Arrogant Young Master Template A Variation 4

by Little Merger

You have come to a world where adepts are self-improving in an attempt to achieve immortality. You've got a system at your disposal that you've read a lot about. But why do you feel like you've been fucked somewhere? Ah, you're not the main character. You are an arrogant young master who insults the main character and dies at his hands after a couple of dozen chapters. Life is pain

2. 33

Arrogant Young Master Template A Variation 4 #Chapter 33: Why So Reasonable? - Read Arrogant Young Master Template A Variation 4 Chapter 33: Why So Reasonable? Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

Han De felt angry at the System for misleading him, but he concluded it didn't matter in the end.

First, he was filthy rich, so the spirit stones he had spent had no meaning. Second, even if that bead was related to the item that killed cultivation idiot, him buying it was better than leaving it to the hidden demonic sect. All he needed to do now was to ignore it completely and maybe hide it somewhere. Perhaps he could give it to Ning Bi anyway. Her MC powers might shield it from other MCs. Maybe?

Long Xiu dispelled her killing intent. She remembered one of the reasons for her visit. Her eyes started shining as she tried to act casual while asking the big question.

"How is Lei Chen? Is she doing OK?"

"Lei Chen? Who is that?"

Han De saw through her mother's intentions. It wasn't hard, she was nearly fidgeting. However, he really didn't know who this Lei Chen was. He was hoping she wasn't someone from his missing memories.

"Oh you are getting playful again. You know, the Lei family princess? They even call her Princess of Fire? Wasn't she here during the conference? Didn't little Yu make preparations for her?"

"No one but me and Ning Bi was here during the conference. Did Elder Yu made some arrangements without my consent?"

Seeing Han De's dark expression Long Xiu fell into doubt. She had heard Han De kidnapped this princess and little Yu even made preparations with the Lei family to accept her as Han De's concubine. Long Xui made a mental note to start an investigation on this.

"Well never mind about that. What about Chu Chen? She really is quite the beauty, isn't she? She has such smooth skin, even I am jealous!"

"Nope! Her flat colored skin is way too creepy. She is like a freak show! I mean, it is probably a physical ailment so I know I shouldn't be judgmental but still! I can't stand looking at it. She has a bad character too. Certainly not someone I would want to interact with."

Han De didn't know how his mother found out the name Chu Chen, the uncanny valley girl. But he had to break this flag, right here and right now. He had to disintegrate it into dust so that no strange accidents would occur down the line. He made a mental note to ask about this to Elder Yu.

Upon Han De's strong rejection, Long Xiu didn't know what to do. She wasn't trying to marry her son, these girls' status and cultivations were too low for that. As long as they distracted Han De from cultivation it would be fine. She couldn't even bring Xiao Lan into the conversation since she might have a part in Han De's plans.

"Ehm. What about the fox girl you brought? I heard she is a beauty once she hides her ears?"

Seeing Long Xiu grasping straws, Han De relaxed a little. It's not that he didn't want a relationship, he just didn't want the implications that a Xianxia world brought into the fold. Casual relationships weren't a thing here. A relationship could only result in a marriage, or a grudge. He had Ning Bi too, he couldn't even visit brothels. The risk of his incompetent lackeys leaking information was just too high. He was also concerned about how well Ning Bi and his mother got along.

It was already stressful to keep up his act, would he have to do it all day long if he was married? Even if it was a political marriage Han De felt it was all kinds of wrong to deceive his spouse in such a way.

"Her brother tried to feed my life force to a flower, I got away but my sword was ruined. She later tried to rob me."

Light in Long Xiu's eyes slowly disappeared. She was back to square one. Perhaps she had to execute one of her contingency plans after all. She didn't want to make this decision lightly. After faintly saying "Okay dear." She started leaving. Suddenly, one last hope appeared in her mind.

"Don't you think Ning Bi would benefit greatly from the Starfall cultivation realm? A few days could change things a lot. I should prepare it for her..."

Han De had relaxed after he saw his mother gave up on the topic. Once she brought up the cultivation realm and Ning Bi, he froze.

