his head, smiling, "What sort of character is the Grandmaster? Since he gave it to you, it is yours. Little Brother Qin can definitely decide what to do with it. Spirit stones, pills, these are all good things that help one's cultivation. When Little Brother reaches Golden Core in the future, are you afraid you won't be able to find another storage bag then?"

Qin Yu clenched his teeth. "High Master, I do not want to trade it away."

Li Mu's complexion paled. "Is Little Brother Qin being serious?"

"Mm, I want to keep it."

Li Mu coldly snorted, rose up, and walked away.

The docile disciple standing on the side that had poured the tea suddenly took out a token from his chest and tossed it on the table. He coldly said, "Third Ward, 29th courtyard."

Qin Yu awkwardly left the Merit Hall. A trace of disdain flashed in his eyes as he walked away. The inner court token, the robes, the law formula, all of those things were distributed by the sect. As for the courtyards, they were also built by the sect. To trade a storage bag for a few dozen spirit stones and pills, wasn't that the same as stealing it away? It was as if they thought he was some gullible little child!

But on the surface, he didn't reveal any hint of his thoughts. He suppressed his anger. He had no choice but to put on an act right now, after all, he still had a little tail following him.

Qin Yu's eyes flitted to the side, and indeed he was still there.

It seemed that the Sect Master and old man Huang still didn't fully believe. Well, if they were able to reach their level, how could they be so easy to deal with? If they trusted others so easily, they would have died countless times over by now. Then, he needed to keep up this act. He should be able to let out a breath of relief after another period of time.

Qin Yu walked towards his new residence.

Third Ward, 29th courtyard, just by hearing that one could tell it wasn't a good place. He turned left and right, and even though he was mentally prepared for it, he still frowned as he saw his new living space. He inwardly cursed all of Li Mu's ancestors.

The first, second, and third wards were all living areas for inner court disciples. But, the Third Ward was at the end, and the 29th courtyard was at the end of this end. The mountain stones were completely barren. Although it seemed a bit elegant with a waterfall in the back, with the constant rumbling of the water, it wouldn't be long before one's ears were ringing all day long. And in addition to the slightly richer world spiritual strength, this could be called a completely wild and untamed land!

Whatever. In any case, he didn't need to meditate when he cultivated, so if his ears rang he would just let them ring. If he had a chance in the future he would teach this old bastard a lesson.

But in this world, there was no lack of bastards. Just after he saw one, a group of them suddenly appeared in the blink of an eye.

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Chapter 18 – Pass

Qin Yu pushed open the doors to the 29th courtyard. As he did so, the sound of firecrackers suddenly rang out from outside, filling the air with noise.

"Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, are you here? We've come to congratulate you!" A large group of people shoved their way into the courtyard, making the space much more cramped.

Qin Yu welcomed them with a happy expression. "Welcome, fellow senior-apprentice brothers. Quick, come in!"

A man flicked open a folding fan, waving it twice as he said, "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin, do you know how much face you're being shown right now? This is Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei, a disciple of Grand Martial Uncle Huang. He is one of the most outstanding disciples of the sect and personally came here today to congratulate you. This is an unprecedented event."

"Right, right, right, I have never seen something like this before. For Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei to personally come here and congratulate you on your new promotion, you must be the only one to experience such an honor."

"If Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei is treating you so well, you should also be sincere, Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu. You should try to be as close as possible to your senior-apprentice brother, so don't disappoint us!"

A chorus of voices chimed in their agreement. Luckily, Qin Yu didn't immediately nod his head. To become Xu Wei's underling would be the worst possible offense.

Qin Yu's face began to flush red. Everyone seemed to be waiting with bated breath, as if Qin Yu would immediately swear to the heavens that he would wholeheartedly follow and admire Senior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu.

Xu Wei lightly coughed. He smiled and said, "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, I came here in a hurry so I wasn't able to prepare an appropriate congratulatory gift. But, I have a hundred year old ginseng here." He took out a wooden box and opened it. Indeed, there was an old wild ginseng within. It had hairs and all, and had even taken on a bit of a human form.

Everyone cried out in admiration again and again. This was Senior-apprentice Brother's great generosity!

Qin Yu pushed back, continuing again and again until he reluctantly received it.

Xu Wei's eyes glanced to the side and the man with the folding fan chuckled. "I heard that Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu has a storage bag. Since Senior-apprentice Brother Xu gifted you a precious hundred year old ginseng today, why not return the favor by gifting him the storage bag? I'm sure news of this charming meeting will spread out far and wide in the future."

"It should be like this. A hundred year old ginseng for a storage bag should be considered appropriate."

"When news of this spreads out, Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu's fame will spread out like a tide and you will immediately become the sweetheart of countless junior-apprentice sisters. This is worth celebrating!"

"Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, what are you still waiting about for? Take out the storage bag and give it to Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei."

Xu Wei stood there with a happy expression, not saying anything.

Qin Yu violently cursed in his heart. What a pack of bastards! They wanted to use some bullshit hundred year old ginseng to trade for his storage bag? This was even worse than that bastard Li Mu!

Qin Yu's expression froze and he quickly pulled out the ginseng box. "Senior-apprentice Brother's gift is too valuable. I don't dare to receive it."

Xu Wei's complexion darkened. His eyelids rose as he asked, "What is the meaning of this, Junior-apprentice Brother?"

Qin Yu stammered, "I ask…I ask Senior-apprentice Brother to take it back…"

Xu Wei turned and left. "The things that I give I have no intent of taking back. Junior-apprentice Brother should keep it; perhaps you might find some use for it in the future."

With the sound of flapping clothes in the wind, over half the crowd departed. those that still remained all had cold and gloomy expressions.

The man with a folding fan spoke up, pity thick in his voice. "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, do you know the best way for this old ginseng to maintain your life? If you have a heavy wound, take a piece and bite it between your lips; it should be able to allow you to live a little bit longer. Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei allowed you to keep it, so take good care of it."

The man turned to leave. But then, he stopped and turned back, his lips curling upwards, "Let me inform Junior-apprentice Brother of this ahead of time. The Foundation Establishment trial will soon begin, and all new Foundation Establishment disciples have to participate. The one leading the group will be Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei, so Junior-apprentice Brother should be prepared."

The several remaining people coldly sneered several times before leaving. Finally, the courtyard fell into silence once more. Qin Yu closed the doors with a smile on his face and a light wrinkle in his eyebrows.

Foundation Establishment trial? He seemed to have heard of this before. In order to increase the experience of disciples, the Eastern Mountain Sect would hold a trial for new disciples every year. This could also be considered a type of examination.

Xu Wei was Xu Jian's cousin. If it weren't for Xu Wei, there was no way that Xu Jian would be so rampant in the outer court. It was best not to provoke him, otherwise his old grudges would mix with new ones.

A cold light flashed in his eyes and Qin Yu regained his composure. He turned and entered his room. After surviving the incident of East Stream Town, his will and mind had become much more solid and strong. He had even killed a Golden Core cultivator, so what could a mere Foundation Establishment realm cultivator like Xu Wei do to him?

…..

For the next few days, Qin Yu stayed in his room, not leaving. It seemed that he was deep in closed door seclusion, but he knew the reality of his situation. With his talent, it was basically impossible for his cultivation to advance without pills. He could only anxiously wait around and bear with it. Otherwise, if anyone were to discover something out of place, he would be doomed.

Of course, the greatest reason Qin Yu was able to patiently bear this was because no one would casually enter the Pill Disposal Department. And the chicken overlord was skilled in hiding and it was unlikely he would be discovered. Otherwise, he would have already recklessly rushed there to retrieve his own storage bag. It had to be known that his little blue lamp was inside!

Though his cultivation didn't advance, Qin Yu didn't waste his time. Besides a new cultivation law formula, he obtained three more supplementary magic arts.

As for the law formula, although the quality was higher than the one he practiced before, it would require time to change over to a new one. Moreover, Qin Yu had depended on pills to increase his cultivation and had little reliance on the law formula he practiced. So he didn't waste his time on this. He figured that once his cultivation deepened in the future, he would replace his law formula with an even higher grade one.

This was something he didn't need to worry about for now.

As for the three magic arts, they were called Gale Step, Vorpal Edge, and Spirit Stab.

Gale Step was a movement technique. After studying it, one's body would become as light as a swallow and would be able to travel 10,000 miles in a day. Of course, the premise behind this was that one had enough magic power to support oneself.

Vorpal Edge was the roughest and could barely be considered an offensive magic art. It forced one's magic power out of their body and into the shape of a blade's edge, and this could be used to cut stone and iron apart.

Qin Yu suddenly recalled the night that he had obtained the little blue lamp. When Hang Dong launched a sneak attack on him, it should have been this Vorpal Edge. If it weren't for him being just one step faster, he would already have been decapitated.

As for Spirit Stab, this was actually beyond his expectations. It was a sort of divine sense attack. Because those at the Foundation Establishment realm had incomparably weak divine senses, this skill was also weak. But in truth, it was this Spirit Stab that gave Qin Yu the greatest surprise!

He didn't have anything but a great number of pills. In particular, after reaching Foundation Establishment he had refined a vast number of pills that could increase his divine sense. In terms of divine sense, he truly didn't fear anyone within the Foundation Establishment realm. If he used this skill well, this Spirit Stab would definitely go beyond his expectations and play a key role in critical situations!

These three types of magic arts were very simple. In addition to Qin Yu's strong divine sense, learning these abilities wasn't difficult. On this day, he just managed to grasp them.

Qin Yu rose up and pushed open the door. Like ordinary times, he casually moved around his residence. Although it seemed he was randomly walking around, he was actually sweeping his eyes through his surroundings. An hour later, Qin Yu smiled. The little tail that had been spying on him had finally withdrawn.

Still, he had to be discreet; he couldn't hurry. Since he had already waited a few days, he might as well wait another two days. Qin Yu turned and continued to study magic arts. Soon, another two days passed.

On the third day, Qin Yu quickly hurried out, soaring all the way to the Pill Disposal Department without concealing himself. He had already said that the 'Grandmaster' had entrusted him to look after Cang Mangzi's grave, so of course he didn't need to avoid being seen by others.

The trip went without problem. He used the entry token to enter the Pill Disposal Department. Qin Yu carefully looked around. He didn't know where Yu Yi had gone. Then, without hesitation he opened the hidden entrance and entered the underground space.

Just as he was about to call out to the chicken overlord, Qin Yu's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He respectfully walked over to the thatched hut and said, "Senior Cang Mangzi, junior came at the bidding of Grandmaster to offer prayers to you. I fear that you are lonely here, so I will accompany you for the night."

His voice was not loud or quiet, just enough to spread throughout the entire underground space. He looked around without any interest. When he didn't see the chicken overlord, his heart chilled for a moment, but he didn't panic. If the chicken overlord had been found then he would have already been captured; he definitely wouldn't have his freedom right now.

In a respectful posture, he pulled out an incense burner, paper money, food, wine, and some other things from his storage back. Then, he arranged all of this on the ground and began to bow.

If he was putting on an act, he had to carry it out to the end. Qin Yu had already prepared all of this beforehand.

In a far-off corner of the underground space, there was a common-looking shadow. But at this time, a youth hidden within this shadow had an ugly complexion. He wavered for half a day and as he saw that Qin Yu had no intention of leaving, he reluctantly appeared.

"Who is it!?" Qin Yu shouted out.

The young man revealed an awkward expression. "Junior-apprentice Brother, please don't misunderstand. I was under orders to watch over this place…" The young man said without much sincerity. Even he felt this was hard to justify.

Qin Yu cupped his hands across his chest. "Oh…I think that Senior-apprentice Brother looks a bit familiar. I should have seen you before, right?"

The young man coughed. "Um…you might have seen me before. Well, I think I've watched over this area long enough; I shouldn't stay much longer. Then, farewell." The young man left as he finished speaking.

Even with the poison warding pill given to him by Huang Dangui, Tao Jie didn't dare to stay here too long. If he stayed here for the entire day and was accidently contaminated by the pill toxins, then he really would have no place to cry even if he wanted to. If so, then he might as well consider his mission finished. He would go back and report that everything seemed normal. After today, Grand Martial Uncle Huang should be able to rest assured.

Qin Yu spoke up, "Take care, Senior-apprentice Brother."

He calmly turned around, a faint trace of cold sweat shimmering on his forehead.

What a close call. If he had directly summoned the chicken overlord, then even if that little fellow was smart enough to not come out, the others would have thought something was strange.

Indeed, he had to be careful in the future and make sure that nothing was wrong. This was something he would definitely keep in mind.

Qin Yu took a deep breath and sat down. Since he said he would stay all night, then he would have to go back tomorrow.

The night passed in peace.

Just before the dawn, when the night was deepest, Qin Yu opened his eyes, light flashing from within them.

"No one's here! Come out!"

Cluck! Cluck!

The chicken overlord rushed out. Qin Yu only discovered now that this little thing had been hiding in one of the cracks leading upwards; it was no wonder he hadn't been discovered until now.

The chicken overlord pounced in front of Qin Yu. Then, it lay down the storage bag, swung its body in a circle, and plopped to the ground as if it had fainted. It had been poisoned deeply, but even though it was afraid, it had clenched its beak to do its job with all earnestness. Finally, it fell to the ground, trying to seem as pitiful as possible.

But please, if you are going to fall to the ground then truly fall to the ground. How come your wings are still carefully protecting your face? Are you afraid that your face will be disfigured!?

Qin Yu stamped his feet. "Stop pretending to be dead. Since you did perform such a great merit this time, you will definitely be rewarded."

The chicken overlord jumped up like a carp leaping out of the water. It stood straight, filled with energy. Its tiny eyes shot Qin Yu a look, as if saying 'at least you know what's good for you'.

"We can't stay here much longer. Hurry up." Qin Yu's thoughts stirred and the little blue lamp appeared in his lap. The foot-long range of sea blue light quietly bloomed in the dark.

The chicken overlord flapped over, its eyes falling low and revealing a comfortable expression. It stared at the little blue lamp, its eyes rolling in pleasure.

Qin Yu laughed. He scolded, "Don't have any devious thoughts, otherwise I'll cook you up!" As he spoke he took everything out from the storage bag and placed it into Li Yunmo's storage bag.

Everyone thought that he only had a single storage bag and because of that he couldn't use the gold and silver thread storage bag for the time being. Thinking about it, he took out some pills and placed them back in the storage bag, and then buried it in a pit.

"Little chicken, I won't be able to bring you out so I'll leave some pills for you. You can continue hiding here for some time. Don't worry, once I find a chance, I'll bring you out."

The chicken overlord's face was filled with resentment. 𝑛𝒪𝓥𝚎𝓁𝑈𝚜𝚋.𝑪𝐎𝓂

Qin Yu waved his hand. "Once you leave, I'll help you find a hundred hens to make your own harem!"

The chicken overlord coldly coughed and looked up.

Qin Yu smiled. "You can choose them. We can choose the most beautiful flock."

The chicken overlord's tail began to swing about.

After pausing in front of Lang Tu's grave for a moment, Qin Yu left the disposal department at dawn and returned to his residence. The last bits of tension in his heart quietly loosened.

"Grand Martial Uncle, Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu has returned. Nothing is out of the ordinary." The spying Senior-apprentice Brother Tao Jie respectfully said.

Huang Dangui waved his hand in dismissal. After the disciple left, he mumbled, "Perhaps I was thinking about this too much. It's just some junior that found a lucky chance; I guess I'll let him be."

He rose up and returned to his alchemy room. Since the array formation around the forbidden zone had been broken, he needed to hurry up and repair it.

The furnace was about to reach maturity. In this critical moment, he could not lower his guard!

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Chapter 19 – Foundation Establishment Trial

The lucky bastard Qin Yu who had picked up a meat pie that fell from the skies had suffered a stroke of bad luck! This news spread out at an astonishing rate and soon everything was aware of it. 𝗇𝞸𝓥𝑒𝓵𝓊𝓈𝑏.𝒞𝑶𝑚

A great number of envious individuals cried out in joy. They shivered in happiness, as if they were drinking a mouthful of clear spring water after wandering for three days in the desert. Of course, even though they obtained no advantages from this, that still didn't affect their fervent hope for Qin Yu to suffer some disaster.

Heh, after offending Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei, how could he still have good days ahead of him?

The boy simply didn't know how great the heavens and earth were!

Everyone was looking towards the fifteenth of next month with anticipation, because that was the day chosen for the Foundation Establishment trial.

However, Qin Yu was not aware of any of this. After bringing back the items in his storage bag and making sure that no one was monitoring him, he completely closed himself in, dedicating his heart and mind to his cultivation.

But before that, he first learned to use the aura restraining law formula and jade pendant together that Ning Ling passed to him. With these things, even if he were to meet Huang Dangui again, he could still hide his cultivation.

There was no harm in being extra careful!

But this time, Qin Yu would pause his cultivation for a period of time every day and practice the three different kinds of magic arts. Although it was unlikely for some serious accident to occur during the Foundation Establishment trial, Qin Yu still felt he needed to be wary because of Xu Wei's presence.

An array formation had been laid down in the courtyard. Although it was extremely basic, it could still conceal auras and sounds.

Qin Yu stood up, his eyes slightly closed. Then, his eyes flashed open, a brilliant light exploding from them. He raised his hand and magic power began to stir within his body, rapidly flowing through his meridians and gathering in his arm before rushing out from his fingertip.

The crescent blade of Vorpal Edge couldn't be seen by the naked eye. It tore through the air, cutting into a giant boulder several meters away and leaving behind a deep mark!

At nearly the same time, he used Spirit Stab. Divine sense converged into a sharp thorn that instantly shot out 10 meters.

Qin Yu stepped forwards, hurtling forwards like a tiger descending down a mountain. An overbearing aura erupted as he punched out!

Bang!

The stone split open!

He drew back. As he silently calculated the strength of his attack, he smiled. Although he had only practiced this and didn't have any real combat experience, he still believed that this triple combo attack wasn't something that ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators would be able to block.

He finally had a little bit of ability to maintain his own life.

Of course, he still had other killing moves besides this triple combo attack. For instance, the Corpse Sealing Nail. His poison finger was originally a better choice, but unfortunately for him, after the incident in East Stream Town where he killed Hei Nu, nearly all of the toxicity within was used up.

At this time, a knock sounded out from his door.

Qin Yu flicked his sleeves, brushing away the crushed stones to a corner of the courtyard. Then, he opened the array formation.

An outer court disciple stood on the other side of the door, a terrified look on his face. "Senior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, I was ordered to inform you that the Foundation Establishment trial will begin tomorrow and the meeting place will be at the gates to the sect. I ask you to prepare for it."

Qin Yu nodded and waved his hand.

The outer court disciple sighed as if he had been pardoned from execution. He turned and walked away.

Looking at this person's demeanor, Qin Yu faintly frowned. But, he didn't think about it too much. He closed the courtyard doors, activated the array formation, and then walked back into his training room. If he would be starting tomorrow then he would take a break today and adjust his condition to its peak state. His cultivation time had really been a bit tight.

He reorganized his storage bag. After making sure he had enough pills, he closed his eyes in meditation.

The night passed without a word.

Early the next morning, Qin Yu opened his door and flew over to the sect entrance.

Along the way, the disciples he met all had weird expressions and even a bit of pity in their eyes.

Qin Yu thought for a moment and realized this must be related to Xu Wei. Although his expression didn't change, his eyes turned a little colder.

This Xu Wei, it was best if he didn't make a mistake!

The morning light sparkled in the air, reflecting from the dewdrops, illuminating the skies with a faint hint of red and adding a layer of otherworldly mystery to the Eastern Mountain Sect. The mountain entrance was large and a giant archway of blue stone stood there with 'Eastern Mountain' written atop it in beautiful flowing words. There was even a cold majesty that lingered in the strokes, filling one's heart with awe.

With Xu Wei at the lead, three men and two women stood beneath the arch. Their eyes seemed to smile. When contrasted in this environment, it added a fairy-like aura to the situation.

When Qin Yu arrived, Xu Wei, as the disciple of Huang Dangui, was accepting the flattery of his junior-apprentice brothers and sisters. In particular, the delicate pose and movements of Junior-apprentice Sister Lin made one's heart itch. But, as Xu Wei saw Qin Yu arrive, it was like someone had thrown a pot of water on him. His smile dimmed and he said, "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, you were the only one remaining."

This faint sentence pushed him to the other side and planted a seed in the hearts of those present. The two other men and women looked at him, sizing him up. Although an honest-looking youth among them seemed fine, the three others revealed a cold smile.

Qin Yu cupped his hands across his chest. "I came late. Everyone, I apologize." His expression was calm with just the slightest hint of suppressed anger.

Xu Wei's lips curled upon seeing this anger. He said, "It's fine as long as you came. It's getting late so let's set out." He turned around, a cold glint in his eyes. Brat, since you didn't give me face, then don't blame me for what happens!

A white cloud flew over the mountain entrance and landed in front of the group. Ning Ling looked at them all with indifference.

Xu Wei was stunned, but his gaze instantly turned burning hot. He smiled wide and asked, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, why did you come here?"

Ning Ling lightly said, "By the command of the Sect Master, this Foundation Establishment trial will be led by me."

Xu Wei's face stiffened.

Ning Ling looked around. "If any of you object, then you may appeal to the Sect Master. I will wait here."

Xu Wei quickly said, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning has misunderstood. With you leading the group, that is even better." He turned and shouted, "Why aren't you greeting Senior-apprentice Sister Ning!"

"Greetings, Senior-apprentice Sister Ning!" Several people hurriedly bowed.

Xu Wei's face was full of smiles. "Senior-apprentice Sister, allow me to introduce you. This is Junior-apprentice Sister Lin Lin, Junior-apprentice Sister Zhang Ze, Junior-apprentice Brother Fan Ping, Junior-apprentice Brother Lu Feng." His finger stopped on Qin Yu, "And finally in last place, this is Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, who has been so infamous as of late. Oh, I nearly forgot, Senior-apprentice Sister Ning personally experienced the incident at East Stream Town, so you should know of Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu."

Lin Lin was born with a natural charm and a delicate temperament. Overall, she was a remarkably beautiful woman. But when placed beside Ning Ling, she wasn't comparable at all.

As Lin Lin saw Ning Ling arrive and also saw her Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei's gaze move onto her, she no longer looked at her. Instead, resentment began to grow in her heart. Although she didn't dare to reveal what she was feeling, all sorts of vile curses began to sound out in her head.

She smiled and said, "The name of Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu rings like thunder in the ears. It's a pity that his fate was lacking so he wasn't able to become a disciple of the Grandmaster, otherwise his future accomplishments would have been limitless."

Xu Wei's smile became even wider as he tossed her an appreciative glance.

Zhang Ze was as skinny as a pole, without an ounce of extra fat or muscle on him, making him look like a walking beansprout. At this time, he didn't hesitate to continue the line of mockery, "Who said that? There are countless disciples within the sect sighing because they couldn't grab such a beautiful meat pie that just fell from the skies. Such a lucky chance was wasted like this."

He would also try his best to curry favor with Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei!

Fan Ping rolled his eyes. "Many people said that if they were given the opportunity to follow the Grandmaster, they would have performed much better."

Only Lu Feng lowered his head and remained silent.