'Few days? Isn't that like a few decades?! She might even surpass me by 4 or 5 big realms if she spent that time cultivating! How could I stay as her master if she returns as an Immortal Realm master?! Are you trying to kill me?!'

Han De exploded in full force.

"Absolutely not! Ning Bi's talent is already great. There is no need to rush her. Why should she spend decades in a boring cultivation realm? Is there a need to rush her cultivation? Cultivation is important but it isn't everything. She should be able to live her life! Mother, as her master I will not allow this. Please don't mention it again."

Long Xiu was taken aback after Han De's forceful response. She realized she couldn't pinpoint the reason for this explosive counter. Their relationship was that of a master and a disciple, from both sides. Perhaps taking in a disciple gave her son the perspective he needed? She was happy that Han De finally realized that cultivation wasn't everything. Long Xiu's mood improved greatly!

"That is good. Since she is your disciple you should be the one that makes those decisions. Good! I'm happy that you are taking good care of her! Well done!"

Han De didn't dare to relax anymore. He thought her mood had improved a bit too fast.

He was right, although Long Xiu's mood did improve, she was now even more confident with her contingency plans. With the perspective change from Han De, perhaps things wouldn't be as forceful once one of the plans was in motion. Long Xiu didn't delay things and left after hugging Han De once more.

Once she was gone Han De released the breath he was holding. He really needed to transition into a Hidden Expert soon. After that, he could find someone to marry. His standards weren't high, as long as there was mutual love and trust it would be fine.

'Otherwise mom might end up obtaining brides from who knows where…'

Oh, I forgot to mention, little Mo will start concocting the pill after the last ingredient matures in a week. You should be able to take the Seven Luminaries Reminiscence pill within a month.

Also, your cousin sent a message. He is returning from that lower realm within a week. Apparently, he has a special gift for you. Wait, I wasn't supposed to say that. Nevermind, just act like you didn't now. Don't forget to eat well!

News about his cousin didn't matter to Han De. The cousin in question was a variant of the Arrogant Young Master template. Him and cultivation idiot had a cordial relationship and they would not step on each other's toes.

'Little Mo will concoct the pill? Is that the same Transcendent idiot that didn't say anything while I got drugged?!'

Xiao Ping, no, Ming Ping was sitting in the lotus position inside the ascendance chambers of the Ming palace. He had spent the last week consolidating his realm after he surpassed his tribulation. He was now a Nascent Soul expert.

He had access to unlimited cultivation 'resources' thanks to his father, the Ming Emperor. Through the amazing Crimson Lotus Scripture, he was able to reach a new height that he didn't think was possible after his encounter with Han De all those years ago. He should be feeling joy, but inside he only felt rage.

Ming Palace wasn't a good place for him. He had resources, but his father didn't restrain his half-brothers. He was deceived, ridiculed, and plotted against ever since he came here. He nearly died the first few times. Once he killed one of his half-brothers, things got even worse. The 'heirs' realized their father wouldn't protect them, just like he didn't protect their new 'brother'. A silent bloodbath was initiated once they realized this.

Ming Ping opened his eyes. He reveled in his newfound powers. As he released his aura a comfortable groan escaped from his lips. His spiritual sense was strengthened too. Even with all the formations in this room, he could still sense the 2 figures waiting outside, sitting in front of the door with their backs facing it.

He didn't need to guess, those two were Ming Nui, his brother, and Zhang Cheng, his brother's trusted servant. These two never ceased their attempts at getting close to him. Perhaps it was due to their cultivation being low, Ming Ping didn't feel too guarded when he was near them. Although he didn't trust them, he didn't hate them either.

'Ming Nui reminds me of the Emp- father. Among my half-brothers, he is the one that resembles him the most. Perhaps I can trust him, he is the youngest and the one with the lowest cultivation.'

Ming Ping opened the doors. Two teenagers in front of him stood up and clasped their hands.

"Big brother, you have succeeded at last! Congratulations, I knew you could do it."

"Congratulations."

Ming Ping, being a Nascent Soul expert, immediately knew there was something wrong. They were hiding something.

"I don't like schemers, so you better speak!"

Ming Nui and Zhang Cheng looked at each other, both of them were startled by Ming Ping's sudden change. Neither of them could respond, they could only open and close their mouths.

"Big brother, my apologies. We are not scheming anything… It's just that… we..."

Ming Nui looked at Zhang Cheng, as if he tried to gain strength from him. Ming Ping wasn't impatient, he knew these two trusted each other greatly. He also knew they couldn't hide anything from him.

Zhang Cheng hesitantly continued Ming Nui's words.

"We received new intelligence from… Starfall Mountain…"

Ming Ping's eyes narrowed, he stayed silent but his killing intent was leaking. Even if he did consolidate his realm, he was still a rookie in the Nascent Soul realm. It would take him some time to get used to his powers.

Zhang Cheng looked like he didn't dare delay it any longer.

"Intelligence says, Xiao Lan formed a core, and became a Starfall Mountain elder…"

Ming Ping's already pale face somehow became even whiter. He stormed away, leaving the two teenagers behind. After a few minutes, teenagers looked at each other, both of them had faint smiles on their faces.

In the palace courtyard, Ming Emperor received a report about these events 5 minutes later. Ming Ping was the most important person for him and he was always informed of matters related to his son within minutes.

'Good. This kid used the information at the right moment after waiting for so long. He is getting better.'

Ming Emperor looked at the clouds above him. His face was expressionless, but those who knew him would know that right now, he was content.

'At least 70 years would be saved now. A good push at the right moment might even achieve 100 years…'

While Ming Emperor was peacefully planning his advancement, an intelligence agent arrived without making any sound and placed a sealed envelope in front of him. During his rest, no one would dare disturb the Emperor unless it was news about Ming Ping, or something else equally vital. Emperor frowned after reading the news.

'Possible Transcendent expert massacred unknown group at Royal Maw. Traces of pure Fire Qi. It couldn't be a weak point. A natural aperture? Those that died didn't have low cultivations either, otherwise there wouldn't be any traces left. Yet another hidden entity.'

This was the perfect opportunity for the Emperor to see the power of the Blazing Sun hidden family, and how deep they collaborated with Starfall Mountain. He decided to keep watching before giving a helping hand to these unknown interlopers.

Han De lazily walked around inside his estate for a few hours after his mother left. He needed to empty his mind to figure out what he could do.

'The most pressing matter is the Crimson Terror. To give, or not to give. Ning Bi already saw it, even if her comprehension was 0 she could still understand that it is something immensely beneficial to her.'

'If I don't give it to her then in the future she might see that as me holding her back, which would be the truth. Depending on our relationship at that time, things might get complicated.'

'If I give it to her then her cultivation will soar. With her roots and her talent she'll be able to absorb an absurd amount of it every time. She doesn't need to worry about her foundation being unstable with her cheat-level spiritual roots.'

'At most I can use her martial arts as an angle and prevent her from chugging the entire flower. I guess that is the best case'

Han De sighed. He needed to increase his own cultivation. Unfortunately, even if he somehow got auto-cultivation from the system, he was still 100% certain that Ning Bi would be able to surpass him in a short amount of time. Han De had thought of a wide variety of nightmare scenarios. He imagined Ning Bi explaining events with her excited voice.

' "Master! Master look! This random weed I pulled was actually a hundred million years old divine fire ginseng!" '

' "Master! Master look! This little pebble that got stuck on my shoe was actually a primordial void essence crystal that survived the collapse of the previous billion cycles! What are the odds?!" '

Han De gave another weary sigh. He remembered the look in the cockroach's lifeless eyes. The image kept popping up in his mind at the oddest times. Han De didn't give in to frustration and tried to move on.

'Let someone else do it. Right…'

'Sure, I can re-educate my lackeys and improve their cultivation and martial arts methods. That's probably the best bang for the buck long term with my current profound points. After that, I should focus on my cultivation. Ning Bi doesn't need anything, she already has that OP flower...'