Xu Wei laughed. "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, it seems many people aren't satisfied with you."

Qin Yu's expression was filled with anger!

Ning Ling suddenly said, "Enough. Let's move out."

A white cloud formed from thin air and lifted her up, howling into the distance.

Xu Wei was startled, immediately too busy to continue taunting Qin Yu. He hurried forwards, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, this trial mission is under my command…"

Ning Ling didn't even turn back to look. "It's a new mission. You only need to follow me."

Xu Wei's complexion changed and disappointment was visible in his eyes. He looked back at Qin Yu and could only suppress his thoughts. Originally, he had carefully chosen a much more dangerous mission so that there was a higher chance Qin Yu could suffer an 'accident'.

Now it seemed he would only be able to wait for an opportunity.

Looking at Ning Ling's back, Qin Yu's expression changed. He stepped forwards, immediately using Gale Step to chase after the people in front of him.

Not long after leaving the sect, Ning Ling briefly explained the situation. In Western Pass City there was a fifth level Foundation Establishment cultivator that was committing all sorts of evils. They had to execute this person to prevent him from harming others.

A fifth level Foundation Establishment cultivation and only a wandering cultivator. No matter how many helpers they had, just how strong could they possibly be? Perhaps Ning Ling alone could finish this mission and they wouldn't need to do anything at all.

This left Xu Wei even more disappointed.

Fan Ping observed everyone's mood, pondering the situation for a few moments. He smiled and said, "With this trial mission led by Senior-apprentice Sister Ning and Senior-apprentice Brother Xu, it will definitely be easy. If we just follow behind during this mission it might be a wasted chance. According to what I know, Western Pass City is 700 miles away. How about we race there as fast as we can and consider this a test of our abilities?"

Lin Lin narrowed her eyes. "Senior-apprentice Brother Fan's idea is good, but if we were to race 700 miles in a day, I fear that others might not be able to last with the little magic power they have. I wonder if Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei might be able to help me a little."

Xu Wei's lips curved up in a smile. "That's not a bad idea; then, let's do that. Junior-apprentice sisters and brothers, if you can last the entire way it will surely be advantageous to your cultivation. Of course, this brother of yours will provide you with some pills."

He cupped a hand across his chest and said, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, what do you think?"

Ning Ling glanced at him, "I don't mind."

"Great!" Xu Wei clapped his hands. "Then let's begin. If there is anyone that can't last, just look for me to find some pills. We must try our best to reach Western Pass City before the sun sets!"

Xu Wei swept his gaze over Qin Yu and sneered. Everyone knew that the Grandmaster's gifted storage bag was empty, so what he could do? Yes, beg me, beg me, beg me for pills and I still won't give you any. Let's see just how you'll die!

Of course, directly refusing was inappropriate. Still, he could come up with some excuse such as he wanted to help temper his junior-apprentice brother, sharpen his will and stabilize his cultivation. Everyone knew that Qin Yu's Foundation Establishment cultivation was built up from a pile of pills, so his foundation wasn't steady at all.

If Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu were to be careless and accidently drop a cultivation realm from exhaustion, that could only be considered an accident that no one would be able to complain about.

Woosh –

The group visibly accelerated. Besides Ning Ling and Xu Wei who remained as calm and relaxed as before, the others hurtled forwards with determination. The situation was obvious; Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei was deliberately aiming at Qin Yu, so as long as they joined in on the act, why would they be afraid that they wouldn't be given pills to supplement their magic power?

Those were pills!

When supplementing their magic power, there was bound to be a small benefit that was left behind. Even if they couldn't do this many times, a few times was more than enough. This was Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei! Among all the disciples of the Eastern Mountain Sect, there was no one besides him who possessed such capabilities.

As for Qin Yu?

He had just stepped into some dogshit luck and yet dared to stir up trouble with Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei. He had simply brought about his own destruction and now everyone else could only watch as he collapsed!

But in reality, when it came to pills, let alone Xu Wei, even his master Huang Dangui might not have enough in front of Qin Yu.

When others said his Foundation Establishment cultivation was piled up from pills, it was truly, truly piled up from pills!

Ning Ling floated through the skies like an immortal, leading the group atop her white cloud.

Xu Wei followed close behind, his eyes revealing a deep infatuation. Although he spoke several times and only obtained a nod or shake of the head at most, his eyes still remained vivid with excitement.

Lin Lin, Zhang Ze, Fang Ping, and Lu Feng, were all a considerable distance behind. They were all dripping with sweat, using their magic power without hesitation.

A moment ago that little vixen Lin Lin had opened her mouth and asked Xu Wei for an Essence Augmenting Pill. That was a mellow, fragrant, and nourishing Essence Augmenting Pill!

Zhang Ze, Fan Ping, and Lu Feng all turned red-eyed with envy and spurred themselves onward faster without a care for their lives.

Qin Yu was in last place.

His Foundation Establishment cultivation was piled up from pills, his foundation was unsteady, his magic power was impure, and he was the last to practice the magic arts. It was already guaranteed he would be at the end.

Of course, he was also gasping and streaming with sweat. To put on this sort of act wasn't difficult at all; the difficulty came from keeping his movements and demeanor consistent with everything else, so that others couldn't see anything strange with him.

He lifted his hand and wiped away a forehead dripping with sweat. He took out his water bag to drink some water, and with a casual shake of his fingers, an Essence Augmenting Pill fell into the bag and immediately began to overflow with billowing magic power. He comfortably coughed. No matter how many pills he refined, the comfort brought about by a top grade pill still left him enchanted.

Xu Wei turned around and just happened to see Qin Yu's haggard appearance. A satisfied smile appeared on his face and his heart felt much better. Even if he couldn't use sinister methods to eliminate him, he still had ways to deal with him!

Qin Yu hurried along, his face pale and his breath heaving like a forge bellows, even as he secretly sneered in his heart. Suddenly his eyes widened and he slowly looked up. At some unknown time, Ning Ling who had been in front of the group and suddenly appeared in front of him.

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Chapter 20 – Trap

"Senior-apprentice Sister Ning." Qin Yu bowed as he gasped for breath.

Ning Ling revealed a complex light in her eyes.

Originally, in order to avoid any unwelcome surprises, she knew that the best decision would have been to stay within the Eastern Mountain Sect. But she also knew of the grudge between Xu Wei and Qin Yu. After learning that Xu Wei would be leading this Foundation Establishment trial, she wavered for a long time before finally deciding to meddle in it.

If she were to speak up, there was no one throughout the entire Eastern Mountain Sect that would refuse her.

As she looked at Qin Yu, scenes from the incident of East Stream Town began to constantly run through her mind. At that time Qin Yu had been discreet, steady, and calm. That past image of Qin Yu overlapped with the current image in her mind, leaving her puzzled and sighing.

"Here are several pills. Take them."

Qin Yu felt helpless in this situation. In particular, as he swept his eyes to the side and saw Xu Wei's man-eating gaze on him, he couldn't help but inwardly shake his head. But, as he looked at the fair hands holding the jade bottle, he revealed a surprised and happy expression as he accepted the bottle and bowed repeatedly to express his thanks.

Ning Ling turned and left, not looking back again.

Qin Yu 'impatiently' swallowed these pills. As he lowered his head, faint traces of downheartedness appeared in his eyes.

A misunderstanding was a misunderstanding; they weren't people from the same world to begin with.

But this was fine!

At sunset, the group of seven people from the Eastern Mountain Sect smoothly arrived at Western Pass City. The most miserable looking one was still Qin Yu.

Although Xu Wei was not satisfied when Ning Ling offered Qin Yu pills on her own initiative, he didn't dare to express his displeasure. He smiled and said, "Senior-apprentice Sister, how about we take a short break and begin tonight?"

Ning Ling nodded.

Without alerting anyone, the seven people leapt over the city wall and checked into an inn.

Ning Ling seemed to have a great deal of experience in these matters. She put on a veil before entering the city to cover up her flawlessly beautiful appearance, but even so, moving about still attracted a great deal of trouble.

But, with a flick of his sleeves, Xu Wei sent several large fellows flying away and no one dared to look at them again.

The group loudly and brashly made their presence known as they directly booked all the best rooms on the third floor. Their demeanors overflowed with pride.

Immortal cultivators were originally existences that surpassed the common people. When they journeyed through the world, this sort of performance wasn't surprising at all.

At the very least they were easy to distinguish.

Qin Yu swept his eyes around. As he saw that even Ning Ling didn't seem to feel that anything was wrong, he secretly shook his head.

The Zhu Family was a family of evil cultivators that had taken root in Western Pass City over 200 years ago. Their influence spread out far and wide and it could be imagined just how many secret informers they had hidden round. In addition, they were undoubtedly aware that the evil deeds they committed would eventually be punished, so there were definitely some matters that they were extremely sensitive about. Soon, the Zhu Family would know that a group of extremely strong characters had come to Western Pass City and they would react accordingly.

Of course, it could be that Ning Ling, Xu Wei, and the others had also considered this but simply didn't care. Beneath the suppression of absolute strength, the Zhu Family wouldn't be able to do anything at all.

As night arrived, the entire Western Pass City was lit up with torches and lamps, brightly illuminating everything around them. As a large mortal city located in the Southern Empire, Western Pass City could be called bustling and prosperous. For these relatively young cultivators who spent their years in their mountain sect, it was impossible to withstand the city temptations.

Lin Lin was the first to knock at Xu Wei's door, asking him to bring her out for a stroll around the city. Perhaps it was because Ning Ling had given him the cold shoulder or perhaps it was that he was depressed because Qin Yu hadn't suffered enough, but he nodded in agreement after a moment of hesitation.

After greeting Ning Ling, he went out with Lin Lin, Zhang Ze, Fan Ping, and Lu Feng. As Xu Wei found himself surrounded by people once he left, he immediately began to perk up.

Of course, no one bothered paying attention to Qin Yu. Even the simplest and most honest Lu Feng tactfully kept his mouth shut.

But an hour later, Xu Wei and his group returned, a furious rage in his eyes. Lin Lin and the others still had panic coloring their expressions. Lu Feng was carried back by Fan Ping. He had a black gas covering his face and had fallen unconscious; he had clearly fallen into a trap.

"It's poison!" Xu Wei coldly seethed. As the most beloved disciple of Huang Dangui, he had a little bit of experience in this aspect. "There is only a single cultivator family in Western Pass City. It seems that the Zhu Family has already discovered us and they have taken the advantage with the first strike!"

He gnashed his teeth. But, he never considered that if he hadn't been so loud and arrogant in his actions, how could he have been easily discovered by the Zhu Family?

A brief moment of regret flashed in Ning Ling's eyes, but it was too late to do anything about it. They had been negligent and there was no point in saying anything anymore. She coldly said, "Someone will stay here and look after Junior-apprentice Brother Lu Feng. The others will follow me to the Zhu Family and search for an antidote!"

Thinking, she turned around and said, "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, you stay behind."

Xu Wei wanted to object, but Ning Ling didn't give him a chance to; she directly flew out from the third floor.

"What are you all waiting around for? Follow Senior-apprentice Sister Ning. We're going to flatten this Zhu Family!"

As Qin Yu saw the dark night swallow the figures of the departing, anxiousness flashed in his eyes. Since the Zhu Family took the initiative to strike first, they had likely prepared themselves for the counterattack. He only hoped that Ning Ling and the others would be more steady this time and wouldn't fall into a trap.

Qin Yu placed Lu Feng on the bed and looked over him, hesitation on his face. After acquiring the power of the poison pill and also staying in the disposal department for a year, he had gained a deep understanding of poisons. He could see at a glance that Lu Feng's poison was extremely cruel and ruthless.

Even if Lu Feng was at the Foundation Establishment realm, it would be difficult for him to resist the poison. It wouldn't be long before it entered his marrow, and once that happened then he would be beyond rescue.

Should he save him?

It was nighttime. He didn't doubt the power of the foot-wide sea-blue light.

As Qin Yu was hesitating, he heard a sudden popping in his ears. His expression didn't change, as if he didn't sense anything at all. Soon, several wisps of light gas blew into his room, and with a stuffy cough, he slumped to the ground.

After several breaths of time, four figures entered through the window. The man and woman that came in first tugged down their bandannas to glance over the room. A sharp light glinted in their eyes.

"What sort of great sect disciples are these? They are so mediocre that they were defeated just like this!" A youth said with deep satisfaction.

The woman frowned. "Stop wasting time. Kill them."

"Yes, miss."

Two servants behind her diabolically grinned. They held Vorpal Edge blades in their hands as they moved towards Qin Yu and Lu Feng.

But in that moment, the sound of splitting air rang out and the heads of the two Zhu Family servants flew into the air, blood springing from their severed necks.

The youth was horrified. As for the Zhu Family miss, she ran out without hesitation. But soon something black landed in front of her and she fell to the ground, paper white. It was the head of her brother, his eyes wide with fear.

Qin Yu stood up, glaring at her with icy eyes.

The Zhu Family miss screamed, "Don't kill me!"

Qin Yu coldly said, "What traps did the Zhu Family prepare? If you speak then I'll spare you death, otherwise you will share their fate."

The Zhu Family miss hesitated. "You really won't kill me?" She suddenly thrust out her large chest, saying, "If you don't kill me, I am willing to serve you in bed."

Qin Yu's lips twitched. He roared out, "Speak!"

The Zhu Family miss said in a soft voice, "My father laid down a Mother and Child Soul Seeking Array at our home…" Before she could finish speaking, her head tumbled down. Her eyes were filled with disbelief and the tiny needles in her mouth were unable to shoot out.

Qin Yu revealed a hint of worry. When he first saw that Lu Feng had been poisoned, he had guessed that the Zhu Family had left him alive on purpose. He speculated that they had done this in order to divide the force from the Eastern Mountain Sect, and now it seemed his guess was correct.

The Zhu Family were well aware that these people from the Eastern Mountain Sect had come with ill intent towards them. But not only did they not run away, they took the initiative to strike first. If they did this it was likely because they had something they could rely on, and it was likely this Mother and Child Soul Seeking Array. Although Ning Ling and the others were strong, they didn't have the correct mentality to take advantage of the situation. He had to go and take a look himself, otherwise if something were to occur to them then he wouldn't be able to escape either.

Qin Yu hesitated for a moment and then tightly closed the windows and door. He moved to the side of the door and a foot of sea-blue light quietly bloomed. All the poison in Lu Feng's boy was quickly forced to his finger. Qin Yu slashed a nail across his skin and saw that the previously black blood had turned bright red.

It wasn't as if he could just let him die. He could make up an excuse that he had found an antidote on the bodies of the Zhu Family people. After all, the dead couldn't testify against him.

Without further hesitation, he carried Lu Feng on his back, shoved open the window, and leapt out into the night, vanishing into the darkness.

…

Zhu Mansion!

This was a typical wealthy residential compound. With 200 years of history, it was filled with a grandiose aura. On the door facing outside, 16 torches of wrapped cowhide illuminated the night, making it seem as bright as day. But past the courtyard doors, everything was pitch black, as if it were the maw of a giant beast. And the most bizarre thing was that the entire Zhu Mansion was deathly silent at this moment, so peaceful that it left one horrified.

Qin Yu carefully hid Lu Feng on the roof of a nearby house. Then, he looked towards the Zhu Mansion. His first thought was that…something had gone wrong! 𝒩𝓞𝓋𝓔𝑙𝗎𝓢𝗯.𝚌𝗈𝑚

Reasonably speaking, now was the best time to turn around and flee. If he did then he would surely be able to leave unscathed. However, he wouldn't be able to return to the Eastern Mountain Sect. Moreover, there was a completely unreasonable voice deep in his heart that was telling him he couldn't just stare blankly on as something happened to Ning Ling.

Qin Yu ruefully smiled. He took a deep breath, revolving the aura restraining law formula with the pendant to their limits. Then, he quietly fluttered into the Zhu Mansion like a feather.

As he fell to the ground, he almost didn't make any sound at all. He carefully looked around. The entire Zhu Mansion seemed to be shrouded in a strange darkness that was as thick as ink. Even with Qin Yu's amazing eyesight, he could still only barely make out his surroundings.

Waves of cold aura rushed past him from all sides, flowing across his body. Qin Yu felt hairs rise all over his body. But besides making him feel afraid, this aura didn't attack him at all.

Thinking about it, Qin Yu quickly reacted. This cold aura was being dragged somewhere else and wasn't aimed at him.

It was aimed at Ning Ling and the others!

It seemed that the Zhu Family hadn't yet succeeded.

Qin Yu composed himself. He gathered magic power into his eyes. As his surroundings became a bit more clear, he moved forwards with his eyes locked to the ground.

The Zhu Mansion was extremely large and it wouldn't be easy to find Ning Ling and the others in this thick darkness. But, Qin Yu didn't stop, instead directly moving southwest. This was because the more he approached that area, the stronger the cold yin aura became. That place was likely the location of the battlefield!

As he moved forwards, he didn't see a single figure. The giant Zhu Mansion seemed to be completely empty, causing Qin Yu to feel even more restless in his heart. But at this moment he heard a few faint sounds in the air, causing his steps to be a little bit faster.

In front of him was a small courtyard. There was a well, an acacia tree, and three blue-tiled houses that didn't have windows or doors.

A ring-like magic tool flew high above everyone's heads, gushing out a circle of golden light. Ning Ling and the others were pouring their magic power into this magic tool to force back the surrounding fog. Sad and mournful screams constantly rang out from the fog and the cold yin aura rushed forwards like a tide, tumbling without end!

Between the ancient well and acacia tree stood a cultivator. He was tall and sturdy with firm features. His eyes were filled with a deep dignity. He was Zhu Hai, the head of the Zhu Family and also the man that the Eastern Mountain Sect wanted dead.

He held a golden pendant in his left hand and a round bowl in his right. The golden pendant swung left and right, and although it didn't emit sound it was able to control the ghosts to attack. To suppress five people from the Eastern Mountain Sect by himself, including elites like Ning Ling and Xu Wei, it could be seen how powerful he was!

Within the golden light, Xu Wei was enraged. He roared out, "Zhu Hai, if you dare to touch us then the Eastern Mountain Sect's Golden Cores will definitely take action! There will be no path to heaven and no gate to hell for you!"

Zhu Hai had an indifferent expression. "Since I moved against you, I didn't leave behind an escape route for myself. And, did you think that everything that happened tonight could be arranged in a mere several hours?"

Xu Wei's eyes popped open, "What do you mean?"

Zhu Hai said, "It's simple. The reason that the Eastern Mountain Sect obtained news of my evil deeds is because I deliberately spread out this information. If I didn't do that, how could I draw you in?"

Xu Wei paled.

Chapter 21 – Cut To Kill

Zhu Hai's gaze suddenly turned blazing hot. "But, I never imagined that the net I cast out would bring me such a harvest." His eyes were filled with obsession as they fell onto Ning Ling's body, "But you won't die tonight, because I will make you my woman and have you carry my child. Then, I will kill you."

Ning Ling's expression was icy cold. An unprecedented level of disgust and killing intent started to surge from her. "Zhu Hai, you joined together with women, breeding with them and then killing your wives when they were heavy with your child and using their blood essence filled with hatred and resentment to cultivate. You even turned their souls into malevolent ghosts. You have committed the most horrific crimes and will die without a grave!"

Zhu Hai nodded. "I acknowledge that what you said is right, but I will not die; the ones to die are them." The golden pendant in his hand began to ring louder and faster, and the screams of the ghosts became even more ear-shattering. A cold yin chill rushed out in all directions.

The ring-like magic tool in the air began to shake and creak!

"Senior-apprentice Brother Xu Wei, what do we do? I don't want to die here!" Lin Lin cried out in panic.

Xu Wei clenched his teeth and desperately revolved his magic power to the limits. He looked towards Ning Ling. As a direct disciple of Huang Dangui, he was vaguely aware of some of Ning Ling's secrets.

Now, if there was a chance for them to live, it would all depend on her.

Ning Ling suddenly stepped forwards, out of the range of the golden light. The ghosts hidden in the fog immediately howled and threw themselves at her.

Beneath the illumination of the golden light, the ghosts were revealed. They were hideous women with scattered hair. A gaping crack tore through each of their abdomens and little black hands and feet constantly reached out, clawing at the air. These actions seemed to tear the wounds even more, causing the ghosts to feel even more pain and anger.

The souls that were turned into malevolent ghosts had a desire to destroy all life. Without waiting, they rushed forwards, emitting mournful cries as black smoke rushed out all around them.

But at this time, Ning Ling pointed her finger and a dazzling golden light came roaring out. Her eyes immediately dimmed; it was clear that this attack had caused her extreme losses.

Zhu Hai's complexion changed. He flicked his sleeves and shot out a mass of black gas. But, this golden light easily pierced through the black gas like an air bubble and sank into his chest!

With a deep roar, Zhu Hai twisted his body. The golden light that should have blown apart his chest and belly had been transferred to his right arm using some unknown method.

Bang –

His right arm was blasted to pieces and the round bowl he held tumbled somewhere into the fog. The malevolent ghosts that hovered around the injured Ning Ling suddenly tossed themselves onto the round bowl with abandon. But, brilliant writings began shining on the bowl, and the light seemed to pierce through the bodies of the ghosts, causing them to retreat in pain and horror.

Zhu Hai was deathly pale but he actually smiled. "Was that your final trump card? Since you weren't able to kill me then accept your fate!"

But in the next moment, his smile froze on his face.

A stumbling figure rushed through the cold fog. Because the female ghosts were pushed back by the golden light, they weren't able to stop him from breaking in.

"Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, save me!" Qin Yu cried out with a panicked look on his face. He ran forwards as he screamed, coincidentally stepping on the round bowl.

Crack –

A loud shattering sound joined Qin Yu's distressed cries in the air.

Zhu Hai's face instantly filled with vivid fear, "No!"

He crazily shook the golden pendant but in the end he couldn't stop the thick fog from submerging his body. The ghosts stared at him from all directions and from the wounds on their bellies, fist-sized heads drilled out, giggling and calling, "Father…Father…"

"Ahhh!"

With a miserable scream, cries rang out from the fog followed by the terrifying sound of heavy chewing; it could be imagined just what sort of scene was happening within.

Ning Ling looked at Qin Yu, her face stunned, "Let's go!"

No one hesitated; they fled from the Zhu Mansion as fast as possible. It was only when they left the mansion that was filled with darkness that they managed to relax. Then, their eyes fell on Qin Yu.

Although they couldn't help but sigh over this lucky bastard, they had to admit that the reason they survived was his luck. This caused several people to have complex looks in their gazes. In particular Xu Wei. He had always felt an inexplicable anger towards Qin Yu that he had never been able to vent.

"Where's Lu Feng?" He suddenly asked, breaking the silence. He didn't like the look in everyone's eyes as they stared at Qin Yu.

Qin Yu appeared panicked for a moment. "I was being chased just now so I had no choice but to hide Senior-apprentice Brother Lu Feng on the roof of a house."

Xu Wei narrowed his eyes. "You abandoned your fellow disciple to escape alone? Qin Yu, you're quite bold!"

Lin Lin, Zhang Ze and Fang Ping, were all startled. Their gazes as they looked at Qin Yu filled with contempt once more. Even though this lucky bastard had rescued them, it was still atrocious to abandon a fellow sect disciple.