[Quest: First Step]

[Difficulty Level: G]

[Status: Issued]

[Summary: Your extremely talented disciple has stumbled on her first bottleneck and cannot make progress inside the sect's black pagoda. As her master, you must carefully guide and nurture her. Help Ning Bi overcome her first bottleneck!]

[Requirements: Assist Ning Bi with surpassing her limits by helping her reach higher floors of the black pagoda.]

[Time Remaining: 7 days]

[Success: 100 Profound Points]

[Notes: Bonus Profound Points will be issued depending on the maximum floor Ning Bi can reach.]

'This… is… surprisingly reasonable?! No fail conditions?! I won't die if this quest fails?!'

Han De looked at the System pop up. He read it over and over again, he even asked the System (no response).

'It really seems like this is a no loss situation for me. Is the System embarrassed about the Crystalized Tenacity?'

'Still, issuing a quest for a bottleneck? Isn't that a bit too biased? Will there be a quest for getting a new weapon? No, I already ordered 5 for the next 3 realms, maybe I should've waited for a quest.'

After getting a piece of rare good news, Han De was in a better mood. There were still 7 whole days, he could afford to relax. With that in mind, he went directly to Peng.

"These are all of the cultivation and martial arts methods?"

"Yes, Elder De."

Peng had worked extra hard in these last few days. He had returned to the sect on his own without waiting for the spiritual boat and had already collected nearly everyone's cultivation information.

"Total of 21 cultivation methods across thousands of people?"

"Yes, Elder De. Our cultivation methods come from the Han family, not Starfall Mountain. There are probably some minute differences among the Nascent Soul experts, but any of the lower realms should be following their methods to the letter. Reduction in different cultivation methods was one of the first orders that the family head gave."

Han De nodded. Of the 21 methods, he also saw his own Starfall Scripture. Unfortunately only 6 cultivators used it, and of them were in the Nascent Soul realm. Light element roots were pretty rare, to begin with. It was highly possible that those 6 guys had some blood connection with the family.

He was happy cultivation methods were at least somewhat manageable. Unfortunately, 2000-something experts that were directly under him right now, were using nearly 500 martial arts methods.

'It is also evenly spread. There isn't a method that is a minority compared to others. These are only their primary methods too, they probably have many supplementary methods. It is possible that there may be some overlap between them, but... Nope, no way I can afford to even learn these 500 methods.'

Han De instructed Peng not to collect martial arts methods from now on.

'I have 111 Profound Points left, I could probably master about 4 or 5 of the most popular ones and leave the rest for later. That quest was really timely! I guess I better not ignore it…'

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Han De asked Peng about the fox family's situation.

"We are knocking them out as they regain their consciousness to prevent them from talking, just as you ordered! Elder De!"

"I-I see…"

'If they are just knocking them out, their condition shouldn't be too bad, right? One of them is a dragon after all, aren't their bodies strong?'

Han De convinced himself that their situation shouldn't be too grotesque and decided to gloat*cough* pay them a visit. It was important for his Arrogant Young Master character!

With Peng leading the way, Han De soon arrived at a dark dungeon. He had come to a different dungeon when he visited the apprentice. This one had a higher ceiling and it looked more like a giant cavern. It made sense that a dragon would require a bigger space.

Han De saw the dragon in its true form at the end of the large opening. Underneath it was the glowing runes and items. Evidently a strong restraining formation. Around the unconscious dragon was 20 or so Nascent Soul experts.

As Han De got closer, he also noticed an unconscious fox on the left. And a beautiful woman sitting in the lotus position on the right. Both had restraining formations underneath them, with exceptionally dense and powerful ones under the fox woman. All three were very close to each other. They could see each other and hear each other if they even whispered.

Han De gave a mental 1 to his lackeys. He didn't forget how he almost became a fertilizer just a few days ago. This treatment was pretty good for psychological pressure.

Han De ordered experts to wake them up. As they came to their senses, both immediately covered in a pathetic pose. The dragon was openly shivering, the fox was drooling, both went through this countless times in the last 24 hours and they no longer paid any attention to their 'dignity'. Han De spoke loudly.

"You've done a good job, they are not physically damaged. Well done!"