Ning Ling frowned. "Forget that for now. Go and retrieve Lu Feng first."

Qin Yu nodded. He turned and flew up into the dark of night. Soon, he brought back Lu Feng with a happy expression.

Xu Wei swept his eyes over the two, surprised. "What happened to the poison?"

Qin Yu revealed a proud look. "I killed a Zhu Family cultivator and never expected that he would have an antidote on him. After Senior-apprentice Brother Lu Feng took it, he was fine."

This left everyone speechless.

Qin Yu had casually killed a Zhu Family member and found the antidote. As for the rest of them, they broke into the Zhu Mansion and nearly died…

Qin Yu this boy, his luck was enough to leave one gasping with jealousy!

Ning Ling's eyes deepened. Could all of these occurrences really be coincidences? Qin Yu's figure was once again covered with a faint fog in her eyes, an inexplicable mystery.

As the sun rose, the residents of Western Pass City discovered to their horror that there was not a single person left in the entire Zhu Family. There were only some bloodstains on the ground in a courtyard to the southeast. Following the bloodstains, they came to an old well. After digging it up they found the skeletons of 17 women, each with little skeletons within them. And, what was most terrifying was that these women and their babies all had blood dripping from their jaws, as if they had just torn up flesh and blood.

The residents scattered in panic. Soon, a fire lit up and the mighty 200 year old Zhu Mansion was burned to the ground.

At this time, the group of seven from the Eastern Mountain Sect began their journey back. Compared to the exuberant mood when they first came, they were all left in a deep silence on the way back.

Qin Yu had already read a file pertaining to what was occurring within the Zhu Mansion and it had caused his heart to chill. In order to increase his cultivation, Zhu Hai had harmed his wives and children to refine their spirits. Could this be what Cang Mangzi had talked about in his writings, the blood and cruelty that surrounded the road to cultivation?

Moreover, when Zhu Hai had plotted to lure the disciples of the Eastern Mountain Sect in, he had killed everyone in the Zhu Family besides himself and a pair of children, and had used their blood as food for the malevolent ghosts. Just what sort of ruthlessness was this?

If the road to immortal cultivation required him to turn into such a person, resorting to any means necessary to accomplish his goals and making him abandon all traces of humanity, then he might as well forget about this immortal cultivation!

Qin Yu had just entered the grand temple of cultivation after reaching the Foundation Establishment realm. He made an oath to himself that he would never turn into such a person.

Ning Ling looked around. When her eyes swept past Qin Yu from time to time, her eyebrows would tighten. It was unknown just what sorts of thoughts she was having.

Suddenly, Qin Yu let out a light breath as if he wanted to breathe out all the depression and confusion in his heart. As he looked up, his eyes sparkled once more. After this incident in the Zhu Mansion his mind had become stronger and more determined, as if his entire temperament had quietly changed.

He accidently met Ning Ling's gaze. Before Qin Yu could respond she had already turned back, a faint blush on her beautiful ears.

Ning Ling did her best to remain calm, but her heart was racing. Strange ripples spread through her mind, causing her to feel flustered.

The group continued in silence. On the second day, when they could see the entrance to the Eastern Mountain Sect, they were finally able to relax.

Lu Feng, who had barely managed to come back from the jaws of death, learned of everything that occurred that night. Even though he had been told that Qin Yu had 'abandoned' him, he still felt nothing but gratefulness, because without him he would have already died.

"Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, if you ever have anything you need in the future, feel free to tell me. I will not object." This Lu Feng had an honesty and sincerity that warmed the heart. Qin Yu smiled and nodded his head, happy for having saved him.

As they were about to near the mountain sect entrance, they suddenly heard a cry for help ahead.

Mountain spirits and water monsters were as their names described them. They were creatures living upon the mountain that inadvertently drew in enough heaven and earth spiritual energy that they developed their own spirituality and became monsters.

What was fleeing through the forests in a panic was a daughter of the mountains. She carried a wood cutting hatchet in her hands, chopping left and right at the branches and roots that surrounded her. What chased after her from behind was an ancient wood spirit. The wood spirit looked like a pile of old wood and constantly roared as it raced forwards.

At this time, a look of surprise crossed the woman's eyes. She cried out again and again, "Immortal beings save me! Immortal beings save me!" As she lifted her head, one could clearly see that what was hidden beneath her coarse woven clothes was a figure that moved the heart and soul. In particular, as she ran forwards one could see her skirt and shirt flap open, revealing a seductive light.

Xu Wei shouted out, "Spirit monster, you dare to harm mortals? It's time for you to stop!"

His fingers moved as he pinched out a law formula and flicked his sleeves. With a muffled thumping sound, a deep wound appeared on the body of the ancient wood spirit. The wood spirit roared out in pain, but at this time the woman stumbled over and was swept up by several branches, then pulled away screaming.

The ancient wood spirit turned around, wanting to flee.

Xu Wei angrily howled, "Stop it!"

Shua –

With Xu Wei at the lead, five figures surrounded the ancient wood spirit.

Ning Ling was faintly surprised. As she looked around she saw Qin Yu frowning, without any intention of moving at all.

But at this time, a fight had already erupted between Xu Wei's group and the ancient wood spirit.

The ancient wood spirit roared and hissed. The earth tumbled and cracked open. Countless roots rose up and began to spread outwards. What was even scarier was that all the large trees within 500 meters started to rise up, their roots weaving together into large feet as they stomped towards the battlefield.

Xu Wei was enraged. He never imagined that a mere ancient wood spirit would be so powerful. He grit his teeth and threw out a black ball. With a loud bang, the black ball fell upon the ancient wood spirit and exploded into a conflagration of flames. The group cheered, their morale rising, but as they were about to rush forwards to finish the job, the ancient wood spirit's body turned green and the flames were rapidly extinguished.

After being wounded, the ancient wood spirit became even crazier. More and more roots rose up from the ground, seeming like an endless tide that rushed towards them! The large trees moved faster and faster, their steps shaking the earth as they prepared to surround the entire group. Xu Wei and the others were all in danger!

"Senior-apprentice Sister Ning!" Xu Wei was too panicked to care for face as he shouted out for help.

Ning Ling began to move forwards, but at this time she heard Qin Yu shout out, "Be careful!" Yet as she glanced at him she saw that his head was lowered as if he hadn't said anything at all.

With a light nod, Ning Ling lifted her hands and a veil flew out from her sleeves. As it flew in the wind it grew by dozens of feet, surrounding the countless roots and tightening upon them so that they began to break apart. Xu Wei and the others breathed a sigh of relief and started to cheer out loud. As they occasionally looked at Qin Yu, contempt filled their eyes. Even if he had a little bit of luck he was still nothing but a coward. How come he hadn't joined in to help them!?

When Ning Ling joined the battle she also had her magic veil to help resolve the crisis on the battlefield. Xu Wei and the others pressed their advantage and for a time they held the upper hand. The ancient wood spirit was covered with countless wounds and before long it would be slain. But at this time, the ancient wood spirit cried out loud and violently threw the woman in its grasp.

Ning Ling's thoughts stirred. She sent out her magic veil to wrap around the woman. But when she did, a loud ripping sound rang out. With a stuffy cough, Ning Ling's face paled and she quickly drew back the veil into her sleeves; it had been broken!

"Roar!"

The ancient wood spirit howled into the air. A burst of deep green light covered its body and the innumerable roots that rose up into the sky also turned vivid green. The roots wove together, immediately forming a giant cage that locked Ning Ling and the others within.

The woman rose up from the ground, covering her mouth as she chuckled. "What a wonderful treasure. It would be sad if it were destroyed." A short black knife was in her hands, and this knife seemed as if it could even swallow light.

"Ahh!" With a loud cry, Qin Yu turned and ran away. 𝓃𝗈𝓋𝑬𝐿𝗎𝔰𝑏.𝐂𝒪𝐦

The woman's smile widened. "I never imagined that you orthodox disciples would actually have someone like that in your ranks. Don't worry, this big sister will be fair and won't let him go either."

With a tap of her feet, the woman faded away into a gray afterimage, leaving nothing behind but her echoing chuckles. "Woody, keep an eye on them, make sure not a single one escapes."

And just like that, Qin Yu and the woman vanished in just a few breaths of time.

Xu Wei cursed out loud, sputtering endless vicious words about Qin Yu's escape.

Lin Lin, Zhang Ze, and the others also revealed looks of deep loathing.

Ning Ling remained silent. As she lowered her head, no one could see her face and no one could see that what flashed across her eyes was a bit of relief, gratitude, and worry.

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Chapter 22 – Lucky

Strong winds blew past his face as he used Gale Step to the limit. Qin Yu's complexion was dignified and countless thoughts raced through his mind. He immediately fell to the ground and tumbled to the side, avoiding a black icicle that stabbed up from the ground and began spreading outwards!

With a tinkling laugh, the woman appeared in front of him, her eyes bright. "I even thought you were just a boy who turned and fled. It seems that this big sister has underestimated you."

Qin Yu smiled, "Big sister is exaggerating things."

The woman's smile turned brighter and more beautiful, "So tell me, how did you see a flaw?"

Qin Yu pointed his fingers, "The calluses that big sister specially formed on your hands are completely similar to the calluses that a mountain woman should develop over years of labor. However, the back of big sister's hands might be tanned, but there isn't a single scar at all. I used to cut firewood in the past so I am well aware of just how easy it is to hurt the back of the hand."

He paused for a moment and his eyes began to heat up. "Of course, big sister's chest is also a flaw. With such fair and delicate snow white skin, how could a mountain woman possibly accomplish that?"

The woman's eyes filled with praise, "Little brother is truly intelligent, so much that even big sister here doesn't want to kill you. But, because of my mission, I can only wipe my tears away and do it. But don't worry little brother, once you are struck by big sister's poison you won't feel any pain at all. Just close your eyes and everything will pass in an instant."

At some unknown time, the icicle that stabbed out from the ground had dissipated by half. Faint traces of black gas rose up like a living creature, quickly twining around Qin Yu's calf. His complexion changed, revealing anger and fear as his breath began to weaken.

The woman fluttered forwards. "Remember, this big sister's name is You Qi."

The short black knife came cutting down at Qin Yu's neck.

But suddenly, the woman cried out in alarm. With the knife in front of her, there was a loud bang as several wisps of cold light flew out in all directions. One of the wisps of light cut between her eyebrows revealing a trace of white skin and red blood beneath. Amazingly, her current appearance was also a disguise; this wasn't her true appearance at all.

The woman didn't retreat and there wasn't the least bit of warmth in her icy eyes. The short knife continued slashing down at Qin Yu, but she suddenly froze, pain covering her face.

Bang –

The ground sunk down as dust rose into the air. Qin Yu threw himself forwards like a fierce and desperate beast, ignoring any display of mercy as he viciously punched at her soft stomach.

You Qi floated backwards and spat out a little bit of blood as she landed backwards. Her blood shimmered with a hint of purple. Killing intent rose up in her eyes, but at this time, a heaven-shaking eruption exploded from behind her and a blazing aura rose up into the heavens, turning the skies red! 𝓝𝑜𝓋𝑬𝓁𝑢𝕊𝔟.𝔠𝑶𝑚

You Qi's complexion changed and she turned and left without hesitation. "Black ice poison has no cure. Since you've been touched by it, your only choice is to die in pain!"

Bang –

A mass of black smoke rose up and she disappeared without a trace.

Qin Yu looked towards the direction of Ning Ling and the others. Once he was sure they were out of trouble, he immediately began moving deeper into the mountains. He could not go back now, otherwise if he were to expose the secret of the little blue lamp then he would undoubtedly die!

Soon, a pale Ning Ling appeared in the area. The air was still quivering with fluctuations of power.

But whether it was Qin Yu or You Qi, neither of them were here any longer.

Xu Wei landed on the ground. As he sniffed the area his complexion changed, "Black ice poison!"

Ning Ling's heart shook, "What did you say?"

Xu Wei stiffened as her eyes locked onto him. He quickly said, "I have seen this at Master's before; it is indeed black ice poison." After a moment, he gulped and said, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, we must leave. The black ice poison gas here hasn't scattered yet. If we are touched by it, then…this poison has no antidote!"

Ning Ling turned even paler. She took a deep breath, "You leave first."

Xu Wei hesitated. Finally, he couldn't resist the rising fear in his heart and left first.

Ning Ling was left confused and dazed. She carefully looked around and her complexion changed. She quickly walked forwards and bent down, finding a few drops of blood hanging from the weeds on the ground.

The faint purple color wove together with the green grass, making it seem mottled.

This was…could Qin Yu have escaped somehow?

Ning Ling's eyes turned bitter and a feeling of emptiness suddenly rose up in her heart, as if she had lost something extremely important in her life.

As Qin Yu walked forwards, his body continued to emit loud cracking sounds as chips of black ice fell off his body. Even the air he breathed out emitted a horrifying chill.

The black ice poison had erupted!

If it weren't for his body possessing a powerful resistance to poisons, he would have already been frozen into a giant slab of ice.

Bang –

Two powerful auras erupted from behind. Even from a dozen some miles away, he could clearly sense them.

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master and Huang Dangui had moved. Since they had taken action, the nearby crisis should be resolved too.

Qin Yu clenched his teeth and resisted the chill that bit into his bones. His eyes swept around and he quickly found a crack in a cliff.

He scooted his body in and sat down. He took out several poison warding pills and swallowed them down.

Incredibly, the medicinal efficacy of these poison warding pills froze solid and shrunk down; it was simply unable to help him at all. He became increasingly cold as he lost feeling throughout his body, but he steadfastly defended his mind, maintaining that final bastion of clarity. He knew that if he were to fall asleep here, he might never wake up again.

But soon, Qin Yu found that he had overestimated his willpower and underestimated the horror of this black ice poison as his consciousness began to blur. He could only take out the little blue lamp and wryly smile as he lost consciousness.

The night was dark like water. As the sea-blue light appeared, the iron-hard ice began to rapidly melt beneath the light.

Qin Yu's figure gradually appeared. Besides his chest that faintly moved, he seemed to have lost all other signs of life. His face was pale white to the point that it would terrify anyone who saw him.

Suddenly, his eyes popped open and he violently coughed as if his lungs and heart would come out from his mouth. He vomited mouthfuls of blood that were mixed with giant clots of black blood.

The little blue lamp had banished the black ice poison, but during that period of time, serious damage had occurred to Qin Yu's organs.

It was a long time before Qin Yu stopped coughing. He gasped, joy filling his heart. Just a little bit more and he would have died. If night had come an hour later, then even if the little blue light dissolved the poison there would have been nothing left but a corpse.

He forced himself to eat several pills, then he placed the little blue lamp back in his storage bag and closed his eyes, falling asleep.

Several green shadows lurked across the ground. These were wounded hungry wolves that had been struggling with another pack for food during the day, but were defeated and chased away.

Their stomachs that burned with hunger and their aching wounds drove them to seek food. Otherwise, with their weakened bodies they would degenerate into prey for other wild beasts.

With their amazing sense of smell, they tracked the scent of blood and the trail led them to a crack in a cliff. Although it was a bit high off the ground, their leaping ability easily allowed them to overcome this.

But the several hungry wolves paced back and forth, none of them daring to rush in. Faint traces of a yin chill flowed out from the crack, and although it wasn't much, it stirred up an incomparable instinctual fear within them.

Fortunately, the cold aura was constantly dissipating. The hungry wolf leader bent low and tightened its powerful hind legs. The pain of its wounds reopening caused its eyes to shine with a bit more ruthlessness.

Bang –

Its hind legs jerked up and the wolf leader's slender and vigorous body cut a perfect arc through the air as it directly leapt into the crack. It roared in excitement as if it had found a delicious meal, but then with a light cracking sound, it stopped.

With mournful whines, the several hungry wolves outside tucked their tails between their legs and fled.

In the crack, Qin Yu loosened his hands and allowed the still warm corpse of the wolf to fall to the ground. He panted for breath, gritting his teeth as he said, "Not even the black ice poison can kill me; did you think I would die to you here?"

But, he actually felt a deep sense of fear in his heart.

If it weren't for the aura of the black ice poison frightening the pack of wolves so that they didn't dare to enter, and if it weren't for him waking up at this exact time, then even if his body had restored a bit of strength…he would still have become a meal for the hungry wolf leader.

In this world there were far too many possible accidents that could occur. If he wanted to live longer, it was important to remain careful.

No matter what happened in the future, he couldn't allow himself to fall unconscious without any defenses at all!

Qin Yu let out a deep breath and struggled to rise up. There was no cure to black ice poison and those that managed to run away would eventually die. This was why there were very few people who knew about how terrifyingly destructive it was to the body. Currently, Qin Yu was like a leaking balloon that was riddled with holes all over.

Luckily the Foundation Establishment realm Body Forging Pills had a certain effect of healing the body. In addition to some treasures that Qin Yu had on him, it wouldn't take too long to completely recover.

He opened the storage bag. With a flash of light, a beautifully colored fruit appeared in his hand and emitted a wonderful fragrance. This was an Azure Cloud Fruit that he had picked up from the underground space and it had an amazing ability in healing the body.

As he took several bites of the Azure Cloud Fruit, warmth spread through his limbs and bones. Qin Yu sighed in comfort. Four hours later, his bones cracked as explosive strength filled him once more.

He turned and punched out. With a loud crack, a part of the mountain cliff broke apart. Qin Yu drew back his fist. Besides being a little bit red, it was perfectly fine.

The Azure Cloud Fruit had repaired his body that had been destroyed by the black ice poison. In essence, this was similar to breaking down his body and rebuilding it, and this had caused the intensity of his mortal body to unexpectedly rise to a higher level. Now, the power of his punch was no less than a magic technique of the Foundation Establishment realm!

In his battle with that witch You Qi and his subsequent experience with the black ice poison, this allowed him to deeply realize the advantages of possessing a powerful body. He resolved his mind to cultivate the power of his mortal body. In any case, his cultivation was formed from piles of pills to begin with, so he wasn't afraid of delaying his cultivation.

"I should return." Qin Yu mumbled to himself. He flicked his sleeves, causing wind to stir up around him and erase all traces of his presence. Then, he leapt out.

…

When the disciples were attacked they had been less than a hundred miles from the sect entrance. The Eastern Mountain Sect was stirred into a furious rage by this. Seven groups of disciples were sent out in all directions and what they did shook the heavens and earth. Let alone mountain spirits and water monsters, not even ordinary wild beasts were able to escape being slaughtered.

Everyone thought that such a massive furor was because their disciples had been attacked, but, only a few high-level figures of the sect actually knew that the true reason was because of Ning Ling.

When the Eastern Mountain Sect Master and Huang Dangui learned that Ning Ling was in danger, they were immediately drenched in a cold sweat. It was good that nothing happened to her, otherwise they didn't dare to imagine the consequences.

As for Qin Yu who was still missing, although the two of them had issued orders to find him, they didn't place much importance on this matter. To then, Qin Yu was nothing but a slightly lucky disciple who lacked potential and also had poor morals. If he died he died; it wasn't a big deal at all.

The key issue right now was how Ning Ling viewed this matter. If she were to casually complain to her family about this then the entire Eastern Mountain Sect would be in great trouble!

They inquired into her well-being, but saw that she had a gloomy and dark expression. However, they also saw that she didn't hold any bad feelings towards the Eastern Mountain Sect, so the Eastern Mountain Sect Master and Huang Dangui glanced at each other before tactfully leaving.

"Ning Ling, rest well. We will definitely investigate this matter and give you an account." The Eastern Mountain Sect Master vowed.

Ning Ling nodded. She suddenly asked, "Has Sect Master learned anything about Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu's whereabouts?"

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master shook his head. "We're still looking, but according to what you described, the one that attacked should be a demonic cultivator. If Qin Yu fell into their hands, I fear that…"

Ning Ling bit her lips, her face pale.

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Chapter 23 – Travelling Together

Huang Dangui's complexion turned strange. He pulled the Sect Master aside and left. As they departed the courtyard, he turned and frowned as he said, "Sect Master, there is something odd about Ning Ling's attitude."

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master was startled. He slowly nodded, "Indeed, it is as martial uncle says. She seems to care too much for Qin Yu."

They were both experienced old men that could instantly make out the meaning behind their words. A bit of worry appeared on their faces but soon they let out long sighs of relief.

Huang Dangui clicked his tongue and sighed. "I didn't expect this boy to have a little bit of skill. Unfortunately, he didn't walk the orthodox path."

The Sect Master didn't reveal any expression. "I will order the disciples to deal with this."

Search for Qin Yu?

Search for Qin Yu for what? So that his flirtation with Ning Ling could take another step forwards?

If something like that were to happen, the Sect Master didn't doubt that he would be torn to shreds by an enraged Ning Family.

In such a disaster, it would be best if he died.

But as he was feeling relieved, a disciple rushed forwards with a happy expression. He loudly shouted, "Sect Master, Grand Martial Uncle, Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu has returned!"

At this moment, the Eastern Mountain Sect Master and Huang Dangui both felt as if their hearts had twisted. They wished they could sew this bright-eyed boy's mouth shut, but they actually had to maintain stiff smiles on their faces.

The courtyard doors behind them were fiercely pushed open. Ning Ling stepped out, surprised, "Senior-apprentice Brother Tao, he really returned?"

With a beautiful blushed face that couldn't hide her joy, as if the sun was shining down and flowers were blooming before her, Tao Jie had never seen Ning Ling so happy before. He was stunned for a moment before he nodded and said, "It's true..."

Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Ning Ling rose up on her white cloud and flew towards the sect entrance, leaving behind the two bitter old men. Now that Ning Ling was aware of Qin Yu's return they wouldn't even have a chance to do anything in secret. Tao Jie, you really chose the right place to blabber your mouth!

"What are you looking at? Fuck off!" Huang Dangui stamped his feet and cursed.

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master forced a smile. "Martial uncle, the plans of heaven will always be above the plans of men."

Beneath the archway at the sect entrance, the cheers for Qin Yu's return were short-lived. Soon, the disciples of the Eastern Mountain Sect began sending him looks of disdain. He had escaped in a dire moment and had abandoned his fellow disciples. Not just that, but he had done this more than once! These sorts of actions were truly worthy of contempt.

Qin Yu didn't mind playing the role either. He revealed a guilty and shamed expression as he lowered his head and 'forced' a smile.

At this time, Ning Ling leapt off her white cloud and appeared in front of him. The sounds of respectful bows immediately rose up around her, "Greetings, Senior-apprentice Sister Ning."

Everyone's eyes fell on her, all of them bright and shining. They all wanted to know how the beautiful and fairy-like Senior-apprentice Sister Ning would scold Qin Yu.

But even though they held their eyes wide open until it began to sting, Senior-apprentice Sister Ning still didn't do anything. Instead, she bit her lips and looked at Qin Yu... with a little bit of gentleness in her gaze.

Gentleness?

The Eastern Mountain Sect disciples all felt their hearts shake. They howled in sorrow. How could this happen? Senior-apprentice sister, it's fine if you didn't punish him, but how could you look at him like that? You never even glanced at us!

Qin Yu thought that if looks could kill, he would have already been torn to shreds. Even if his mindset and willpower were good, he still couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle. He awkwardly coughed, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning?"

Ning Ling seemed to regain her composure. She nodded, "It's good that you're back."

She turned and left. She feared that if she stayed any longer, her face would turn as red as crimson cloth because her heartbeat was becoming increasingly frantic.

Qin Yu wryly smiled. He quickly said, "Thank you, senior-apprentice sister!"

His overjoyed appearance left the crowd frowning.

"What a lucky fellow, even Senior-apprentice Sister Ning is merciful towards him. If he fell into my hands I would have made sure he paid a steep price for his actions!" A youth indignantly spouted.

"Even if Senior-apprentice Sister Ning tolerates him, this fellow's reputation is completely ruined. No one will approach him in the future."

"Who knows what will happen. He might be abandoned in the future."

Several female cultivators stood together, coldly saying, "Let's leave. The more I look at such a person, the worse I feel." They turned and left, the arrogant napes of their snow white necks like swans that stared in disgust at a toad.

"Let's leave, let's leave."

Soon the sect entrance was devoid of people, leaving only Qin Yu alone. He looked up at the direction Ning Ling had left in, a little bit of warmth in his heart. News of his return had just spread out but Ning Ling had hurried here to greet him. Although she had only said a few words, he could sense tumultuous changes in her mood.

Soon, Qin Yu's complexion returned to normal. Ning Ling was a proud daughter of heaven, and not everyone had the qualifications to chase after her.

For instance, him.

Of all the worries in the world, most were imaginary troubles brought about by oneself. Qin Yu was smart enough to not have thoughts on things beyond his reach.

He was well aware of how much he was worth.

...

Several days later, the rampaging actions of the Eastern Mountain Sect began to gradually die down. There were some harvests, especially in the gratitude of those people that lived on the mountains; they constantly thanked these immortal cultivators for helping them.

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master didn't summon Qin Yu to ask him how he escaped the grasp of the demonic cultivator. Or, perhaps it was because seeing Qin Yu made him feel depressed within. Instead, he sent out Tao Jie to question him. They could be considered brief acquaintances that had met each other in the underground space, so it wasn't too strange for them.

Tao Jie asked Qin Yu a few questions and soon left after not finding any flaws in the wild story he conjured up. As Qin Yu saw Tao Jie seemingly trying to avoid him, he felt comforted instead. It seemed that he wouldn't be disturbed by others at least. Finally, he could peacefully be a handsome man...cough, what he meant was peacefully cultivate!

The day before he left the Eastern Mountain Sect, Qin Yu entered the Pill Disposal Department and brought out the chicken overlord. He kept his pledge and walked around the periphery of the sect, visiting all the chicken flocks.

Because of the recent sweep by the sect, the chickens lost their natural predators and they began to rapidly multiply. But, today was doomed to be a day of suffering for all of chickenkind.

A human cultivator came walking their way without any honor or dignity at all. He carried an arrogant bastard with him as he fiercely attacked their chicken flocks and carried away all the most beautiful girls.

When Qin Yu left, the chicken overlord's eyes were filled with tears. He flapped his wings as 100 beautiful little hens followed behind him. No one knew why the chicken overlord cried. Perhaps it was because he couldn't bear to leave Qin Yu, or perhaps he was overly excited about his wonderful 'chicken's life' that was about to begin.

Without a doubt, after several more years passed, the entire mountain range would be filled with the descendants of the chicken overlord. As Qin Yu thought of his, his lips curled upwards and his mood became much better. Without any thoughts of returning to the Eastern Mountain Sect in the future, he left.

In any case, there was no one in the Eastern Mountain Sect that would notice him anyways.

After his Foundation Establishment trial, he could be said to have officially stepped onto the road of cultivation. There was a period of leave afterwards where he was supposed to visit his mortal family and finish his arrangements so that he could sever his karma with the world. Only then could he devote his heart and mind to his cultivation.

Qin Yu didn't have a family, but there were still people he cared about. As he reminisced about the past, his mood began to rise in anticipation.

Aunty Gu, you never imagined I would become one of those immortals that you spoke of right? Well, now it is time for me to repay you.

Qin Yu suddenly froze, stunned, as he saw a person appear in front of him.

Ning Ling opened her mouth and spoke in a soft voice, "I heard that Junior-apprentice Brother Qin is planning to return home. I just happen to be travelling that way, so let's go." She turned as she finished speaking. The mountain winds danced along her skirt and sent her hair fluttering in the wind. Qin Yu found that his thoughts were left in chaos.

After a long period of silence, Qin Yu couldn't help but point behind him, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, my family is over in that direction!"

Ning Ling froze, a hint of a blush creeping up her face.

...

From the Eastern Mountain Sect's highest peak, two old men watched in silence as a young man and woman left. Their faces were filled with dark uncertainty.

"Sect Master, is this really fine?"

"It's not. But there's nothing we can do about it."

Huang Dangui's face filled with deep regret, as if he were watching a peerless treasure becoming tarnished.

This girl possessed top-notch martial talent, character, and looks, so what did she possibly see in that piece of rotten wood?

The Eastern Mountain Sect Master also seemed to have the same thoughts. He sighed, "Leave it. The 10 year care period has ended, so our agreement has ended. Let them be!"

"What if there is an accident?"

The Sect Master hesitated. "This is something only we know about. No one else should have discovered it. Just let her live the last moments of her free life."

It was unknown what he was thinking, but Huang Dangui finally nodded.

Experience told him that traveling together with a beautiful woman could be boring and dull, but it could also be gorgeous and colorful.

Qin Yu maintained vigilance at Ning Ling's appearance. But, he also couldn't help but feel happy over her presence.

"Junior-apprentice brother, what flower is this?"

"Junior-apprentice brother, what herb is this?"

"Junior-apprentice brother, what river is this?"

"Junior-apprentice brother, what fish are in this river?"

Seeing the fully earnest Ning Ling, Qin Yu forced a smile. He cupped his hands across his chest, "Senior-apprentice sister, if you have anything you really want to ask, please ask away."

Ning Ling stuck out her tongue. Her delicate expression caused Qin Yu's heart to skip a beat. As if satisfied with his tiny reaction, the corners of her lips rose up in a smile.

"Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, how did you discover something wrong that day?"

Qin Yu thought about it. "In fact, it's extremely simple. Senior-apprentice sister, do you really think a mountain spirit that just developed its own spirituality would start harming mortals so close to the sect?"

Ning Ling frowned, "That's it?"

Qin Yu nodded. He certainly couldn't speak of his experiences with that witch You Qi.

Ning Ling deeply pondered for a moment. Then, she let out a long sigh. "Junior-apprentice brother is truly smart. We were near the sect entrance so we subconsciously lowered our guard and it was then that someone managed to take advantage of us. I didn't think that this in itself would be our greatest flaw."

Qin Yu quickly said, "Senior-apprentice sister, there is no need to praise me."

Ning Ling blinked, "Junior-apprentice brother still isn't willing to be honest with me?" 𝓃𝗈𝓋𝑬𝐿𝗎𝔰𝑏.𝐂𝒪𝐦

Qin Yu was stunned.

"The Qin Yu I met in East Stream Town was calm, composed, and confident. But, I don't see that man anywhere now." Ning Ling's eyes brightened. "Moreover, could all the coincidences at the Zhu Mansion really just have been lucky accidents?"

She stopped Qin Yu from explaining. "Also, there was the time we were attacked. Although I didn't know who did it, I know that with your cultivation it would have been impossible for you to escape. So, when you returned to the sect and said that you managed to scare the demonic cultivator away, I knew that was a lie."

Qin Yu frowned. "I'm not sure what Senior-apprentice Sister Ning is trying to say?"

Ning Ling shook her head. She earnestly said, "I have no evil intentions towards you, otherwise these things would have already been made known to the Eastern Mountain Sect. I just have no idea why you want to hide yourself like this." She hesitated for a moment. "And, I also don't like seeing others misunderstand you."

Qin Yu's heart trembled. He suddenly had the impulse of wanting to reveal the truth, but he quickly pushed it down. "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, you really think too much about these things."

Ning Ling looked at him and laughed, "Then just consider me someone that thinks too much. Come, let's hurry." She turned around, a bit more appreciation in her eyes.

In this world there were many people who would forget themselves when there was a beauty before them. She was confident in her appearance and had intentionally expressed her concern, and yet Qin Yu could still maintain his wariness. This degree of composure surpassed many others.

In any case, she didn't want him to admit anything regardless. To follow him for a bit and tell him that she already knew who he was, that was enough for her.

It was just that she didn't have much time left, so there would always be some regrets.

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Chapter 24 – Aunty Gu

Ning Ling no longer pressed her question. Qin Yu felt a little relieved, but he was also confused. However, there was one thing he was sure about and that was that Ning Ling didn't hold any malice towards him. He simply filed this in the back of his mind and continued along the way.

For the next few days, Ning Ling was much quieter. She looked around at the passing scenery and occasionally a stone or a large tree would cause her eyes to shift and a faint vacant daze to appear across her face.

Qin Yu didn't ask her anything. He only slowed his step so that she could enjoy more of the beautiful scenery.

Ning Ling was indeed a clever woman. She soon noticed this and asked, "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin, aren't you in a hurry to return home?"

Qin Yu smiled. He lightly replied, "I have no family."

Ning Ling was startled.

"I'm an orphan. I was adopted and raised by others, and this time I'm returning to repay them."

"I'm sorry."

Qin Yu waved his hand. "I'm used to it."

Ning Ling nodded. She didn't know why, but although she didn't speak much, her attitude towards Qin Yu became a bit more intimate.

Two days later, the deliberately slowed journey finally reached its end. A little town of fewer than 10,000 people appeared before the two.

The Wang Family.

Looking at the familiar residences in front of him, Qin Yu stood still for a long time. He whispered, "I'm back."

Ning Ling looked forwards for several moments. "Wealthy but unrighteous. It doesn't seem right at all."

Qin Yu's eyes turned cold. "Maybe, but it doesn't include the Wang Family."

In the past, if it weren't for Aunty Gu risking her life to protect him, he would have been abandoned.

"I don't want to see anyone from the Wang Family. Let's make our way in silently."

Ning Ling was startled. She nodded.

The two of them circled around to a remote area and flew into the Wang Family. With their Foundation Establishment cultivator abilities, they wouldn't be discovered even if it were a clear and sunny day.

They avoided pedestrians along the way. As Qin Yu thought about those people he was about to see, he couldn't help but say, "Aunty Gu is a very kind, very good person. Although she has no bloodline relation to me, I still consider her my mother in my heart. It's already been eight years; I wonder how she is doing."

Seeing Ning Ling look at him, he was a bit embarrassed. "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning must find this funny. I'm just a little nervous."

As Qin Yu revealed his true feelings, Ning Ling saw another side of him. Without any camouflage, this was his real self. Her heart warmed a little. "I don't. Such a Junior-apprentice Brother Qin is the real you."

Qin Yu smiled, calming down. "At least I can repay gratefulness. The road of cultivation is dangerous and I don't know if I'll ever come back. I have to make arrangements for Aunty Gu otherwise I won't be able to cultivate in peace." He lifted his hand and pointed, "We're here!"

As he rounded a corner, a familiar courtyard appeared in front of him. Compared to the past, it was only a little bit more broken down.

But suddenly the smile on Qin Yu's face froze and he fell silent.

White lanterns hung in front of the door, gently swaying in the wind. Faint weeping cries sounded out from the courtyard, gripping down on Qin Yu's heart like an invisible hand and making it hard for him to breathe. A wave of oppression washed over Qin Yu, causing his eyes to widen to make sure that what he saw wasn't an illusion.

Ning Ling softly said, "Perhaps this is not what you think it is."

Qin Yu sucked in a breath. "You're right. Aunty Gu is the kindest person I know and if others need help she is always willing to lend a hand. Perhaps she let someone use this place. No one can hide from this sort of inauspicious event and only someone as kind as Aunty Gu would agree to let others use this place."

He turned his head, "Right?"

Ning Ling's eyes turned a little sad. She nodded.

Qin Yu squeezed out a smile. He pushed open the doors and entered.

In the crude and humble hall, there was only a single figure lying on the ground and crying. The thin and small coffin couldn't hide what was within, and Qin Yu could clearly see the white-haired woman within that had her eyes closed in peace. Tears began to form in his eyes.

Aunty Gu...

In the endless rainy night when he had been hidden beneath the eaves of a house, she had been the woman who brought him back.

She was the woman who had been beaten black and blue but still desperately pleaded to keep him.

During the cold of winter when he couldn't sleep, she was the woman who had sat at his bedside, holding onto his feet until the dawn.

She was the woman who would always smile at him during holidays, when he had eaten his fill and looked up to her with bright eyes.

Died.

She had died.

Qin Yu felt as if most of his body had drawn empty. If it was said that his heart was filled with gratitude, Aunty Gu would occupy 80% of that gratitude!

But now she had died like this without giving him a chance to see her again. She wasn't even able to enjoy everything that he would give back to her. Qin Yu began to regret delaying his journey here, otherwise he might have been able to see Aunty Gu while she was still alive.

His complexion turned increasingly white without the least bit of red. It was like he was suffering from a grave illness and was on the verge of death.

Ning Ling quickly held onto his arm to support him. She could feel the deep sadness that was rolling off his body, but she was unable to do anything to help him. Her eyes began to turn red.

It was at this moment that the crying figure saw the light dim around her. She looked up and saw the tear-streaked Qin Yu and sorrowful Ning Ling. She was subconsciously stunned, and after crying a little more, she asked, "You...who are you..."

Qin Yu slowly moved over to this girl. "You are Little Ling'er..." In just a short period of time, it was like he hadn't drunk water for years. His voice was as hoarse as sand and iron.

Gu Ling timidly nodded. "I am." She looked at him for several moments and rubbed her eyes. "You...you are Big Brother Yu!"

Qin Yu nodded.

Gu Ling crawled up and fell into his arms. She cried, "Mother died," and with that, she suddenly fainted.

Qin Yu held tightly onto her. Her thin and emaciated body made him feel even more depressed and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Ning Ling was shocked, "Qin Yu!"

Qin Yu shook his head. "I'm fine. Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, I'll have to bother you to look after her."

Carefully passing Gu Ling'er to Ning Ling, Qin Yu walked to the narrow coffin and fell to his knees. "Aunty Gu, I came back too late, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

Men did not easily cry, but that was only when they weren't sad. At this time, Qin Yu wept and howled, looking no different from a little child.

Looking at his back, Ning Ling couldn't help but shed a tear.

After a long time, Ning Ling set down Gu Ling'er and walked to Qin Yu's side. "Qin Yu, don't blame yourself. I have carefully looked over this and Aunty Gu died because her lifespan came to an end. There is nothing you could have done either, so this wasn't your fault, understand?"

Qin Yu didn't turn his back. "Her lifespan came to an end? She was only 40 some years old this year, how could her lifespan possibly have come to an end? Yes, it must be the Wang Family. Aunty Gu was humiliated and tormented here for so many years that the despair must have worn away at her life."

He rose up, his back straight. Blood vessels began to rise up in his bloodshot eyes. "Aunty Gu, I will bury the entire Wang Family along with you!"

"Qin Yu!" Ning Ling grabbed onto him, "Slaughtering mortals is a major taboo of all cultivators. Do not be impulsive, this will kill you!"

Qin Yu shook his head, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, without Aunty Gu I would have already died. Even if it costs me my life, I will seek justice for her."

Bang –

The courtyard doors were kicked open. Wang Guidai brought in several servants as he gloomily shouted, "What are you all doing, pull her out and bury her! How unlucky!"

As his gaze fell onto Qin Yu and Ning Ling, he frowned, "Who are you?"

Gu Ling'er was shocked awake. "Don't touch my mother!" She threw herself in front of the thin coffin, "My mother is waiting for his reply! She is waiting for his words!"

Wang Gui scoffed, "A lowly maid. All she did was give birth to a bastard child because the old master was drunk, and now she dares to make such ridiculous demands like entering the Wang Family's ancestral hall?"

Bang –

Wang Gui was sent flying backwards. He crashed into a wall of the courtyard, eyes wide with panic as he vomited a mouthful of blood.

"Qin Yu!" Ning Ling used strength to hold him back. "Don't be impulsive! If you destroy the Wang Family you will destroy yourself! Even if not for yourself, think about Ling'er. If you die, what will she do?"

Qin Yu stiffened.

Gu Ling'er finally responded. She threw herself into his arms and said, "Big Brother Yu, don't kill anyone. Mother wouldn't want to see you like this." Tears began to fall down her cheeks again. "And Mother has always loved that man. Even when she died she still hoped for him to acknowledge her. She wanted to be buried in the Wang Family and enter the ancestral hall."

Qin Yu looked at the woman in the coffin. He murmured, "Aunty Gu, is this your wish? Very well, I will help you complete it!" He turned, his eyes shining with a cold brilliance. The several servants felt their legs turn soft. "Tell Wang Changge that he must personally welcome Aunty Gu into the main hall of the Wang Family. I want her buried properly and splendidly!"

The several servants grabbed Wang Gui and scurried out like a pack of scared dogs. Without hesitation, they rushed towards the hall that the old master used to entertain guests.

Wang Changge was noble and dignified, with a grand air about him. He lay down his teacup and shouted, "How insolent. Can't you see that there is an honored guest here? Why do you rush in without manners!"

Wang Gui fell to his knees. "Old master, I have something to report to you!" As he saw the old man with long whiskers sitting in the seat of honor, he stopped talking.

The old man remained calm. He faintly said, "If so then I will excuse myself first."

Wang Changge quickly stopped him. "Uncle, there is no need to leave. These are just some servants with bad eyesight. I must ask you to be open-minded about them rushing in here so improperly." He turned and angrily shouted, "Uncle is not an outsider. If you have something to say then quickly say it!"

Wang Gui's eyes brightened, immediately overjoyed. "Old master, I was following madam's orders to take care of Gu Shi's coffin in the rear courtyard, but I never thought that there would be a man and woman that would come out of nowhere and send me flying away with a kick. I must ask old master to decide this matter!" 𝒏𝗈𝑣𝑒𝗅𝐔𝓈𝑩.𝔠𝒪𝗆

Wang Changge's eyes turned gloomy. "Gu Shi, she...died?" But in the blink of an eye, he calmed down again. He lightly said, "It is a solemn event when someone dies. You must have been overly domineering and was taught a lesson by these people as a result. Go find some people and drive them out."

Wang Gui revealed a look of horror. "That boy only waved his hand to send me flying away and spitting blood. He must know sorcery." He shrank his neck and glanced at the long-whiskered old man.

Wang Changge's face darkened. "From what you said he is just a young man with a bit of strength, what kind of sorcery are you talking about? Hurry up and drive them out, stop delaying!"

"Wait!" A bead curtain lifted open and a vitriolic woman walked out. "Wang Gui, let me ask you, did you clearly see this young man's appearance?"

Wang Changge frowned. "Madame, why are you asking this? Could they be...that mother and daughter's friends?"

"Friends?" The woman sneered. "In these past years I haven't known them to have any friends. Old master must not forget, after that cheap slut adopted a child in the past, she ended up giving him away anyways. Who knows if he died or not?"

Wang Gui rose up, startled. He gnashed his teeth, "Now that madam mentions it, I think that young man looks a bit familiar. It must be that bastard Qin Yu!"

The madam turned and bowed, submissively saying, "Big brother, when you cut the grass you must tear out the roots, otherwise there will be no end to the trouble in the future. Your little sister will have to ask you for help this time."

Wang Changge opened his mouth, but before he could say anything he was interrupted by the madam's cold sneer. "What, did you still want to protect them!? If it weren't for you in the past then I would have already drowned that cheap whore and her daughter as well as that little bastard! How else could they have lived until today? You left behind a disaster and now I can't remove it? Are you planning to wait until they take revenge on us later?"

The long-whiskered old man stood up. "Little sister, don't be so anxious. I will handle this matter myself. I want to see just who dares to act so recklessly in your home!"

The old man's hair began to move without wind as his aura rushed out in all directions. He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator!

The woman's eyes brightened. "Big brother, let's go together!"

Bringing people behind them, they went straight to the servant quarters.

Soon, a little courtyard appeared in front of them. Two servants were watching over the area and quickly greeted them.

The woman sneered, "They haven't run away?"

"Reporting to madam, they haven't come out yet."

"Good! Then let's take advantage of this time to eliminate all these future disasters." The woman turned and bowed, "Big brother, I'll have to trouble you."

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Chapter 25 – Zhang Zhang

𝒏𝑜𝒱𝖾𝔩𝑢𝑠𝑩.𝒸𝔬𝓶

The long-bearded old man nodded, "Rest assured I will handle this!"

With a wave of his sleeve the courtyard doors were torn open. He strode in with heavy steps, his eyes glaring around like a hawk.

"Who dares to stir up trouble in the Wang Family, come out to die!"

The madam followed close behind. She pointed a finger and screeched, "There is also that girl. She looks just like her mother; she must be a temptress slut too! Since she dares to collude with outsiders to cause trouble in my Wang Family, it's time to sell her to a brothel!"

In the mourning hall, Qin Yu patted the back of a frightened Gu Ling'er. "It's fine." He rose up and stepped outside. "Senior-apprentice Sister, although I can't recklessly slaughter mortals, killing the cultivator who insulted my loved ones should be possible, right?"

Ning Ling's beautiful face was cold, "Of course."

The long-bearded old man's eyes shrank. "So it's the same people as me." The fluctuations coming from Qin Yu and Ning Ling's bodies couldn't fool him. After a moment of thought, he sneered and said, "Tell me your name. If we share some origins, then perhaps I might spare you death today!"

"Big brother!" The woman anxiously cried.

The long-bearded man shouted, "I have my own standards." Qin Yu's aura was weak so he didn't care for him, but the aura coming from Ning Ling was faintly oppressive; it was likely she was at the Foundation Establishment realm.

Qin Yu's eyes turned blood red, "The dead don't need to know anything."

The long-bearded old man smiled in anger. "What a brave junior, to think you are actually so arrogant. Then, show me just how you'll kill me!"

Bang –

Aura erupted. This person possessed a sixth level Foundation Establishment cultivation.

Qin Yu's feet struck the ground and he raced forwards like a galloping horse, his speed so fast it nearly produced afterimages. The aura of the third level Foundation Establishment rose up, causing dust to fly in the air.

The long-bearded old man was startled. He lifted his hand, gathering magic power in his palm to form a saber phantom and cut down! But, the moment he was about to cut out, he keeled over with pain twisting his face and that magic power in his palm scattering.

With Spirit Stab hitting its mark, Qin Yu immediately approached and punched out.

Bang –

The long-bearded old man was sent flying backwards, his chest sunken in as he flew through the courtyard doors. He spat out several mouthfuls of crushed flesh and blood, giving one last gasp as he died!

A sixth level Foundation Establishment cultivator had been killed in a direct confrontation.

A light cracking sound emitted within Qin Yu's body. His robes began to flutter about as his aura grew further, his thoughts surging. Killing the long-bearded old man and releasing his anger and frustration had unexpectedly triggered his cultivation to rise to a new level, causing him to step into the fourth level of Foundation Establishment!