Hearing Han De's voice, both fox and the dragon slowly opened their eyes. Han De was surprised that a day could inflict so much psychological damage to these two, but considering the tendencies of these fighting maniacs, it was more surprising that he was getting surprised at this point.

After a few moments of silence, both the fox and the dragon regained some of their composure. Han De was purposefully ignoring the fox woman. She was a bit too beautiful normally and her fox ears and fox tails were rather distracting. Han De removed his extensively damaged sword from his storage ring and stabbed it into the stone ground.

"Peng, this sword is ruined don't you think? What would be the market price of this thing? I never bothered to learn. Give me an estimate based on average small sect size."

"With its solid Star Iron body, Weathered Iron-Bark handle, and the Crystal Lotus core, its materials alone are worth more than 2.4 average small sects. Elder Xiang forged this sword over the course of 5 months and used numerous secret techniques during the process. A pristine version is worth no less than 10 average small sects."

Even Han De was surprised at the number.

'10 sects? I thought it was only 2 or 3? Is this accurate? Is he just playing his role?! Shit, 5 months?! I forgot about that…'

"Good. Thank you Peng. Well done. How much do you think the scales and the skin of this dragon are worth?"

Peng looked all over the dragon's body. He didn't want to make a mistake with his valuation. As he looked at the dragon from head to tail, the dragon felt his blood go cold. Within a few moments, Peng was done with a rough calculation.

"Its scales, leather, meat, bones, and other materials should be worth about 0.6 sects conservatively."

Han De nodded, a dragon was indeed valuable, but it seemed it wasn't as valuable as he thought. Perhaps the problem was this dragon itself. Han De was too lazy to think about it.

"Alright, since its body is barely above half a sect, we should just farm it, rather than turn it directly into money. From now on you will remove all of its scales one by one. Collect them and keep a record of them. Once all of his scales are removed, heal it, and don't forget to record the cost of the medicine used for healing it. Collect the scales again once they regrow naturally. You'll gather scales until the sales price of them reaches 10 times the cost of this sword, 100 sects in other words. Oh, don't forget to account for the drop in sales price after flooding the market with these scales."

Han De nodded for a while thinking things over. Then shook his head.

"No, no, still not enough. I guess we can use it as a sparring partner for you guys as you wait for its scales to grow back."

The dragon couldn't stand it anymore and soiled itself. According to dragon standards, he became an adult not too long ago. This situation was too much for him. Han De ignored that and looked at the fox.

"Since this thing doesn't have cultivation you probably can't collect its leather without killing it, right?"

"Y-Yes, Elder De. There isn't really anything valuable with it right now. It seems it had lost its cultivation long ago and there is no way to restore it."

Han De nodded while muttering "I see, I see". He finally turned towards the fox woman. Unlike the two, she was still composed. Still, Han De thought he saw a tinge of anger in her eyes. This anger probably had to do with her pride rather than his treatment of the dragon. Han De didn't really care.

"Peng, fox tribe is one of the elusive ones isn't it?"

"Y-Yes, Elder De. There is no way to contact them, we don't know their numbers, we don't know where they live. Their strength should be close to a large sect. They also have no known allies."

Han De got the gist of the situation. As a group, this fox tribe wasn't a threat as he had feared. Their elusive nature was both a blessing and a curse for them. They probably had no idea where this fox woman and her brother had gone to.

At first, Han De didn't want to offend them even if they were a small group. Unfortunately, things had gone out of hand, he reckoned if he had released them instead of capturing them, they probably would've clashed with him in the future. This woman was an Immortal Realm expert. If he was soft, she could only interpret that as him being weak.

Han De thought about the order he just gave. He didn't know why he was giving such a cruel torture order. Upon hearing it even the usually enthusiastic look that the Nascent Soul experts had turned blank. It was true that he almost died and escaped with a significant loss. A loss that might cost him his life in the future. Was it because of that, or was he just punishing them for everything he had experienced in this world?

Han De felt his morality was getting eroded more and more ever since he came to this world. Cultivation idiot's memories were one thing, they had enough violence, but he was also under constant risk of losing his life.