Ning Ling's brilliant eyes overflowed with tears. As she looked at his back, she was filled with surprise and acclaim.

The entire courtyard fell deathly silent.

Qin Yu glared at the madam. "And who did you say you were going to sell to the brothel?"

"Ahh!" The madam screamed in horror as her eyes rolled back and she fainted. A horrid stench began to drift from her body; she had been so frightened she had defecated in her clothes.

Ning Ling stepped forwards, "Qin Yu?"

Qin Yu nodded. "Rest assured, Senior-apprentice Sister Ning." A deep look of loathing filled his eyes. "Drag this woman away so that she doesn't dirty my family's ground again!"

Wang Gui and the other servants all felt their limbs turn cold. None of them dared to move.

Wang Changge suddenly sighed. He waved his hand, "Take the madam away." Then, two servants, still shivering, dragged the madam away as if she were a dead dog.

He looked at Qin Yu. "Are you the child from back then? I never imagined you would be like this today. It seems Lady Gu's eyesight was much better than mine."

Qin Yu sneered, "She has already died, so what's the point in saying all this?"

Wang Changge lowered his head. After several breaths of time, he bitterly smiled. "You are right. She has already died, so it will always be too late no matter what I do." In a short period of time he seemed to age countless years. "It was I who was unfair to her. Then, kill me. She didn't die too long ago; perhaps I can catch up to her."

Qin Yu gnashed his teeth. "Don't think that I won't kill you!"

Gu Ling'er cried out. "Mother always hoped that you would see her before she died. When she held my hands she said that you would have to bury her no matter what. No matter where she ended up, she would always be a person of the Wang Family."

Tears fell down Wang Changge's wizened face. "Lady Gu, I was unfair to you! But, I had nothing I could do. My wife's family had a cultivator and our family needed his support. If I didn't treat you coldly and callously, then she would have never allowed you and your daughter to leave! Lady Gu, it was I who made you suffer in your life!"

He knelt on the ground and cried towards the coffin.

"Divorce that vicious woman. I want Aunty Gu to be honorably buried in the Wang Family's ancestral grave with the status of the family's madam. I want her memorial tablet to be placed in the ancestral hall." Qin Yu coldly ordered. "Your Wang Family must bow before Aunty Gu's coffin and send her on her final trip!"

Wang Changge nodded. "Yes, this is what I owe her." He tore off a piece of cloth and bit down on his finger, using his blood to write a letter of divorce. "Lady Gu, from this day on I divorce that horrible woman and marry you!"

The entire Wang Family held a great mourning ceremony, walking for ten miles.

Gu Ling'er held her mother's memorial tablet as 32 people carried a massive coffin behind her. Many people flung paper money into the air, causing it to scatter upon the ground.

Everyone in the town came out, crowding both sides of the street. Awe flooded their eyes; they had never seen a funeral on such a grand scale before.

Qin Yu lifted the coffin. Without any magic power, he allowed the heavy pressure to fall upon his shoulders. He led the way, one step at a time. As a breeze blew past him it left the paper money fluttering past his face. With a slightly rough feeling, he gently stroked the coffin when he laid it down.

"Aunty Gu, rest in peace."

She had been gloriously buried!

The night air was cool like water. In front of the giant newly built grave, there were only three figures left. Qin Yu pulled Gu Ling'er up and wiped away the tears from her red and swollen eyes. "Ling'er, don't cry. Aunty Gu wouldn't want to see you sad."

Gu Ling'er shook her head, "Big Brother Yu, I am not sad, I am happy, happy for Mother! She waited her entire life, suffered her entire life, and finally achieved her wish. I know that she must be very happy right now. Thank you Big Brother Yu, thank you!"

Qin Yu held onto her. "You silly girl. I am your big brother. No matter what happens, you never need to thank me. Let's go back and rest for a day, there are some things I will tell you tomorrow."

Gu Ling'er's eyes dimmed. "I don't want to go back. I don't want to return to the Wang Family. I want to stay here with Mother..."

Qin Yu nodded. "Okay, then let's accompany Aunty Gu here."

After several breaths of time, she fell into a deep sleep.

Qin Yu hugged her as they sat in front of the grave mound. As he looked at the burning incense and candles, he suddenly asked, "Senior-apprentice Sister, why do you cultivate?"

Ning Ling was startled. After a moment of thought, she said, "Because I want to control my own destiny."

Qin Yu shook his head. "To me, destiny is too vast and empty a concept. In the past I had no idea why I cultivated, but now I have a goal. I hope that I can protect those close to me so that they aren't harmed. I hope that I will never be sad again."

As Ning Ling looked at his back, her eyes shined but she didn't speak.

The night passed and the sun rose up. Gu Ling'er opened her eyes, timidly saying, "Big Brother Yu."

Qin Yu smiled. "You're awake." He took out some fasting pills. "Eat these."

Gu Ling'er obediently ate the fasting pills. Her small and pale face immediately filled with a bit more color.

"Ling'er, what do you want to do now? If you want, you can follow me. I will take care of you." Qin Yu earnestly said.

Gu Ling'er thought about it. Then she quietly said, "Mother's wish has been fulfilled and I don't want to have any relationship with the Wang Family anymore. In truth, before Mother left, she had already arranged plans for me. Big Brother Yu, do you remember Big Sister Zhang Zhang? Mother gave me to her and asked if I could be her maid. Big Sister Zhang Zhang agreed."

Qin Yu frowned. "Ling'er, I can take good care of you!"

"Big Brother Yu, now is not the same as the past. I know you will be good to me, but if you keep me by your side I will only drag you down!" Gu Ling'er seemed a bit depressed but she immediately smiled. "Big Brother Yu, don't worry about me. Big Sister Zhang Zhang has always been good to me. If I am by her side I will be safe."

Ning Ling said, "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, Ling'er is right. You have officially entered the road of cultivation, so bringing her along with you might not be good for her."

Qin Yu was silent for a long time. He nodded. "Alright. Then I will take you to the Zhang Family."

After saying his farewells to Aunty Gu and leaving this sorrowful place, the atmosphere improved a great deal. Gu Ling'er also smiled much more.

"Big Sister Ning, do you know? Big Brother Yu and Big Sister Zhang Zhang are engaged!"

Ning Ling's heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her composure. She asked, "Then Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu is seeing his fiancée?"

Qin Yu waved his hand, wryly smiling. "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, please don't listen to Ling'er's nonsense. It's just things children do when they don't know anything, and we haven't seen each other for so many years so how could anyone possibly count that as an agreement?"

For some unknown reason, hearing him say this made Ning Ling feel a bit more relieved. A little blush began to spread across her cheeks and she quickly turned to speak to Gu Ling'er.

Qin Yu narrowed his eyes as he began to recall memories of the distant past. He remembered a little girl with pigtails chasing him around.

Zhang Zhang...in the blink of an eye, so many years passed. She was a beautiful little girl in the past, so she must have become a graceful young woman now.

Would she still remember him?

A small smile lit up the corners of Qin Yu's face.

Soon, a hundred miles passed and they arrived at Little Olive City.

Seeing the residence that was several times larger and more grandiose than the Wang Family's and also filled with an imposing atmosphere, Qin Yu discovered that Zhang Zhang had lived much better than he had imagined. He immediately frowned. If the Zhang Family was doing so well, how come they didn't help Aunty Gu these past years?

Seeing the happy Gu Ling'er, Qin Yu didn't say much. As long as she was happy then he was sure Aunty Gu would be happy in her eternal rest.

"We're here. I didn't think that Big Sister Zhang Zhang's family was so large. No wonder Mother wanted to send me to her." The little girl looked at the wealthy and opulent family residence, hesitating after a moment of joy.

Qin Yu smiled. "I'll go knock on the door."

Soon, the doors opened from within. Although the gatekeeper had an arrogant stance, when he heard the people arrive and their purpose, he didn't delay his steps and immediately left to pass on a message.

Ning Ling's eyes flashed. "I'm not going in. I'll wait here."

Gu Ling'er was a bit reluctant. Qin Yu could faintly guess her worries. He nodded, "Okay."

Ning Ling patted Gu Ling'er's small hands, whispered a few words to her, and then moved to the side.

Not long after, the gatekeeper returned with a maid who brought them into the mansion. Along the way, a maid glanced at Qin Yu and quickly left. A blue-clothed servant placed the two in a reception room, brought them some tea and snacks, and waited outside.

But when that maid left, she hurried away into the rear mansion where the women lived. She entered an elegantly decorated courtyard.

"Miss, I carefully observed him. He's a young man similar to you in age, and I also heard Gu Ling'er call him Big Brother Qin Yu."

Listening to the maid speak, Zhang Zhang was immediately happy. "It's really Qin Yu!"

But soon she began to waver.

She bit her lips, saying, "Shao Shao, do you think I should see him? After all, he is my childhood friend."

Shao Shao was a beautiful woman who had particularly shapely curves that caught the eyes. However, her voice and tone were acerbic and rude, just like a little hot pepper. "Miss, you cannot be softhearted. If he sees you and is charmed by you, what if he keeps mentioning that engagement matter of the past? If that happens, even if you were to reject him it would be ugly for everyone involved. If this matter were to spread out, it would harm your reputation!"

Zhang Zhang hesitated, as she found it hard to make a decision. "But if I don't see him, isn't that too heartless?"

Shao Shao arrogantly raised her head. "Miss, did you forget what your current status is? Master's cultivation has advanced and he recently condensed his Golden Core. You will also enter the Rainbow Sect to cultivate. Just what sort of honored figure are you? Agreeing to give shelter to Gu Ling'er is the same as changing her destiny. It's more than enough to repay the friendship of the past."

"Not seeing Qin Yu is good for him, otherwise he will develop thoughts he shouldn't have. Miss has the heart of a buddha, so you won't haggle with him over this, but the master's disciples might not let him off. This will put his life in danger!"

Zhang Zhang sighed. "Shao Shao, you're right." She brought out a sachet from her clothes. The sachet's embroidery was dull and faded. She took a round jade out from it. The jade was ordinary and cloudy, with a slight gloss on its surface. It was obvious that it was often played with.

A brief flash of unwillingness lit up her eyes. Zhang Zhang grit her teeth. "Give this jade back to Qin Yu and say that what happened before was just the ignorance of children. Speak to him in a gentle tone so that you don't hurt his pride. Moreover, prepare a gift for him."

Shao Shao received the jade in both hands. "Miss, rest assured that I will do as you wish."

As the maid left the room, Zhang Zhang held onto her chest, feeling suddenly empty and disappointed, as if she had lost something. She had a faint urge to call Shao Shao back, but in the end she simply sighed. Perhaps Shao Shao was right, and this was the best choice for Qin Yu and her...

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Chapter 26 – Blacksky Demon

Shao Shao walked through the bustling mansion, her face tight. If her miss was lacking in an aspect, it was that she was too kind. This sort of person needed to be given a fatal strike with a single blow so that they never developed thoughts they shouldn't have. This Qin Yu actually came to the mansion together with Gu Ling'er – it could be imagined what sort of dark ideas he had!

As the personal maid of the miss, it was her duty to help the miss resolve such matters, including any possible sources of trouble. Shao Shao's eyes turned. She pulled over a young maid and whispered a few words to her.

Sitting in the reception hall that was decorated with flowers, Gu Ling'er seemed nervous. "Big Brother Yu, do you think Big Sister Zhang Zhang will remember me? Will she like me?"

Qin Yu smiled. "Zhang Zhang is a kind young woman. She grew up in our family home together since she was a child, so she will certainly remember you and like you. Once Zhang Zhang comes, Big Brother will tell her to take good care of you."

Shao Shao had just reached the entrance of the reception hall when she heard Qin Yu speak. As she listened to him refer to the miss by her name and also speak of her so intimately, her complexion turned cold! Zhang Zhang!? You don't qualify to call out her name like that!

Shao Shao was more and more sure that Qin Yu came here to see this miss. All of the kindness and pity in her heart disappeared like smoke.

Shao Shao entered the reception hall and smiled at Gu Ling'er. "Ling'er, the miss knows you are here and she is very happy that you have arrived safely. She is waiting for you in the rear court. I have already ordered people to prepare, so wash up and let's greet miss together."

Gu Ling'er immediately looked at Qin Yu with a bit of hesitation. Shao Shao pulled her away, handing her to a maid waiting outside the reception room who brought her away.

Qin Yu didn't feel any ill intention from Shao Shao so he didn't stop her. But, he did discover that this maid seemed to hold a little bit of hostility towards him.

Shao Shao turned around and lifted her head up proudly. She lightly said, "Qin Yu, the miss bid me to give this pendant back to you. The jokes made in the past should stay there, so don't think too much of them." As she spoke, she took out a jade pendant.

Qin Yu sighed. He had already guessed what was occurring. He received the pendant and said, "Of course it was just a joke, Zhang Zhang was simply too anxious about it."

This indifferent calmness made Shao Shao feel as if she had punched a piece of cotton; the pain of striking nothing was hard to withstand. She immediately gave birth to a little anger. She shouted out, "How insolent! How can you call the name of the miss at all? Let me tell you something, my family's master has already cultivated to the Great Dao of the Golden Core realm and my family's miss has already been determined to possess great talent in cultivation. She is sure to become a splendid immortal fairy in the future, and the difference between you and her is no different than clouds and mud!"

She clapped her hands and a young servant brought in a wooden tray. The young servant lifted off the red cloth that covered it, revealing a gold coin. "This is a gift that my family's miss wants you to take. Take it and disappear forever. Never show yourself before my family's young miss again!"

A sense of anger suddenly erupted from the depths of Qin Yu's heart and his gaze sharpened. Shao Shao blanched. It was like the person before her had changed and turned into a wild tiger that could rip her to shreds at any moment.

After obtaining the little blue lamp, changing his own destiny, and reaching the fourth level of the Foundation Establishment realm, Qin Yu had formed a strong sense of self-confidence along the way. All this time, no one had dared to humiliate him like this, much less a bunch of trivial servants!

But as he thought of Gu Ling'er, he took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in his heart. He coldly said, "The Zhang Mansion's gold is too heavy; I cannot take it. I only hope that you take good care of Ling'er, otherwise I will never let this go!"

He stood up and left.

It was only when he left the reception hall that Shao Shao regained her composure. She discovered that she was drenched in sweat and had been unexpectedly frightened by this country bumpkin. She was startled and then immediately angered. She grit her teeth, saying, "Qin Yu, we'll see just how you end up!"

As Qin Yu left the reception hall, the young servant outside was dumbfounded. It was clear he had faintly heard the exchange inside.

With a cool flowery breeze blowing past his face, the anger in Qin Yu's heart began to rapidly fade away. He inwardly shook his head. It was just a little bit of the coldness and warmth of humans, and yet he had flown into a rage. It seemed that he was subconsciously a bit too arrogant.

This was something he had to change.

However, could someone like Zhang Zhang really think he would clamp his jaws on some joke of a childhood engagement and not give up on it?

He shook his head again.

And at this time, a young man appeared in his path. He wore black robes, had an aquiline nose, and possessed an arrogant demeanor.

The young servant quickly greeted him.

"This has nothing to do with you. Move to the side." The young man waved his hand.

The young servant quickly drew back.

The young man's gaze was like a falling mountain, squeezing out all the air in the area and causing people to tremble. "You are Qin Yu?"

Qin Yu nodded.

The young man's eyes flashed with a strange light, surprised with Qin Yu remaining so calm. But he quickly recovered and assumed that Qin Yu was only stubbornly persisting through his pressure.

"It's good to be brave, but a person must have awareness of who they are. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?" He waved his hand and a gale of hot air blew out. A little sword of fire cut out at a large tree in the courtyard, immediately burning it to ashes.

"My name is Zhang Huo, the chief disciple and adopted son of my father. If you dare to appear in front of Little Sister Zhang Zhang again, then you will be just like that tree."

As he finished speaking, he turned and left without another glance at Qin Yu.

The doors of the Zhang Mansion opened and then closed.

Qin Yu stood at the entrance. He looked back, took a deep breath, and let it out.

At some time, Ning Ling appeared in front of him. "I thought you wouldn't be able to bear it and would attack."

Qin Yu forced a smile. "Almost. But they are disciples of a Golden Core, so I shouldn't provoke them."

Ning Ling's eyes chilled. "Golden Core?"

She rarely spoke in such a tone, but once she did it made one believe that she truly did possess the qualifications to look down on a Golden Core.

"I believe that everyone in this mansion will one day regret their decisions today."

Qin Yu's heart warmed. He smiled and shook his head, "Senior-apprentice sister speaks too seriously."

Ning Ling closely looked at him. "Let's see just how long you can keep up this act..."

Qin Yu pretended not to hear her. He coughed twice, "Let's go."

After taking several steps, Ning Ling glanced backwards. "Are you sure about leaving Ling'er here?"

"Having the shelter of a Golden Core cultivator will always be safer than staying by my side." Qin Yu calmly said. "If they don't take good care of her then I will return."

A rare sense of overbearingness exuded from Qin Yu. Looking at his back, an extraordinary light emerged from Ning Ling's eyes, but it soon dimmed.

As they left through the gates of Little Olive City, Ning Ling stopped.

Qin Yu turned. He could see the expression on her face and said in a soft tone, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, you're leaving?"

Ning Ling knit her eyebrows together. "You know?"

Qin Yu shook his head, "I just understand that it is impossible for Senior-apprentice Sister Ning to only be visiting my home with me."

Ning Ling smiled, "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu is truly the most intelligent person I have met. Yes, I must leave. I must go to the Eastern Mountain Sect and then return to the place I should be."

Although he had already guessed this, Qin Yu felt his heart sink as he heard it. He managed to put up a smile, "Then should I send senior-apprentice sister along the way?"

Ning Ling wanted to refuse him, but as she thought that they might never see each other after parting again, she couldn't say it. "Alright."

How could Qin Yu not know this? Ning Ling didn't even tell her where she was going, so it was unlikely he would ever see her again.

The two of them didn't speak. The atmosphere was depressed, making them feel bitter in their hearts.

After 10 miles, they reached a resting pavilion.

The two of them didn't use their cultivation. They walked the entire time, taking over an hour to cross the distance.

Outside the resting pavilion, Ning Ling smiled, "We're here."

Qin Yu cupped his hands across his chest. "Then I'll see you later!"

Ning Ling nodded, but, she couldn't suppress the bitterness in her heart. It surged out from her, causing her eyes to turn red. 𝒏𝗈𝑣𝑒𝗅𝐔𝓈𝑩.𝔠𝒪𝗆

She turned and said, "I'm leaving!"

Shua –

A white cloud picked her up. Qin Yu drew back several steps. But at this time, the earth beneath his feet began to shake. Fear and panic immediately rose up in his heart. Without time to think, he suddenly shouted out, "Be careful!"

Not too far away, the ground beneath the resting pavilion collapsed and the entire pavilion was crushed to pieces as if it were made from paper. A black beam of light cut towards Ning Ling, carrying with it endless momentum and might. It was like a raging river, causing one to instinctively feel awe.

Golden Core!

Qin Yu watched as that black flow of energy fell onto Ning Ling. An inexplicable sense of sorrow erupted from the bottom of his heart and he emitted a loud roar.

Beneath that black flow of energy, Ning Ling's body was like a blooming snow-white flower in a raging flood, smashing apart all the previous peace and tranquility. But as that black flow of energy was about to surround her, the white cloud beneath her feet rapidly expanded and wrapped around her.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the expanding white cloud was torn to pieces. Even so, it managed to buy Ning Ling time to escape. She fell like a leaf, fluttering amidst the raging waves of energy. Although she seemed slow, she immediately flew out hundreds of feet.

Bang!

As the black flow of energy struck the ground, a terrifying line a thousand feet long was burned black into the ground. After the soil was scorched black, it began to burn and melt!

Ning Ling looked at Qin Yu and revealed a look of gratitude. It was clear that Qin Yu's warning had been greatly helpful to her. However, in the next moment she turned back and looked at the destroyed resting pavilion, her complexion cold.

A burst of happiness rose up in Qin Yu's mind. But, before this happiness could spread, his body stiffened, as if he had been locked onto by a vicious beast hiding in the shadows of the forest.

A man stepped out from the dust-filled skies. He wore a black robe, had black hair, and had fully black eyes that didn't show any whites at all. The atmosphere immediately became suppressive and bizarre. If one ignored all of these things, he would actually seem to be a graceful person.

"I waited here in ambush all this time, yet my sure-kill strike was ruined by you. What an unimaginable result. The Saint Lord was right all along; even the smallest insect has the strength to change things. Therefore, before doing anything, it's best to kill off all these little insects."

As the man spoke, a million warning bells rang out in Qin Yu's mind, as if he were in a life-or-death situation. He immediately moved ten feet away. In the next moment, a black beam of icy demonic energy cut at the spot where he had just stood. Although it didn't touch him, the killing aura within still split apart his robe and caused beads of blood to drip down.

With a cold sweat covering his forehead, Qin Yu's rigid stiffness was dispelled. Although his actions were a bit tilted, he still retreated further away in panic.

Blacksky Demon lightly frowned before he chuckled, laughing at himself. "This old man hasn't moved in such a long time that my skills have truly decayed. I can't even kill a Foundation Establishment junior in one attack; what a joke I've become."

Ning Ling stepped forwards, a radiant golden light erupting from her. It bathed her body, causing her to seem more noble and glorious, like a goddess that appeared in the mortal world. Her gaze was indifferent and strength filled her voice, making her seem majestic and ethereal. "Blacksky Demon, I am your opponent."

She lifted her hand and a mass of golden energy flew out, like burning clouds that emitted an incredible aura. This aura was one that not even a Golden Core cultivator could look down upon. It was stubborn and tyrannical, as if it could burn away the world!

Blacksky Demon's expression was dignified. Facing the powerful bloodline strength of this ancient family, even he had to give it his all. It had to be known that leaping realms to fight and cutting down enemies that were supposedly more powerful was one of the most prominent achievements that this family was known for.

The black demonic energy took on an even deeper cold attribute. He was Blacksky Demon; his eyes were black and his skies were black. In a world without light, in a world where the stars above couldn't shine down, the world naturally turned cold to the extreme.

The blazing golden energy struck against the icy demonic energy. As they collided in midair, it was like boiling oil being dropped into ice water, both sides violently responded. A dull rumbling sound spread out all over and an intense aura broke into the distant forests.

Through the wilderness, no matter how powerful an animal it was, they fell to the ground and shivered. To them, this aura was like the majesty of the heavens!

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Chapter 27 – Escape

Little Olive City.

A distance of 10 miles simply wasn't far enough to escape the aftermath of a direct Golden Core level collision. With a loud howl of wind, countless roof tiles were lifted away. Some unlucky individuals were struck in the head, but before they could even curse out loud, an earth-shaking explosion followed, causing them to all fall on their behinds.

A young child stopped crying as he held onto his frightened mother. Looking out at the skies away from the city, a brilliant flood of gold and black collided. This was a scene that was only described in legends. Countless individuals were left stunned and they felt as if great stones were pushing down on their chests, making it hard to breathe.

Zhang Huo's eyes were filled with admiration even though he couldn't hide his worry. Beside him, Zhang Zhang had turned pale white. She whispered, "Zhang Huo, is this the strength of cultivators?"

"Zhang Zhang, these are not ordinary cultivators, but people just like Master, powerhouses who have reached the Golden Core Great Dao." Zhang Huo pursed his lips. Either of the two people fighting were far stronger than his master.

They were at least at the sixth level of Golden Core or above. After stepping into the late Golden Core realm, every being had the ability to condense their own Nascent Soul!

Zhang Zhang's eyes brightened. "I hope that someday I too can have the qualifications to join such a battle…what a vast and incredible world this is!" 𝓷𝑂𝓋𝓮𝑙𝒰𝑠𝗯.𝗰𝒐𝓂

Zhang Huo smiled and nodded. "That day will surely come!" Although he said those words, he still felt sour in his heart. Even though he possessed a decent talent for cultivation, he still couldn't say whether or not he would one day reach a level where he could interfere in this battle.

This was a Golden Core!

However, these two people didn't know that Qin Yu, the person who they had decided would always be mud beneath their feet, was actually the person closest to the battlefield. Moreover, he was biding his time, waiting for the chance to strike out.

That was right; Qin Yu hadn't run away. He withstood the horrifying pressure and retreated further to avoid the shockwaves of the battle. Although he was in a miserable state, he kept his eyes stubbornly locked onto the battlefield.

Ning Ling could erupt with a might capable of contending with a Golden Core; this far exceeded Qin Yu's expectations. Still, this would definitely require a tremendous price. Otherwise when she was killing Zhu Hai she wouldn't have needed to struggle so desperately. And, this strength likely didn't last long. Her pale complexion and the fading golden light around her was the best proof of this.

Once Ning Ling was defeated, Blacksky Demon would absolutely kill him to avoid any possible retaliation. And Qin Yu had no confidence that he could escape being chased down by a Golden Core cultivator.

Of course, that wasn't the most important reason why he stayed. Deep in his heart, Qin Yu had to admit that he didn't want to see Ning Ling perish here.

If so, then he could only fight!

He believed in Ning Ling; she definitely had some hidden trump card. As long as a window of opportunity appeared, he would make his move.

A fourth level Foundation Establishment against a sixth level Golden Core, this was a difference as greater as the heavens and earth. As Ning Ling and Blacksky Demon battled each other, neither of them paid any attention to him. But what Blacksky Demon didn't know was that the little insect he ignored was waiting for him to expose a flaw. Then, that little insect would use his tiny fangs to rip open an artery!

Blacksky Demon's complexion was calm and his vigilant eyes were a bit more relaxed. Even though this ancient family's direct descendant possessed a powerful bloodline, the difference in strength would not change. Would the strength she obtained by activating her bloodline exhaust itself soon? Luckily, he had attacked at the best time possible, otherwise if she were able to accumulate more and more of her bloodline strength, killing her would be much more difficult!

Looking at this flawless beauty before him, Blacksky Demon still praised her in his heart. He praised her beauty, praised her great talent and majesty, and regretted that she would die here soon. Like a meteor falling from the heavens with a long and brilliant tail trailing behind it, she would light up the skies for a moment before vanishing.

Only a thin layer of golden light remained around Ning Ling. As it flowed across the surface of her body, it seemed a bit sad and desolate.

Blacksky Demon smiled. "Let's end this!" He flicked his sleeves and a mass of demonic energy rushed forwards, deeper and colder than before.

He had been saving his greatest strength for this killing strike!

Ning Ling's gloomy eyes suddenly lit up. As the black demonic energy reflected in her pupils, a blinding light shot out. She lifted her hands, her ten fingers flying up and down like butterflies. She pinched out a mystical law formula and the temperature within the world began to rise at an alarming speed!

Blacksky Demon's expression changed. With only time to roar, he was submerged in golden flames. The flames ravaged his body, leaping all around him. But in the end, he was still able to erupt with the ruthlessness of a demonic cultivator. He didn't bring back his energy to defend himself but drove it forwards instead, his demeanor becoming fierce and more violent.

Ning Ling weakly waved her hand. This strike seemed to exhaust all of her strength. The last dregs of light that surrounded her shattered. She spat out a mouthful of blood that was mixed with a bit of gold, and then she flew backwards, her face deathly pale.

Bang –

The golden flames were torn apart by a giant invisible hand. Blacksky Demon was burned all over his body and his amazing aura had been reduced to its lowest point. But, his eyes gleamed with a cruel killing intent. He roared out loud, "Die!"

He lifted his hand and black demonic energy rapidly condensed. But just as he was about to attack, a chill rose up from the depths of his heart, making him feel as if he had fallen into an icy lake. Without time to think, he instinctually shouted out and stimulated the demonic energy within his body to the limit, forming a thick layer around him.

In the next moment, the black Corpse Sealing Nail steadfastly split apart his defensive demonic energy and stabbed into his chest.

"Ahhh!" Blacksky Demon cried out in pain. His weakened aura quickly dropped again, nearly falling off from the Golden Core level.

The demonic weapon Corpse Sealing Nail possessed the most terrifying killing ability against demonic cultivators; this could be called one of the greatest ironies of all.

Disappointment flashed in Qin Yu's eyes, but his movements didn't stop. He rushed out, grabbed Ning Ling, and fled, his high speed creating a gray wavy dragon on the ground. Even though the Corpse Sealing Nail was left behind, he didn't give it another thought as he fled.

Behind him, Blacksky Demon shouted out in hate and anger. "Junior, I will tear you to pieces!"

Demonic energy gushed out around him. A Golden Core was still a Golden Core. Although he had been weakened to the extreme, his speed was still incredible.

Blacksky Demon's face was twisted in rage. He never imagined that coming out here himself, he would actually be left in such a distressed state by two juniors.

In particular, that boy. He would definitely kill him!

At this time, Qin Yu came to screeching stop. Spirit Stab erupted without reservation and he chopped out a Vorpal Edge with his hand. Without time to defend, Blacksky Demon had to withstand the full might of this Spirit Stab. Even though he was a Golden Core cultivator, he still felt pain in his forehead and the demonic energy around him paused for a moment.

Puff –

The Vorpal Edge pierced through the demonic energy and struck Blacksky Demon between the eyebrows. It tore apart his flesh to reveal his bloody skull.

"JUNIOR!!"

Blacksky Demon turned insane. With a head covered with fresh blood, he glared at Qin Yu as if he wanted to devour him alive.

Qin Yu had already turned and began running away without hesitation. He crossed a thousand feet in just several breaths as he dashed into the mountain forest.

Bang –

Demon energy burst out, causing the ground to crack apart. Blacksky Demon chased forwards, causing trees to crash down wherever he went and the ground to be smashed apart!

Qin Yu bitterly smiled. A Golden Core cultivator was indeed difficult to kill. When he killed Hei Nu it had been a combination of circumstances that had allowed him to achieve such a ridiculous result. But now, his current abilities were too lacking.

Racing forwards and keeping low to the ground, he pushed Gale Step to its limits. However, he was only a fourth level Foundation Establishment cultivator and carrying Ning Ling who had lost her ability to move also restricted his movements. It was natural for the rumbling behind him to approach closer and closer.

But he couldn't care about these things too much.

Qin Yu shouted, "Open your mouth!"

Before Ning Ling could respond, Qin Yu barbarically stuffed a handful of pills into her mouth. Her eyes revealed a moment of anger before she was stunned. An unbelievable amount of medicinal efficacy began circulating through her body, transforming into spiritual strength and restoring her dried up magic power.

Even with her status, she had only experienced this degree of medicinal efficacy once before. It was many years ago when an Elder gave her a treasured Marrow Washing Pill. Although the effects were different, the diffusion of medicinal efficacy through her body was the same.

Ning Ling's thoughts shook. She looked deeply at Qin Yu before closing her eyes and focusing on absorbing it.

But at this time, Qin Yu didn't have the time to think about such things. As he saw her expression change, he swallowed several pills himself.

Bang –

A powerful medicinal efficacy erupted within him and his magic power began to storm upwards. His speed increased by ten times over as he created a series of afterimages and blazed deep into the complex forest terrain.

This erupting magic power was a method of exchanging speed at a steep price; it was a taboo ability of the Gale Step. Not just that, but this sort of loss couldn't be sustained for long, and more importantly it put a strain on the body that exceeded a cultivator's limits. Once or twice might be possible, but to do it more than that would cause horrifying damage to the body.

Qin Yu was aware of this, but he didn't hesitate in choosing to use this ability. He needed to grasp for as much time as possible to allow Ning Ling to restore her strength. And, after over a year of tempering his body and eating countless pills, he was confident in the intensity of his body.

Blacksky Demon's face was filled with cruelty. He wasn't worried that Qin Yu had used a taboo method to temporarily increase the distance between them. This sort of action was no different than satisfying one's thirst with poison. Soon, Qin Yu would vomit blood and fall to the ground incapacitated, then he would be able to do whatever he wanted to him!

But as more time passed, Blacksky Demon's complexion became increasingly confused. This confusion mixed with anger, shock, and eventually disbelief. According to his estimates, the boy should have already fallen to the ground in agonizing pain, but he was still aggressively racing forwards without the tiniest hint of slowing.

This bastard! Where did you get so much magic power and such a powerful mortal body!?

Blacksky Demon cursed out loud in his heart.

Ning Ling opened her eyes. As she saw the pale yet calm face that was close to her own, her eyes turned blank. Before she could speak, several more pills were forced into her mouth. The pure number made it hard for her to swallow.

"Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, I cannot last much longer. You must restore your strength as soon as possible or we're both going to die here!"

The deep and bass sound left Ning Ling startled. It was then that she discovered Qin Yu's eyes were bloodshot and red lines had begun to appear on his pale face; this was because the tiny blood vessels in his face couldn't withstand the pressure and had begun to rupture all over. As Ning Ling imagined the horrifying pain he must be enduring beneath that calm exterior, she felt pain swell up in her heart. She forcefully chewed the pills and closed her eyes to digest them.

An hour later, she opened her eyes once more and a divine light flashed from them. As for Qin Yu who was holding her, his blood had nearly soaked his robes red. As he saw her wake up, he revealed a faint smile but then violently spat out a mouthful of blood as his consciousness darkened around him.

Ning Ling grabbed him instead, anxiously shouting, "Junior-apprentice brother, are you alright?"

Qin Yu forcefully prevented himself from falling unconscious. He took out another handful of pills and swallowed them. "Hurry and run!"

A white cloud formed beneath Ning Ling. Gathering the two of them, the white cloud howled into the distance. However, after this magic tool had been shattered in the previous exchange, even though it could regenerate itself it still couldn't display its original strength so soon. They were unable to flee the cruel aura behind them.

Two ahead and one behind, both sides did their best to race into the depths of the forest!

Deep sounds thundered outwards. The entire forest was stirred into chaos with countless birds and beasts fleeing in all directions, all of them panicked to the extreme. During this time, Blacksky Demon's aura gradually became further away. Although it was still locked onto them, this was still a good sign that they would soon be able to safely escape.

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Chapter 28 – Die in the Sun

Ning Ling relaxed. She looked down, a hint of gratitude and guilt in her eyes. Today's disaster had all been because of her. Qin Yu had been innocently drawn in, yet not only did he not run away but he stayed with her to fight Blacksky Demon. If it weren't for him, she would have perished there.

Moreover, the 'secrets' that Qin Yu revealed had astonished her more than expected, to the point where she almost wanted to rip apart his clothes and investigate what secrets he had on him. As she recalled the overwhelming amount of accusations and ridicule that had been showered upon him at the Eastern Mountain Sect, she faintly smiled. To trick so many people, Qin Yu must have been more than proud of his performance.

In the future, what sort of expression would these people have once they discovered the truth? Unfortunately, she wouldn't be able to see their faces herself.

Qin Yu suddenly opened his eyes. Their two gazes inadvertently met before he quickly turned his eyes away.

Qin Yu coughed, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, what's the current situation?"

Ning Ling said, "Blacksky Demon is even further away from us than before, but his divine sense is still locked onto us. Perhaps it might not be too long before he gives up his chase." Her eyes brightened. "Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, thank you!"

Qin Yu waved his hand, his eyebrows wrinkling in thought. After several breaths of time, he murmured, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, something isn't right. Golden Core cultivators have countless methods and inconceivable cards in their hands. If you were able to recognize Blacksky Demon, that must mean he isn't some common figure. How could such a demonic path powerhouse give up so easily?"

Ning Ling thought for a moment, "Blacksky Demon is an infamous cultivator within the demonic path. Now that you say that, I do feel things have gone too smoothly." She looked up and swept her eyes across the surrounding forests. With their auras radiating outwards, all the beasts and birds had fled away, but this silence actually formed an invisible oppression.

At this time, a deep and low howl rolled in all directions and multiple black shadows flew into the air, locking onto Ning Ling and Qin Yu. These shadows had icy gazes, filled with cruelty and hostility. The wind whistled around them; they were massive eagles that had a wingspan over 10 meters wide, their forms casting deep shadows on the earth. On the ground, black shadows raced through the forests.

These birds and beasts were not ordinary animals but had developed a spirituality of their own. They had absorbed the essence of the sun and moon and the spiritual energy of the world, making them into slightly intelligent monster beasts. But at this time, their eyes were completely black as if they had been dipped in ink and lacked all other color.

Ning Ling shouted out, "Blacksky Beast Dominion Art!"

A black leopard looked up, wild emotions rippling in its eyes. It opened its mouth and spoke, "Ning Family junior, you're quite experienced. To think you actually know my supernatural beast dominion art that has been passed down from ancient times. Then, you should be well aware that these monster beasts are now all my avatars and they will crazily besiege you from all sides without fear of death. Do you still think you can escape?"

After a pause, the black leopard's eyes fell onto Qin Yu. It laughed, "Of course, if you are willing to die voluntarily than I promise I will let that young boy live. This is a promise that I, Blacksky Demon, make."

Ning Ling's heart fell. Her firm will seemed to suffer a powerful strike at this moment. But as she looked down at Qin Yu, she could see that he still remained as calm as before.

Qin Yu coldly sneered, "It's common knowledge that demonic cultivators lie and betray their promises all the time. If I really believe you then I might as well commit suicide myself right now, rather than fall into your hands and be tortured." He stood up, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, he is purposefully delaying for more time so that he can gather more and more monster beasts here. We must break free from this as soon as possible."

Qin Yu grabbed onto her. "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, I apologize if I offend you." His feet heavily smashed downwards and with a loud rumbling of magic power in his body, the two of them shot forwards like a blue arrow.

Ning Ling's face blushed red as she suppressed her tumbling heart. She lifted her hand and cast out several golden beams of light, turning the surrounding forest into a sea of golden flames.

The golden light contained a dignity that was hard to describe. Even the controlled monster beasts still couldn't completely resist this. Awe and fear shined in their eyes, and they began to visibly struggle.

From behind, Blacksky Demon spat out a mouthful of blood. He reared back his head and roared into the skies, "Boy, I will burn your bones to ashes and refine your soul!" Qin Yu's quick and simple actions had broken apart his plan and the resistance of the monster beasts and caused him to suffer a backlash. How could he not hate Qin Yu to his marrow?

"Junior-apprentice Brother Qin Yu, the flying monster beasts have risen higher into the air so I cannot attack then, but those eagles are still able to keep track of us. We won't be able to escape!" Ning Ling anxiously said. The beasts were awed by the aura of the golden light so they didn't dare approach, but in the end once their strength was exhausted they would still be caught in a dead end.

Qin Yu didn't speak. Every step he took left a deep imprint in the ground as he pushed the two of them forwards at maximum velocity. His eyes scanned the surroundings, seeking a chance to escape. No matter how perilous the situation was, he still maintained his calm.

Panicking was useless.

Suddenly, the sound of flowing water rose up. A steep and roaring mountain stream appeared in front of them, leading into a waterfall that disappeared into an underground river.

Qin Yu's eyes brightened. He took a deep breath and tightened his thighs, bending his back. Then, he leapt forwards until he crashed towards the mountain stream!

"Ahh!" Ning Ling cried out in alarm, subconsciously holding tightly onto him. The two of them clung together. Qin Yu stiffened for a moment as he felt the softness on his body, but he soon composed himself. His eyes fell to the side of the mountain stream as he found a foothold.

Shua –

The two of them rapidly sank. Mist gradually appeared and thickened, causing their line of sight to turn blurry. Even so, Qin Yu still remained calm, no matter how fast he fell. His super eyesight displayed its power, allowing him to quickly find a place where he could land.

Pata –

The icy cold mountain waters splashed upwards but smoothed over in the next moment as the two were swallowed up.

Roar –

The beasts stood around the mountain stream, walking about and restlessly growling. Up above, the eagles also emitted angry screeches as they lost their target. They could only stare blankly on as the young man and woman fell to their certain death, hugging each other as the water current rushed them into the distance.

Blacksky Demon stood atop a rock, his eyes glued to the river beneath no matter how the cold mountain winds blew against him. He roared out, "You think you can run away like this? I will find you! I will definitely find you!" 𝑛𝑜𝗏𝖊𝑙𝑈𝓈𝒷.𝗰𝑂𝓜

With loud screeches, the eagles flew higher into the skies. Each one flew to a different location, blocking out a massive area. As soon as Qin Yu and Ning Ling appeared, they would not be able to escape the sharp eyes of the eagles! The beasts howled and ran low along the cliff as they slowly leapt into the waters.

This chase was far from over!

Qin Yu discovered that Ning Ling was afraid of water. From the moment they plunged into the river, she stubbornly latched onto him so hard that it made it difficult for him to move. He could only try to move her into his arms to avoid being hit by rocks as they flowed and twisted down the river.

The river didn't flow outside the mountains, but straight into the depths. This was different from what Qin Yu expected. He originally hoped to take advantage of this river to escape the mountain forests, and if they were lucky they could encounter a powerful cultivation sect that could scare off Blacksky Demon. Now, their fates were in the hands of the heavens.

But soon Qin Yu felt that something was wrong. In his arms, Ning Ling became increasingly hot, to the point that he could feel a bit of burning heat even in the icy cold river waters.

Not daring to stay in the water any longer, Qin Yu popped his head up. After dodging several large stones, he found an empty area. He grabbed Ning Ling and pushed against a rock, breaking free from the waters before falling onto the ground.

He swept his eyes around. This should be a hole that was created by the river constantly eroding this area over the years, but it had been emptied because the river had changed course. After making sure there were no dangers, Qin Yu set Ning Ling on the ground. Her eyes were shut tight and there wasn't the least bit of red in her cheeks. She had fallen unconscious.

"Senior-apprentice Sister Ning!" Qin Yu shouted several times. His heart sank as there was no response. He took out several pills and carefully placed them in her mouth.

But Ning Ling sat up and vomited, spitting out the pills. After several deep and rapid breaths, her eyes began to slowly open. "Because I overused my bloodline strength, I suffered a backlash. I can only self-cultivate to restore it and I can't rely on any external interference." With these words, her entire body was soaked in sweat. It was clear she was incredibly weak.

Just as Qin Yu was about to speak, his complexion changed. He bent down and picked up Ning Ling before using his torn robes to tie her tight. He shouted, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, hold on tight!"

From deep in the underground river, the sound of monster beasts crying out could be heard.

Ning Ling bit her lips, "Qin Yu, leave me. If you bring me with you then you won't be able to escape!"

Qin Yu straightened himself. After several breaths of time he said, "I thought about it." With those words, he stepped forwards with her and leapt into the dark river.

The river waters instantly submerged the two. Ning Ling could feel his broad and warm back as well as his powerful heartbeat. She subconsciously held onto him.

He had thought about it but still chose to stay behind. How could she not know how she placed in his heart? At this time, Ning Ling felt something tremble in the softest depths of her heart, and her mind raced.

Blacksky Demon had come to a stop. There was no longer a need to race forwards. He used the power of the Blacksky Beast Dominion Art to the limit, forcing more and more monster beasts to rush into the underground river and search for Ning Ling and Qin Yu. If it weren't for the endless amount of tunnels and holes created underground by the river over time, they would have already been surrounded by monster beasts.

But even though they were able to rely on the complex terrain to flee for three days, Qin Yu still felt himself reaching the ends of his dwindling strength. There was a large diagonal wound on his chest that revealed flesh and blood, and the outer edges were a horrifying white from being soaked in water too long.

This was because a monster fish had taken them by surprise and left a deep mark on Qin Yu. If it weren't for his quick response, he feared his entire chest would have been torn apart by the monster fish's sharp teeth. Although the monster fish had been destroyed in the end, the blood leaking out from Qin Yu's wound became the best target.

If he had time, he could definitely use the medicinal efficacy of pills to restore his wounds. But, he didn't even have time to catch his breath. He could only continue to escape.

Ning Ling was tied onto Qin Yu's back. As she listened to his heaving gasps, she began to cry. "Qin Yu, just escape, just escape without me!"

Qin Yu sighed. "If I ran away alone three days ago then I might have had a chance to live, but it is already too late. Since this is the case, I can only clench my teeth and persist. If I give up halfway, all my desperate efforts will be for nothing."

"Aren't you afraid of death?"

Qin Yu swallowed down several pills, quickly chewing them. "I'm afraid. There are countless heroes in this world, but if any one of them says they don't fear death, they are simply a liar. And I am only a minor and unimportant character, so of course I am afraid of dying. But even if I die, I must make my death valuable. At least, for better or worse I had a great demonic Golden Core cultivator chase after my behind for three days and nights. In the future, people will surely admire my accomplishments."

This joke wasn't funny at all, so Ning Ling didn't laugh. She quietly said, "Do you regret it?"

Qin Yu shook his head. As he prepared to race forwards again, he said, "Senior-apprentice Sister Ning, if there is nothing important to say then don't speak. Save up as much of your strength to restore yourself. If we have a chance of living, it will be with you."

Though these words were rude, Ning Ling wasn't angered. "Qin Yu, I don't want to run away." She looked at his stiff figure and said, "So you don't need to suppress your injuries any longer. Since we can't escape, let's just die here together."

Qin Yu sat down on the ground and began to vomit great mouthfuls of blood. The dark blood was mixed with innumerable accumulated blood clots. Just by watching this, one thought he would vomit all the blood in his body.

Luckily, he finally stopped. Although his complexion was uglier, his gasps were much more comfortable. He sighed, "So vomiting blood can also be such a great thing!"

The two were less than a foot away, and they could vaguely feel the warmth emitting from the other's body. This became the only comfort in the dark below.

Even if they were to die here, at least they would have someone accompanying them to the yellow springs.

Ning Ling touched Qin Yu. "Can you still move? I don't want to die here. Do you remember that crack that leads upwards? How about we go see the sun."

Qin Yu nodded and rose up with some difficulty. He tied her close again and said, "Let's go! We'll die in the sun!"

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Chapter 29 – The Stunned Fisherman

The crack through the earth wasn't too wide. Spreading out his hands and feet, Qin Yu could just barely push himself upwards. On other days he would easily have been able to make this climb, but at this moment he found even taking a single step upwards incredibly difficult. Each breath he drew in was like the bellows of a forge, causing his chest to ache with a burning pain, and even his field of sight to turn a little dark.