Han De turned once again to the fox.

"Since this thing was cultivating Fire Qi, let's give it fire. You will burn its fur completely without interfering with it. Once the flames are out by themselves and not a single hair is left on it, you will heal it with medicines. After its fur regrows naturally you will do the same thing over and over again. Deduct the expense of the medicine from the dragon scale account as well."

Han De turned towards the woman.

"This woman did threaten me twice, and even tried to rob me. Still, she didn't act. Let's be merciful to her. Since her cultivation is sealed, she needs nutritious food otherwise her cultivation will suffer. Give her the scraps from one of the spiritual beast rearing farms. She is a fox, we should provide her with familiar meals. Don't give her too much though, she is a lady, we don't want to affect her figure."

Nascent Soul elders turned solemn. This was worse than death for a cultivator. Cultivation takes time, and it takes time to disappear as well. This fox woman will have to watch her cultivation decline for many centuries while being unable to do anything about it.

"Also, if you encounter any more fox people, capture them or drive them out. They are no longer welcome anywhere near the Starfall Mountain or the Han family."

Although there was a chance that a beastgirl enthusiast 21st-century weeb might transmigrate or reincarnate here in this world, Han De didn't think chances of it would be too high. The rest of the population probably wouldn't care, and the fox tribe itself wouldn't retaliate being all elusive.

Han De felt nauseous. However, somehow he couldn't stop himself. It was as if he had pulled the trigger and the bullet had already left the gun. It was impossible to stop. Every time he tried he ended up wanting to make things even worse.

As he was about to turn around and leave, the fox woman suddenly kowtowed to the ground and started speaking.

"Young master! I know this is too late. But please, have mercy. My brother and his servant are foolish. You have every right to exact your vengeance. I was foolish as well. I had eyes but failed to see the Mt. Tai. Our fox tribe is elusive but we have a long history. Please! Young Master! Allow us to compensate you for your losses. Although our cultivations are low, our status is quite high in the tribe. You will not make a loss!"

Seeing a mighty Immortal Realm cultivator beg for her and her brother's life was a heavy sight to bear. Han De could see some Nascent Soul experts nodding at each other as if they were enlightened, while the rest had solemn expressions. He could feel the fox and the dragon was bowing their heads in shame.

Han De knew he was about to cross a line, perhaps he already did but had no idea.

He knew how cunning the foxes were. Even on Earth, they could feign death or injuries to distract their pursuers. These demon foxes were also known for their cunning. The cynical side of Han De was already thinking about the perfect timing of her plea. She knew any bargaining chip she brought out early would be useless, so why wouldn't she just wait? Honor? Dignity? Who cares about them if you are dead?! Han De had read enough Xianxia to know that even the most righteous cultivator could abandon their principles if the situation was dire enough.

Han De was alone in this world. The only thing he had for his name was the shitty system that kept ignoring him. Before the death of the cockroach he had thought about which lines should he, would he, could he cross. Violence was constant. Even his own family wouldn't spare him if they realized that the cultivation idiot was dead and this Han De was an imposter.

The only conclusion Han De could reach was that he didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to know about it, or hear about it. He didn't want to see it.

"Fine. Peng, put previous orders on hold, try to send a message to the fox tribe and negotiate from the starting point of 1000 sects. Handle it. I can't bother with this anymore."

Han De left with swift steps. Everyone in the dungeon had blank expressions. Fox woman was still kowtowing. Her mind was racing, was she successful? Was it a ploy? She actually did calculate the best timing for her plea, but seeing how ruthless Han De really was, she remembered the stories of the Han family head. By the time she kowtowed, her words were genuine. But now, witnessing how fast Han De came to a decision, doubt filled her.

'Was he always going to say that? Did I play myself?'

Fox woman went through the events in her mind. She realized Han De saw through her and purposefully steered the events towards this direction. She, a proud fox, was conned by a human! She felt angry, but at the same time, she didn't dare show it. What would've happened if she hadn't begged? She didn't want to know the answer to that.

Few experts had already seen through the charade and wore smug expressions. They couldn't wait and started boasting to others with voice transmissions as soon as Han De left.

Meanwhile, Han De was feeling a huge weight was finally off his shoulders.

'The important thing is to act like an Arrogant Young Master. Not become one. If there is danger, I can just cripple or kill culprits. Wait, no, no. Have them crippled or killed. Yep, much better. There is no point in me giving violent torture orders. Keep it simple, keep it safe.'

Han De returned to his humble abode and started a draft for his goon re-education program. As he was working he kept thinking that he missed something important. He couldn't figure out what it was, but the feeling was definitely there. It kept bothering him. He frequently found himself thinking about his encounter with his mother.

'Conversation with mom was normal. Or it was as normal as it could be… What did I miss?'

He noticed Ning Bi was coming towards him and shelved this train of thought for now. Whatever it was, since he couldn't remember it with his cultivator memory, it was probably unimportant.

Ning Bi bowed respectfully as always. Han De nodded at her. Although he had used plenty of Profound Expert impressions on Ning Bi, this was the first time he was using Hidden Expert A. So far it wasn't that different!

"Master, I reached the 7th floor without using my skill. But now, I can't seem to be able to overcome this floor. I-I even tried with my Breach skill, but I couldn't…"

Han De didn't say anything. Inside he was disturbed.

'Shit, I was going to say use your OP skill. How could you fail even while using that?'

Han De didn't know what was going on. He tried to remember his setup for the pagoda. He had done the settings haphazardly. There were too many options and copy-paste wasn't available. He just wanted it to be impossible, how could he know the System would issue a quest about it?

'7th floor should be minor realm 2 for her. She is at the 7th stage of the Qi Condensation realm now, so the mobs are at the 9th stage. Hmm, back then she was at the 5th stage, mobs were at the 7th stage. If their skill also increase according to their cultivation then higher realms would naturally encounter more difficulties.'

'From memory, the 8th floor should be minor realm 3, next one 4. The 13th floor should be 8 minor realms. Which means, for her current cultivation it would be mid-stage Foundation Establishment.'

Han De used all his will to prevent himself from whistling.

'Damn, what bullshit setup is that. So if I enter the pagoda now, the 13th floor for me would be Unity realm initial level?! Not Nascent Soul, not Spirit Origin, but jumps directly to Unity realm?! I highly doubt it would count half-step stages…'

Han De was speechless, but he recovered quickly.

'Well, it was designed for Qi Condensation anyway. Why would a Core Formation expert enter the pagoda? That's just ridiculous, no self-respecting expert would do such a thing.'

"I-I saw a few Core Formation and Nascent Soul elders enter the pagoda. They said as your cultivation increases the pagoda's difficulty would also… increase…"

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"I-I saw a few Core Formation and Nascent Soul elders enter the pagoda. They said as your cultivation increases the pagoda's difficulty would also… increase…"

Han De didn't know how to respond to that. Core Formation and Nascent Soul elders going into the pagoda? Are they not worried about losing face?!

'The entertainment situation is worse than I thought. I guess introducing c-sports wouldn't be such a bad idea after all…'

During his 4 hours long drug-fueled discussion with Tan Renshu, Han De had coined the term 'c-sports'. Saying 'competitive pill making' every time was somewhat goofy, he also couldn't just call it sports since that had mortal connotations. Han De recognized the importance of correct branding and decisively chose C-Sports. He also gave some branding examples to Tan Renshu so he could utilize it for other products as well. Marketing was unexpectedly primitive in this world.

'Ah, nevermind about that. What to do with Ning Bi…'

'I can't even learn her Cosmic Destruction, so improving on that is impossible. Increasing her cultivation will only make things worse. She might even regress instead of making progress. Wait.'

Han De's expression turned sour. His Hidden Expert A character was still in early access, he didn't even realize he was leaking his mood.

'System? You wouldn't subtract Profound Points if Ning Bi regressed, would you? You wouldn't be that cruel, no, I don't believe it. Besides, it would be impossible for Profound Points to go into negatives, right? System? F#$%! SYSTEM!?!'

Naturally, there was no response.