Ning Ling held tightly onto him, as if she could fall at any moment and plunge to her death. But even in this tense situation, she had reached an unprecedented state of tranquility. After nearly dying, the tight strings that wrapped around her seemed to relax, revealing the true side of her heart.

Qin Yu finally crawled through the crack. He slumped face-down and the two people fell to the ground. They were in a cave with a hole above them. Rays of sunlight poured in, sprinkling over the two.

After taking several deep and heavy gasps, Qin Yu untied the rags covering his body and struggled to sit down. He took out several pills and swallowed them. To manage to escape for this long, he had relied on continuously eating pills. But now the effects of the pills had no way to rejuvenate his exhausted and scarred body and restore his strength.

He was only following his instinct to put up a last ditch effort and not submit to destiny.

The person behind him seemed to hesitate. She gently leaned against his back, "In East Stream Town, there was no alchemy grandmaster, right?" 𝒏𝒐𝑣ℯ𝓵𝗎𝑆𝒃.𝕔𝑜𝐦

Qin Yu remained silent.

"Even if you don't say anything, I know that the so-called Grandmaster was you. Otherwise, would all these pills you ate up have fallen from the skies? Don't bother trying to say that this whatever Grandmaster gave them to you; even you wouldn't believe such a lie." Ning Ling chuckled and shook her head. "Who could have imagined that everything that occurred within East Stream Town was a great play directed by yourself. Even those demonic cultivators suffered greatly at your hands. Hah, I really have no choice but to sigh in admiration."

Her voice paused and guilt flooded her face. "I'm very sorry. To have such amazing alchemy skills at the Foundation Establishment realm, you definitely should have an unimaginably broad and glorious future awaiting you. But, you were dragged into this mess by me and ended up like this. Qin Yu, can you be honest with me? When I first arrived at East Stream Town that day, did you see anything? We're going to die anyways, so I don't want to die with any regrets. If you admit you did then I will also forgive you. Consider this a tiny compensation I can give you."

Qin Yu stiffened. He wryly smiled, "It was an accident."

Ning Ling's eyes widened. She mumbled, "You really did see!" Her complexion suddenly filled with anger. She bit down on his back.

"You said you would forgive me!"

Ning Ling drew back. "Before I forgive you, don't try to stop me from giving you a bite, you pervert!" Before Qin Yu could respond, she laughed and let out a loose breath, "I suddenly feel much better. However, the price you paid for being a pervert for a mere moment is far too steep. Qin Yu, in truth, I feel that dying like this is a pretty good end for me…"

Her voice gradually faded and she fell asleep. She couldn't open her eyes again to look at the bright and dazzling sunlight.

In the eyes of others, Ning Ling was a proud daughter of heaven. But hidden within her heart were pains and worries that no one knew about. Her final words left Qin Yu's heart shaking and he suddenly thought of what he should do. At the very least, he shouldn't be passively waiting here for death to come.

After several breaths of time, Qin Yu turned and laid Ning Ling on the ground. He looked at her and said, "If a person goes on living, it's always better than two people dying together. Just consider this as me having owed you from a past life." His hands glowed as he took out a black robe and covered Ning Ling's body.

The black robe could isolate one's aura. This was all he could do. As for whether or not he could survive, that would depend on the will of the heavens. He turned around and left the cave. The dazzling sunlight drowned out his figure, as if he were being pulled into another world.

He took a deep breath of crisp mountain air. He checked out his location and raced deep into the mountain forests. Soon, eagles cried above his head. Their sharp eyes had already locked onto his form.

Qin Yu raced forwards, ignoring them. His only thought was to delay Blacksky Demon for as long as possible and try to give Ning Ling a chance to live. He didn't know whether or not these actions of his were stupid, but what youths didn't have burning blood flowing through their veins? Maybe dying for a woman he liked and who also liked him back was wrong, but he wouldn't regret his choice!

"Junior!" Blacksky Demon's voice sounded out like rolling thunder. It was obvious he had restored a great deal of his strength in these past three days. His eyes blazed with anger before turning into pure disdain.

"You actually led me here alone. Are you trying to delay for time so that Ning Family woman can live? I never thought you would be such a passionate person. But, do you have the qualifications? First I will kill you, and then I will dig three feet deep through this entire mountain until I find her. I will send her off to meet you on the road to the yellow springs!"

Bang –

Magic power thundered out. Without another word, Qin Yu blazed forwards.

Blacksky Demon's complexion darkened, angry at being ignored. In addition to his previous failures, his rage blazed like an inferno. "There's nowhere for you to run!"

Woosh –

A Golden Core cultivator stimulated his movement technique to the limit. He was like a vicious tiger rushing towards its prey.

Strong winds blew past Qin Yu's face and pain tore through his body, nearly leaving him unable to breathe. Even though he knew that his death would soon arrive, he still remained abnormally calm. And it was in this calm that he noticed something ahead which caused a terrifying feeling to develop in his heart.

There was danger!

But with a thought, Qin Yu didn't stop but instead used the final dregs of his strength to soar towards that danger. He arrived at a cliff and leapt off. Before his consciousness blurred he only saw a deep pool below him, so dark that he couldn't see the bottom.

"Prepare to die!" Blacksky Demon diabolically grinned, his terrifying aura quickly approaching. But in the next moment, he shouted out in shock, "Just what is this place!?"

Pa –

Qin Yu crashed into the waters. As the waves tumbled around him, he fell unconscious.

It was like he had fallen into an unbelievably long dream. Qin Yu felt something on his chest that was as heavy as a mountain, leaving him unable to breathe. The pain from the lack of oxygen nearly caused him to go crazy, but no matter how much he struggled he couldn't break free.

Just as Qin Yu thought he would die in this dream, a precious puff of air entered his chest, giving him life like withered seedlings being given a shower of rain beneath a scorching sun.

Hu –

A loud gasp rang out in the darkness. Qin Yu fiercely sat up. He wiped off the blood that flowed from his nose and mouth, finally restoring his ability to breathe. As he thought that he had nearly died by choking on his own blood, he felt as though he had survived a calamity. But these feelings immediately turned to fear.

How am I still alive?

Qin Yu's thoughts raced and he became much more alert. There was not a single inch of his body that didn't hurt. He coughed and tumbled into the ground, catching his breath. It seemed that there were temporarily no dangers in this place, otherwise he would have already been chopped into pieces instead of staying alive until now.

He forcefully took out some pills and a few leaves from his storage bag and started chewing them. As Qin Yu recalled the decision he had made to not fall unconscious without any defenses set up, he bitterly smiled and fell asleep once more.

After an unknown period of time, Qin Yu woke up in the darkness again. With a small movement his body popped and cracked. Although he felt sore, it was much better than before and the burning feeling that raced through his organs had dissipated a great deal. These Snake Orchids he ate were definitely effective. They were truly worthy of being medicinal plants that had grown for several hundred years; their effects were astonishing.

He had managed to live!

Qin Yu opened his eyes, his body stiff. It was incomparably dark all around him, but with his naturally amazing eyesight he could just barely make out his surroundings. Around ten some meters away, a strange fish lay on the ground. Its eyeballs were popped out and wide, filled with blood vessels, and hanging from the fangs of this broken fish was something like a human leg.

This strange fish was five to six meters long. Compared to the monster fish that attacked Qin Yu before, it could only be described as an ancestor against a junior. From that, one could imagine how fierce this strange fish was. The question was who had killed it. Could it have been the owner of the leg that was hanging from the strange fish's mouth?

Qin Yu's eyes brightened. Blacksky Demon hated him to his bones and had no reason to let off, so he was surprised he was still alive. If so, then there was the possibility that it wasn't that Blacksky Demon didn't want to kill him, but that he didn't have the chance to!

His mind bubbled with excitement. With strength that came from nowhere, Qin Yu forced himself to stand. Carefully, he walked over to the strange fish. And soon he discovered that he had been too careful. This was because from the strange fish's shattered lips, he could clearly see a dead Blacksky Demon within, his body pierced through by countless fangs. However, that old demon had also been extremely fierce. Before he died he had punched through the palate of the strange fish and even his arm was still trapped inside.

They had perished together!

Qin Yu laughed after a moment of shock. His laughter was so loud that it echoed all around him. He could imagine what had occurred after he fell unconscious. The dangerous aura he felt had come from this strange fish, and when Blacksky Demon followed him down here, he had become entangled in a battle with it. Eventually the two of them killed each other, leaving only him alive.

Otherwise, if one lived, no matter which side managed to win, his fate would have been miserable.

Qin Yu was surprised by his own luck in this matter. Could he really be one of those legendary individuals he had read about, who received the great destiny of the world and was given some invisible and intangible protection? But as he had this thought, he pushed it down into his heart. If he really had such a great destiny then shouldn't he find amazing magic tools at every corner, find mighty masters at every outing, and be able to surge forwards smoothly and without problems before laughing arrogantly at the world all around him?

When he compared this to himself, it didn't seem right at all. He was simply overthinking matters. Forget about his luck, it was good enough that he survived! Moreover, since Blacksky Demon died here then his Blacksky Beast Dominion Art should have expired along with him, meaning Ning Ling was safe.

Thinking of this, Qin Yu was in a wonderful mood. He grinned widely. Although he inexplicably became the fisherman who benefited from disaster, this didn't stop him from profiting from this also. Since Blacksky Demon and the strange fish and died, perhaps he would obtain another storage bag like he did with Li Yunmo?

He took out a short sword from his storage bag. The blade shined with a cold brilliance in the darkness. This was a weapon that a young elite had given to Qin Yu back in East Stream Town in hopes of being on good terms with the 'Grandmaster'. Although it was only a common magic weapon, it should be sharp enough.

Pah –

The short sword tore through the fish's lips, revealing the hard gums beneath. Qin Yu was too excited to care for the blood that splashed out in all directions and began to wildly hack away at the giant corpse.

He certainly wasn't a freak. Blacksky Demon was still pierced through like a hedgehog, so if he wanted to pull the corpse out, he would need to extract the strange fish's fangs first. Since he didn't have the strength to push open the fish's mouth, he could only directly pull out the teeth one at a time! Moreover, this strange fish was likely a Golden Core realm fish monster, so its fangs must be precious; they could even be materials used to refine into magic weapons. This was a truth he didn't forget.

Pata –

When the last fang was pulled out by Qin Yu, he was still left exhausted by his work. His entire body smelled like blood, but there was actually a smile on his face.

The sharpness and hardness of the fish's teeth had exceeded his expectations. Altogether, there were a total of 108 of them. If they could be forged into flying swords and he could use his divine sense to control them so that they moved around him, that sort of scenario was so beautiful it let him drooling!

It was definitely necessary to put away such good items for future use. Although controlling objects was a method that Golden Core realm cultivators used, his divine sense far surpassed ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators', so perhaps he could make use of them someday.

After a period of rest, Qin Yu reached into the tattered fish's lips and dragged out Blacksky Demon's corpse. This infamous and mighty demonic powerhouse had eventually become nothing but a pitiful corpse.

Qin Yu wasn't in the mood to sigh over these things. He tossed the corpse onto the ground and reached back into the fish's mouth to find the hole that Blacksky Demon had made with his arms. He reached in, wriggling through the brain, until he felt a round bead in his hand.

This round bead was the size of a little stone and there was a small version of the strange fish that seemed to swim inside. It roared at Qin Yu, as if questioning why he was messing with its corpse!

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Chapter 30 – Cultivator Role Models of the New Era

This was an inner core! This strange fish was indeed a Golden Core level beast. This was a precious treasure and could be refined into a treasure or made into the eye of an array. It could even be turned into pills; it was just an all-round versatile treasure.

As for the miniature strange fish within the inner core, Qin Yu didn't care about it at all. As long as he didn't try to refine the inner core into a pill then the remnant spirit wouldn't be able to do anything to him. Even if the remnant spirit tried to rush out on its own, it would instantly evaporate without Qin Yu needing to do anything at all.

He put away the strange fish's contribution with a satisfied smile. Then, his eyes fell on Blacksky Demon's body.

With the strange fish as an example, a proud and noble demonic Golden Core cultivator shouldn't be any worse.

He took out the storage bag and searched it with his divine sense. He sucked in a deep breath and sighed from his heart. What a wonderful person! Compared to Li Yunmo's storage bag, the contents in this one left him crying tears of joy. Indeed, even the wealth of dead people depended on one's luck!

Blacksky Demon's storage bag was over ten feet large and had more than 2000 spirit stones within; they were piled up into a small hill. Spirit stones weren't items that Qin Yu used often so he didn't pay much attention to them, but that was because he was an abnormal freak who cultivated using medicines, and simply couldn't be compared with other cultivators who frantically saved spirit stones and then had to carefully absorb the spiritual strength within. However, spirit stones were themselves a form of currency between cultivators, and it was always best to have more when he was trying to make his next breakthrough.

And there was also the infamous Blacksky Beast Dominion Art!

However, Qin Yu only flipped over the thick book that was bound in some unknown leather to know that Blacksky Demon had only been faking the origins of his Blacksky Beast Dominion Art. After glancing through the book, he discovered that the information contained within was vast beyond measure and was ethereal as mist; it simply didn't have the name of Blacksky.

What he could determine was that this was an extremely ancient beast dominion art. Because many of the monster beasts described within had already vanished, Blacksky Demon had only managed to comprehend the most trivial amount of knowledge from it, and he used that little bit of knowledge as the base for the infamous Blacksky Beast Demonion Art. The preciousness of this beast dominion art was enough to benefit a person for a lifetime.

Besides that, there was also a hand-sized black flag. Without a doubt this was a magic tool, the Soul Burying Flag. It could bury the souls of powerful enemies inside so that they could be released in battle later. The souls buried within would have 30% of the original person's strength. The highest level that could be entombed within was a Golden Core, and the soul had to be buried before it dissipated. Even though it was only 30%, it was more than amazing.

Unfortunately, Blacksky Demon had died and the souls he buried inside had vanished with it. Otherwise he would be able to test the might of this Soul Burying Flag. After using a drop of blood to establish ownership and sighing over how incredible these demonic path magic tools were, he thought that he had missed something.

He suddenly slapped his hand and cursed himself for being an idiot. He activated the Soul Burying Flag and a black fog blew out, covering Blacksky Demon's corpse. After several breaths of time, just as Qin Yu's disappointment was growing, black fog suddenly tumbled around and a completely black and dull-looking Blacksky Demon appeared in front of him.

Qin Yu was excited. He tried to control Blacksky Demon, and he caused Blacksky Demon to raise his hand and smash out a ball of demonic energy. The demonic energy crashed into a wall, causing large pieces of stone to fall. Qin Yu was puzzled. Blacksky Demon's strength seemed to only be at the early Golden Core realm; it was completely disparate from his sixth level Golden Core cultivation. Could this be because he had died too long ago and he had also been severely wounded when he died?

Qin Yu didn't know that besides these two reasons, the most important was his fourth level Foundation Establishment cultivation. If the soul hadn't been dead for a long time, causing a great deal of its energy to fade away, then let alone burying the soul in the soul flag and summoning Blacksky Demon, he would have already suffered a backlash and been devoured instead!

After thinking for a long time, Qin Yu recalled Blacksky Demon. He felt that his number of life-saving cards had risen and he praised Blacksky Demon in his heart. Not only did Blacksky Demon contribute this small bag of treasures, but he even offered up his own soul. If news of this were to spread out, then Blacksky Demon's reputation that had been built up over 10 years would completely collapse!

With 2000 spirit stones, the Blacksky Beast Dominion Art, and the Soul Burying Flag, Qin Yu didn't really care much for the treasures he saw afterwards. But, the items that a Golden Core cultivator collected were all high-quality. For instance, there was a bamboo dragonfly that was hard to tell if it were real or fake. If one poured in enough magic power then it could sustain itself for a month and was a good tool in surveillance and investigating. There were also several packets of seeds. These seeds were the size of sesame seeds and were covered in star-like marks; they clearly weren't ordinary. 𝑵𝗈𝗏𝚎𝗅𝑢𝑠𝚋.𝒞𝐎𝗆

Finally, what appeared in front of Qin Yu were several black jade slips. He looked through them and discovered they were vile and ruthless demonic arts techniques. One needed to be a demonic cultivator to learn them, so even if they were powerful he could only look at them from a distance. In coming this far, Qin Yu had obtained a great deal of wealth from demonic cultivators and he even believed he shared a bit of fate with the demonic path. However, he had no intentions of ever walking the demonic path.

Demonic cultivation was fast at the start but was slower the further it went. Moreover, the methods involved often disobeyed the rules of heaven and those that cultivated them died unnatural deaths many times. For instance, for demonic cultivators, the heavenly tribulation they faced upon breaking into the Golden Core or Nascent Soul realms could be called walking through two gates of death.

And the final jade slip.

It was ordinary to the touch and the textures of the previous few jade slips were actually a bit better. But, Qin Yu didn't want to miss out on anything good, so he casually swept through it with his mind to determine if it was useless or not. Soon, his complexion became dignified.

It was only after a long time that Qin Yu laid down the jade slip and scratched his head. He mumbled, "How come I think that the things recorded inside seem a bit familiar…" He took out two storage bags from his clothes. He put the gold and silver thread storage bag to the side and looked through the one that Li Yunmo had contributed to him. With a thought, 30 some pitch black jade boxes appeared on the ground.

"Altogether, there is a total of 36.

"Demonic spirit tentacles, smooth to the touch with a bloody smell.

"Jade demon bone, the bone of a Nascent Soul demonic cultivator. The demonic energy is extracted into one place and precipitated over the years.

"Ancient mussel. Born in the black depths of the sea, it has never seen sunlight in its life. It contains an extreme yin ice energy."

Qin Yu whispered in a soft voice. His eyes became increasingly bright. Because of his excitement, a blush began to appear on his cheeks. As more time passed, he was more and more positive that the items required to cultivate the Demon Body recorded within the jade slip were in the 36 boxes found in Li Yunmo's storage bag.

Qin Yu was finally aware why Li Yunmo had seemed so hesitant and pained when he handed over this storage bag. In order for that old demon to cultivate the Demon Body, he must have spent an incredible number of years collecting all 36 sacrificial items required. It had to be known that many of those items, such as the jade demon bone, ancient mussel, and others, were all rare materials. But in the end they had been taken away by Qin Yu's order and Li Yunmo must have felt deep sorrow at that time.

In truth, the pain in Li Yunmo's heart was absolute. His demonic clan had spent hundreds of years to gather all 36 of these sacrificial items and they only lacked the final drop of qualified demon blood in order to smoothly cultivate the Demon Body.

But relatively speaking, the difficulty in gathering the 36 sacrificial items wasn't anything at all compared to finding a drop of qualified demon body.

When Li Yunmo reached the Golden Core realm he had inherited these jade boxes. But even after exhausting all possible methods over 300 years, he had never found any news related to the demon blood. It was impossible for this sort of pure and powerful demon blood to appear in this land. Perhaps the only place it could exist was in the distant Land of Divinity and Demons. But with his martial talent, he would never have the chance to enter that land.

So at that time when Qin Yu demanded it, Li Yunmo had handed over the storage bag after a moment of hesitation. This was because he was absolutely certain that no matter who obtained these 36 jade boxes, they would only be able to look at them without using them. He had considered it as dropping a heavy bag that he kept on him, but of course, the grudge he bore towards Qin Yu was no less.

Qin Yu didn't know any of this. He only discovered that he seemed to stumble across a massive harvest and his mind was drowning in happiness.

Demon Body.

It was the highest body cultivation method of the demonic path. After successfully cultivating it, one's mortal body would become harder than stone and iron and they would have the strength of 10,000 demons behind them. If one cultivated this technique to the peak then they could obtain an immortal and everlasting body, stepping through the endless eons! And, what was most important was that cultivating the Demon Body didn't require any demonic energy at all, and even after cultivating it, it would be hard for others to detect even while using it.

Qin Yu felt that this was a body transformation technique custom-tailored for him. He had already tasted the advantages of having a powerful mortal body and he had long since decided to step onto the road of body cultivating. Now that he encountered such an amazing body transformation technique, if he were to miss out on such an opportunity then the heavens would definitely strike him with a bolt of lightning.

In any case, all he lacked was a drop of qualified demon blood to successfully cultivate the Demon Body! It was like all he had to do was reach out a hand and place the glittering signboard of 'Demon Body Cultivator' atop his head.

He had definitely wronged Li Yunmo for what he had thought was a bunch of useless items. Qin Yu reminded himself that in the future he needed to take a comprehensive look at people lest he draw the wrong conclusions from only seeing a part of them!

Moreover, these demonic cultivators were too kind. Not only did they deliver treasures to him but they also coordinated with each other, delivering him treasures that worked together. They were simply the cultivator role models of the new era!

It was only after he carefully put away the 36 jade boxes and placed the storage bag deep in his clothes that his state of mind calmed down. He looked at the withered corpse of Blacksky Demon and the bloody corpse of the strange fish and decided that he needed to bury them.

But before that, he needed to be sure of where he was.

Since Blacksky Demon had died, Ning Ling would be safe. But he feared that if he didn't return she would worry over him. With such thoughts in mind, Qin Yu's steps quickened. He continued along the cave, the path pitch black all around him. It seemed immeasurably deep, but after just walking seven or eight meters he reached the end.

What blocked his way was a layer of unknown light. Qin Yu picked up a rock and threw it into the light barrier. As the stone passed the light barrier, he heard a vague rumbling.

This was the only entrance to the cave, so if he were in here then he must have passed through to come here. And with that stone just now, he believed there shouldn't be any dangers. With a deep breath, Qin Yu stepped forwards. Then, as he felt emptiness beneath his feet, he stiffened, his back suddenly drenched with sweat.

At this time, what he saw was this:

In the middle of the tunnel was a massive channel that fell straight down. There seemed to be some sort of invisible force that gathered the flow of water into this channel, causing it to roar as it dropped off into the fathomless dark below! The walls of the black channel had several faint spots of light covering it, but it was negligible in the overall picture. Half of Qin Yu's body was coming out from one of these spots of light, and one of his feet had stepped onto nothingness.

If it weren't for him being cautious and slowly stepping forwards, then he wouldn't have been able to forcefully stop himself. He feared he would have already fallen into this channel. As he saw the roaring water all around, his scalp turned numb.

He drew back and took great heaving gasps of breath. It was like he had just experienced a brush with death. After stabilizing his thoughts, Qin Yu forced himself to think about what had occurred. After a moment of confusion his eyes began to brighten. As he thought of the deep pool he saw when he jumped down and the dead strange fish, his complexion began to turn ugly.

If he wasn't wrong, then he must be beneath that deep pool. As for why there was such a terrifying scene beneath the pool, only the heavens knew why! And as to how he had ended up in this little cave with Blacksky Demon and the strange fish, he had no inclination to think about it at this time. His entire brain was occupied with a single thought – just how could he leave?

To some degree, the answer was simple. As long as he could go against the flow of water then he could swim his way out from this pool. But, the problem was that there was the unfathomably deep and terrifying black hole and the raging currents of water that swirled down into it. All of this left his heart shuddering. For some unknown reason, he was sure that if he fell down into that hole he would be torn to shreds!

Qin Yu calmed himself back down. After all, he had already experienced being trapped in the Pill Disposal Department before, so his willpower in these situations was much higher than normal. He frowned and continued to think. He and Blacksky Demon were outsiders; this meant that the only thing that could live here was that strange fish. Fish needed water, and it was the same even for that Golden Core realm fish monster. And here, the only water was that terrifying vortex outside.

This meant that the strange fish could survive in the water!

Qin Yu's eyes brightened. He had grasped a vague idea of what to do, but as for whether or not he would succeed, he had no idea at all. After several breaths of time he clenched his teeth and firmed his resolve. If he didn't try this then that only left him with two results: he could cultivate to the Golden Core realm and break his way out or he could remain trapped here until he died. No matter how he saw it, the chances of the latter happening were higher.

It was time to test his luck!

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Chapter 31 – Reversing Yin and Yang

Qin Yu quickly returned to the corpse of the strange fish. With a hurried apology he began to skin it. Yes, starting from inside the strange fish, he began skinning it down. This was because it was likely the key for Qin Yu's survival.

An hour later, the entire fish skin was peeled off. Looking over the skin, he took a deep breath of relief as he found that the skin was completely intact. It seemed that even in its fierce battle with Blacksky Demon, its skin hadn't been damaged at all. From this it could be seen how amazingly defensive this skin was.

After folding the skin into his storage bag, Qin Yu sat down and swallowed several pills as well as a few spirit leaves he had obtained from the medicine garden. He couldn't care much about wasting anything because even though the fish skin was in the storage bag it wouldn't last too long. He needed to recover as soon as possible.

Four days later, Qin Yu stood up and bones cracked throughout his body. Although he wasn't completely restored, he had looked over the fish skin and saw that it was beginning to deteriorate, so he had no choice but to push forwards.

He walked over to the cave opening and took out the entire fish skin. Then, he stepped in and tightly wrapped himself in it so that nothing was revealed. With that, he rushed out of the light barrier.

In the next moment he felt as if he had been struck on the head by a hammer. His field of vision darkened and he spat out a mouthful of sweet blood. It was like countless fists were pounding him over and over again, nearly causing his body to collapse in on itself.

With a stuffy cough, Qin Yu took out the strange fish's inner core. It released a dim light in the dark and the fish phantom within began to roar again and again. Unexpectedly, the fish skin started to gradually balloon outwards. Although he still experienced a sharp smashing feeling that left him dizzy, it wasn't terrifying as if he would die at any moment.

He calmed down a little, but as more time passed his heart turned increasingly cold. This was because he found that no matter how he struggled he couldn't go against the flow of water. He could only remain in the strange fish's protective skin and slowly sink downwards.

As he felt an increasingly strong downward impact, Qin Yu could only stare on helplessly. He thought he had struck the jackpot and would be able to escape here alive, but it turned out all his thoughts were a joke.

Dang –

The low rumbling sound became increasingly heavy. Qin Yu's organs began to shake along with it, and the wounds that hadn't yet fully healed began to open up once more. Blood started to flow from his head. He closed his eyes, waiting for his final moment to arrive.

Perhaps he really would die here. He reflected deeply on his choices. Did he truly not regret? Soon, he realized that he really didn't have any of those heroic and noble dreams of sacrificing himself for the good of others.

Well, whatever. At least someone would be able to live.

But many years from now, will she still remember me?

As this thought passed through Qin Yu's mind, the sound of the fish skin tearing rang out and a terrifying impact struck him like a falling mountain!

But this impact immediately disappeared and Qin Yu's chest hadn't yet collapsed. It was like it had never been there at all.

He landed on solid ground. Qin Yu looked around. As he stared at the horrifying channel of water that could crush bones and flesh still falling down around him, he spat out another mouthful of blood. He cursed and laughed out loud, "What fucking dogshit luck I have."

A blood red light filled this space, and even though it was dim it emitted an unimaginably mighty energy. As the column of water came smashing down, it couldn't shake this red light at all. As if detecting an outsider, the blood red light suddenly brightened. Qin Yu was shocked and then discovered that what emitted this blood red light was a blue stone on the ground.

This stone was in the shape of a cow. The aura of the endless flow of years swirled around it.

Intuition told Qin Yu that all the strange things occurring deep in this pool were caused by this blue stone. The blood red light he was bathed in gave him a strange feeling, as if some unknown existence were indifferently spying on him from a great height.

He froze on the floor, not daring to move. But at this time, with a popping sound, Li Yunmo's storage bag was destroyed without warning and the 36 jade boxes tumbled onto the ground.

Pa –

The 36 jade boxes opened and the items inside began to float upwards. They flew towards the blue stone cow and slowly circled it. Faint threads like meridians and blood vessels started to appear on the blue cow, rapidly blinking in and out. Slowly, the red light began to gather on the top of the blue cow's head.

The, as Qin Yu watched in shock, a bead of red blood flowed out from the cow's head. With a wild howl that erupted deep within Qin Yu's soul, images began to appear in his mind. He saw a 100,000 foot demon stepping atop the earth, its feet cracking the ground, causing mountains to collapse and rivers to disintegrate!

Qin Yu's pupils suddenly widened and flooded his eyes, turning them completely black just like Blacksky Demon's. But this black was incomparably deep, like the nihility of the world, capable of submerging and swallowing all of existence.

Unconsciously, the statue seemed to control his movements, forcing him to move forwards. The items scattered in the air and he fell to his knees in front of the cow statue. Then, the bead of blood shot into his mouth.

"Ahh!"

Qin Yu reared back his head and cried out in agony. His waist twisted so much that others would think he would snap in half. Blue veins stuck out all over him like wriggling insects. All of his skin began to turn red as blood started to seep out from his pores.

Qin Yu felt like his insides were on fire. A burning pain dove into his soul and no matter how much he screamed he couldn't release it. At this time, the 36 items floating in the air trembled and disintegrated to dust as if they had undergone tens of thousands of years of erosion. The powder gathered onto Qin Yu and began flowing into his body.

A cool feeling started to rise from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, saving Qin Yu from that burning pain. But before he could let out a sigh of relief, this cool feeling changed, turning into another burning feeling as if boiling oil were being poured all over him. Qin Yu cried out in pain again but was unable to speak. Black demonic flames shot out from his orifices and his body started to crack like a dried up riverbed.

There was a reason why the Demon Body was called the highest body transformation cultivation method of the demonic path. Even if one collected all the necessary items, successfully cultivating it was no different than walking through the gate of death. It had an extremely high failure rate. Unfortunately, even though Qin Yu had obtained a complete cultivation manual of the Demon Body, it hadn't recorded this information. Of course, even if it did record such information, today's situation wouldn't have allowed him to reject it.

Qin Yu's talent was ordinary and he didn't possess a powerful bloodline. Although his mortal body was much more powerful than other cultivators', it was far from meeting the standard of cultivating the Demon Body. In other words, it wouldn't be much longer before he was burned down by the demonic flames and turned into a pile of ashes.

After the blue stone cow emitted the drop of blood it became extremely ordinary. But, as demonic flames gushed out from Qin Yu's orifices, the blue cow statue suddenly flew up atop Qin Yu's head. It was like a million mountains suppressing him. The demonic flames dimmed and were nearly extinguished.

"Ahh!" He heard an angered roar in his soul and he seemed to rise up into the air. As he opened his eyes, he discovered that he had leapt through time and space and arrived in a war from ancient times.

There was still that massive demon phantom in front of him, its roars causing the earth to crack and seas to sunder. But at this time, a finger appeared in this scene. It was ordinary in size and even the textures on it could be seen. It came from the highest ninth heaven and endless winds and spiritual strength gathered around it, causing the clouds and colors of the world to change as it grew larger and larger.

The demon phantom seemed to feel a threat. With a roar, its arms tore through the clouds. Fist and finger met, and in that collision it was forced knee deep into the ground!

Close behind, a second finger came. This finger didn't absorb spiritual strength to grow but remained an ordinary size. Yet as it appeared, countless blurry figures appeared in the world. Some were large, some were small, some were complete, some were incomplete. But, all of them emitted a heaven-shaking aura. 𝒏𝒐𝑣ℯ𝓵𝗎𝑆𝒃.𝕔𝑜𝐦

These figures stepped forwards, turning into motes of light that fused into the finger. The finger began to release an increasingly bright light until it was blinding and dazzling.

Bang –

With a thunderous explosion, the second finger struck down at the demon phantom. The demon phantom roared again and again as it was smashed waist deep into the ground. Perhaps because it had felt it couldn't win, demonic clouds began to rise up from the demonic phantom, revealing its true form. It was actually a demon cow as large as a mountain. It struggled with its four hooves and tried to break free from the earth. But at this time, a third finger descended from the heavens.

As this finger appeared, it immediately overshadowed the might of the two previous fingers. In fact, it could be said to be on a completely different level. This was because this third finger galvanized the strength of the world, causing the entire world to start fighting. The demon cow roared in unwillingness. Its figure started to rapidly shrink and then it was blasted into the ground by the finger, leaving behind an unfathomably deep hole.

Afterwards, the earth began shaking for a thousand miles all around. Rocks and soil gathered, forming mountains. The ground ruptured, turning into deep valleys. Wind and clouds gathered and began pouring down a mind-boggling amount of water, forming an endless current of water that gathered from all directions and poured into the round hole.

Qin Yu watched this all with wide eyes, his mind trembling. Without a doubt, what he was seeing was the origins of this terrifying water column that existed beneath the pool as well as the origin of the blue stone cow. It was because of this that the blue stone emitted a drop of demon blood that opened up his Demon Body cultivation.

His soul rapidly fell downwards and he instantly returned to his body. Those heaven-startling scenes seemed like an illusion, but…they definitely all happened!

Qin Yu opened his eyes. The dried blood that covered his eyelids broke apart and fell down around him. In the next moment his bones and tendons and flesh began to shake. The sound gathered, becoming increasingly loud, like a great drum that beat like thunder or a massive river quaking about, causing all the dried blood that covered him to flake off.

His clothes had long since been caked with blood. At this moment his clothes broke apart and revealed skin, fresh and white, just like shining jade. But although this skin seemed tender and delicate, it actually contained a strength ten times that of a wild beast, capable of ripping apart a fierce tiger!

The Demon Body was renowned as the technique where a hundred attempts meant a hundred deaths, a thousand attempts meant a thousand perishing. But somehow, in such a confusing and ridiculous way, it had succeeded here. As Qin Yu felt the powerful strength flowing in his body, what he thought of were those three fingers that descended from the heavens. These images were clear, like marks that had taken root in the depths of his soul, unable to be forgotten.

"Boundless Blue…Blue Spirit…Blue Sea…" Qin Yu whispered to himself. He didn't know why but he knew the names of these three fingers, and even felt faintly that he could display them.

With a thought, he lifted a finger. Strong winds whipped up and magic power poured out from his body like a broken dam. However, it stopped in the next moment. Qin Yu's complexion paled and he realized that he didn't have the strength to use any of these three fingers, since the magic power required was more than enough to drain him dry.

The blue stone cow that fell to the side flashed in the wind. As if it had finished its final mission, it quietly disintegrated.

But in the next moment the terrifying torrent of water was no longer blocked by a barrier and began to savagely beat Qin Yu into the ground!

Distant mountain, old forest, waterfall, deep pool –

A plump wild boar was humming and drinking water from not too far away. It glanced over from time to time in confusion, puzzled as to why that deep pool wasn't emitting the horrifying aura from before. It hesitated, wondering if it should go and take a drink from the cool pool waters, but at this time a black figure floated up from the water.

Bang –

The pool waters erupted into the air. Qin Yu fell to the ground and sucked in a deep breath of air, unable to help laughing out in joy. A strange fluctuation spread out from his body, immediately turning the skies dark and causing stars to appear.

For a thousand miles around, day had been replaced with night, yin and yang had reversed!

Bang –

Demonic energy fell down from this night sky and shined down on Qin Yu. He stopped laughing and his lips started to twitch.

This phenomenon seemed a bit too flashy; it was best to hurry up and escape. He didn't need to be a genius to know that it wouldn't be long before those righteous cultivators that loved hunting evil beings would soon fill this entire area!

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Chapter 32 – Misunderstanding

Ning Ling hugged her knees as she leaned back against the stone wall. The black robe around her seemed to have his scent. Bright sunlight poured down, wrapping around her, but even so, she didn't feel any warmth at all. Instead there was a cold chill percolating in the depths of her heart, causing her face to pale.

She had already been awake for five days but Qin Yu had yet to return. He hadn't left behind anything at all besides this black robe, and it was because of this that Ning Ling felt her heart tighten in pain. This was because she knew just what this meant.

Qin Yu had this black robe, numerous pills, and he also showed he had the judgment and thinking required to escape. As long as he left her behind, he could have survived by himself. But in the end he didn't abandon her. He gave her a chance to live and chose to be swallowed up by the darkness alone.

Ning Ling stared at the cave opening, as if she could see his back on the day he left. She was unable to suppress the sorrow in her heart and began to weep, her tears as heavy as a rainstorm. It had been five days. With Qin Yu's current state at the time he left, it would have been impossible for him to persist until now. If he hadn't come back then he would never come back.

In all her years, Ning Ling had never felt such a bitter grief before. It was like a meteor crossing through the horizon, illuminating its brief journey through life before immediately vanishing the next moment. No matter what happened, Qin Yu had left behind a deep mark in her heart that would never be erased.

She wiped her tears, put on the black robe, and walked outside. As she stepped out of the cave, although her eyes were red there was an unprecedented coldness in them. This was different from the indifference of before, as if she had completely sealed away her emotions.

Woosh –

The sound splitting air rang up. A black demonic saber shot out, rushing towards her, its aura violent and cruel like a prison of hell. It stirred up strong winds that whipped up her hair and ripped off her black robe, sending it flying towards the cave. Ning Ling raised her hand to grab it, but she couldn't. She watched as the robe fell into the cave, as if they were in two completely different worlds. Sorrow began to gush out from her eyes.

When the demonic saber was ten feet away from her, it was locked down by an invisible strength. It emitted a shrill cry as to crack and shatter.

A miserable shout rose up from not too far away. In the next moment, a figure shot into the skies, the billowing demonic energy revealing a Golden Core cultivator. This cultivator was stronger than Blacksky Demon, but even so, this sort of demonic path powerhouse was alarmed and terrified, just like a stray dog being chased. 𝑵𝗈𝗏𝚎𝗅𝑢𝑠𝚋.𝒞𝐎𝗆

Shua –

An old man appeared in the air, his eyes half-open and half-closed. But as he spoke, it was like claps of thunder, "Since you came, you should stay behind!"

With a flick of his sleeve, space seemed to twist. The demonic Golden Core cultivator flew into the heavens like a fly before falling down to the earth and smashing into the cave entrance. Blood erupted from his entire body as he began disintegrating into nothing.

Just a single strike had killed a demonic Golden Core cultivator and had also crushed him to paste; just what sort of strength was this!?

Ning Ling didn't look at this old man, instead looking at the black robe buried within the crushed stones, her eyes sad. But at this moment, all her emotions were hidden away, leaving behind nothing but endless cold in her eyes.

It was unknown when the old man appeared behind her. He cupped his hands across his chest and said, "Seventh Miss, we should return home now."

Ning Ling turned around. She took a light breath and said, "Old Cloud, I want there to not be a living demonic cultivator for a thousand miles around."

Old Cloud frowned. "The dead cannot be brought back to life, so why must Seventh Miss be like this? If I really were to do that then I fear it would create immense waves."

Ning Ling's voice chilled, "And if I insist?"

Old Cloud sighed. Just as he was about to agree, his complexion suddenly changed. He turned and looked towards the distant mountain forests. Up above his head, the heavens began to darken and stars began to appear. A terrifying beam of demonic energy fell down, and the entire area for a thousand miles around fell into a deathly silence. Every living creature felt panic and fear rise up from the depths of their heart.

"Yin and yang reverse, a demonic pillar has been born!" Old Cloud's voice was deep and bass, each word seeming to roll in the air, as if it were as heavy as a mountain. "Seventh Miss, a supreme elder of the demonic path has arrived. No matter what, I cannot allow you to mess around here anymore. We are leaving!"

Ning Ling's eyes turned red once more. She turned and bowed, "Qin Yu, I promise you that in the future I will kill this Blacksky Demon with my own hands and bathe the demonic cultivators in a sea of blood!"

Woosh –

Old Cloud sighed. He flicked his sleeve and lifted up Ning Ling. A long sword picked the two up and they fired off into the distance, soon disappearing from sight.

Four hours later, Qin Yu stumbled his way here. As he stood outside the completely collapsed cave, he fell silent. The anticipation and excitement that was stirring in his heart began to gradually turn cold, before finally drowning out all his thoughts.

Qin Yu knit his eyebrows together for a long time. How could this be? He had crossed the thin thread of life and death several times to return here, and he didn't believe that the heavens would give him such a result!

Taking a deep breath, Qin Yu began sifting through the rubble. With the strength of his Demon Body, he began to casually toss aside massive stones. But, he didn't seem to care about this at all as he freely used his physical strength. He sweat in silence, allowing his clothes to become wet.

Suddenly, Qin Yu's body stiffened. A familiar black robe appeared before him. He cleaned away the surrounding stones and picked up the dusty black robe. As he saw several dried bloodstains around it as well a sharp hole made from a sword, his breath caught in his chest.

After a long silence, Qin Yu folded the black robe and put it away into his storage bag. He turned and walked away. At this moment, the 18 year old's back was still straight, but he seemed to exude endless sadness and grief. Just by watching him one's nose would burn and their eyes would turn misty.

Forcefully blinking his eyes, Qin Yu began to increase his speed. He was like a racing horse that sped through the mountains. When he arrived deep in a mountain valley, he reared back his head and screamed with all his strength. His thunderous voice reverberated through the valley, as if his heart and lungs were being ripped out.

Outside the valley, two young female cultivators that were hurrying along were shocked. A na?ve-looking woman saw Qin Yu, and for some inexplicable reason she felt a pain in her heart. She softly said, "Senior-apprentice sister, that person seems sad."

The senior-apprentice sister frowned. "There was a world phenomenon just now. A great demonic being is sure to appear soon. Let's not stick our noses into other people's business and hurry up instead."

"Okay." The na?ve-looking young woman gently nodded as she flew away with her senior-apprentice sister. But, she couldn't help but turn her head and look at Qin Yu's back. Why was he so sad? Did he lose a loved one? How pitiful! This must have been the actions of the demonic path. According to what her master said, the demonic path was intentionally stirring up trouble as they tried to invade the Southern Empire. They absolutely could not be allowed to succeed, otherwise who knew how many more people would be caught in their evil grasp!

From start to finish, Qin Yu never realized that two female cultivators had passed by the valley and that one of them had felt a great deal of sympathy for him. After he let out his cry, he took deep heaving breaths until he calmed down. Then, he looked up to determine where he was and began walking towards the Eastern Mountain Sect.

Perhaps nothing had happened to Ning Ling. No matter how small a chance, he could not ignore it. He didn't want to believe that this woman who had entered his life, whether he wanted to or not, had completely departed this world.

Five days later, Qin Yu stood at a northern river. As he looked at the flowing waters, he recalled that Ning Ling had stood at this riverbank and pointed a finger at it, asking him earnestly, "Junior-apprentice brother, what river is this?"

With his heart falling, Qin Yu turned his eyes back to his path, wanting to continue onwards. But as he looked into the distance, his complexion changed. Five figures were fleeing ahead of them with demonic energy tumbling behind them. They were being chased down by three demonic cultivators.

Before Qin Yu could think further, the fleeing group approached him. A middle-aged cultivator saw Qin Yu and anxiously shouted, "Hurry and run!"

Seeing Qin Yu standing there as if he didn't hear, the middle-aged cultivator assumed he was scared frozen. He hesitated and thought it was a shame, but he lowered his head and continued to flee with the four others around him.

A tall demonic cultivator laughed, "There's actually someone that doesn't fear death. I just happen to need some brave heart blood to refine my demonic energy!" With a howl, he grasped out, his five fingers rushing forwards as if he wanted to rip open Qin Yu's chest and take out his heart.

Qin Yu looked up, his eyes so cold that it caused the demonic cultivator's heart to shiver. Before the demonic cultivator could respond, a fist instantly appeared and enlarged in his eyes.

Dang –

With a loud cracking sound that left one's scalp tingling, the demonic cultivator flew backwards. As he struck the ground one could see he had become a pile of ruined flesh and blood; it was almost impossible to see a human shape anymore.

The remaining two demonic cultivators cried out in alarm and turned to escape.

Qin Yu's eyes locked onto someone and Spirit Stab shot out. As this person froze in place, Vorpal Edge slashed out and a head fell to the ground. At the same time he shot out the Corpse Sealing Nail and a giant hole was blasted open in the chest of the last person, causing him to stumble dead to the ground!

In almost the blink of an eye, three demonic cultivators were slain. The five fleeing cultivators turned, their eyes widening and their faces filled with disbelief. But soon they all revealed looks of hesitation. Just now, they only had thoughts of escaping on their own, so if this person were to vent their anger on them…but at the same time, they didn't dare to leave like this. They could only brace themselves and greet this person.

"Greetings, my lord!" The five people were all Foundation Establishment cultivators. Although Qin Yu's aura was also at that level, with the way he brutally killed those three people just now, they could only refer to him as such since they felt it was wrong to call him senior.

Qin Yu eyed the middle-aged man who had warned him just then. He asked, "What happened? How could those demonic cultivators dare to chase you so blatantly in the Southern Empire?"

The middle-aged cultivator felt his heart weigh heavy in his chest. He replied, "My lord, four days ago the demonic cultivators invaded the Southern Empire en masse, and countless sects were uprooted or eradicated." He continued, "My lord, it's best if you don't continue onwards."

Qin Yu's complexion changed. "Do you know what happened to the Eastern Mountain Sect?"

The middle-aged cultivator cried out in his heart, "This…this is…"

"Speak!"

"The Eastern Mountain Sect was one of the first to be attacked by the demonic path. Nearly all the cultivators there perished, and the scene was…tragic."

Qin Yu fell silent. The air around him nearly froze solid. He didn't have much feeling towards the Eastern Mountain Sect, but he inevitably felt dispirited to think that a place he was so familiar with had been destroyed in the flames of war.

Of course, the main reason was that a hope he had been lying to himself with had been thoroughly destroyed with this information.

As the five people were dripping with a frightened sweat, Qin Yu waved his hand, no longer interested in them, "You can leave."

The middle-aged cultivator seemed to want to say something but he was stopped by his companions. The five of them fled in a hurry, perhaps hoping to flee as far as possible from the wanton destruction of the demonic path.

After a moment of silence, Qin Yu continued forwards. He was already close to the Eastern Mountain Sect. Even if he learned it had been destroyed, he wanted to confirm this with his own eyes. In any case, since the Eastern Mountain Sect was already destroyed there shouldn't be any demonic path powerhouses remaining there. At most, there would be some small fish swimming around that wouldn't pose a threat to him.

He still had the Soul Burying Flag within his storage bag. The deeply sleeping Blacksky Demon within was only at early Golden Core realm, but he was still more than enough to deal with multiple scenarios.

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