The entire situation was iffy to begin with. The quest itself was too out of character for the System. No failure conditions? Bonus for extra floors? Too reasonable, too generous. Han De was afraid to think about what would happen if his Profound Points really did go into negatives. Would the System leave? Would he receive a debt notice? Would he have to pay daily interest as long as his points were in negatives?

'Shit. Shit. Shit. Damn. What to do, what to do.'

'A new weapon might improve things but it probably won't be ready for some time, I should get an update from Elder Xiang.'

'Honestly, from past experiences, I get the feeling that even if I don't do anything she probably would end up getting some power-up out of nowhere.'

Han De thought about it for a while. His sample size was still just one. Betting everything based on a single instance was way too risky for his tastes.

'I should just give her some generic bullshit right now then hurry Elder Xiang to finish one of the warglaives. She can reach the 7th floor with her crappy ceremonial weapons. Even a rush job star iron warglaives would be a good upgrade for her. Then, at worst, I can just let her rest for the remaining days to prevent a regression.'

Han De held back his sigh then looked at Ning Bi.

"Reaching the 7th floor without your Breach skill means your foundation has a good start. You created your Cosmic Destruction art and your Breach skill at the same time. They are meant to be used together. From now on you should spend equal time training with and without Breach."

"Breach allows you to perceive your surroundings. But do you know what you are perceiving? Is it light? Spiritual energies? Or something else?"

Han De stared at Ning Bi. He switched into Profound Expert once again. Hidden and Profound Experts had a lot of overlap anyway, the important thing was to use the right tool for the job.

"When you look at me, what do you think you are seeing?"

After a momentary pause, Han De closed his eyes for increased effect.

"Your eyes can only perceive light. Light is made out of countless small particles. As they travel the void their path can be bent or distorted."

Han De raised his hand and used his Heaven Defying Tyrannical Scripture to create visual distortions. He could use his martial art to bend the path of light. Unfortunately, this effect was mostly useless. If he practiced enough he might be able to become invisible, but he could only influence photons. He couldn't do anything about his spiritual energy.

Ning Bi watched and listened to her master as optical distortions around his hand kept changing. In front of her master, a single chrysanthemum flower bloomed then disappeared without a trace after a few seconds. If she wasn't watching everything so intently she would've thought she imagined it.

"What do you perceive when you close your eyes?"

Han De slowly and dramatically opened his eyes, then looked at Ning Bi.

"Free your mind."

'Hopefully, this act will keep her busy until her weapons arrive…'

The next morning Han De went over his drafts. He was deeply concerned about the events he encountered ever since he came to this world. One commonality in all of them was that Han De himself was always in a reactive position. It felt as if he didn't have any control over his life. He felt that this re-education might be a good opportunity to try something different.

Truthfully, he didn't have high hopes for his lackeys. As long as they could be used for intelligence gathering and some other simple tasks without causing side effects he would consider it a success.

He decided to delay the improvements in the cultivation methods. Using any amount of Profound Points was a risky endeavor right now. His buffer of 111 points was already too close for comfort. Han De made a mental note to keep a sizable amount of points to prevent future accidents. Only in a true emergency would he deplete his reserves.

'Alright, at least initially, this is a good start. It covers the basics. Obviously, re-education has to be an ongoing effort. Rome wasn't built in a day.'

Han De burned all of his drafts. He didn't want anyone to see the terms MC or Xianxia on his notes. He had also used the Latin alphabet instead of the Chinese characters. Even if the risk of leaking this draft was nearly non-existent he still wasn't going to take the risk of exposing himself as a transmigrator.

'If I do get exposed someday, my best option would be to pose as a reincarnator. Maybe I should start dropping some hints about that to prepare for the worst-case scenario. Actually, I could use Seven Luminaries Reminiscence as a cover and pretend that I recovered some memories from my past lives or something. That might work?'

He made a mental note about exploring the possibilities. This plan was feasible as long as no one could prove his soul was different than the cultivation idiot's.

Han De started writing on a new scroll. This time he used a brush instead of a quill and used Chinese characters. He wasn't sure if they were actually the Chinese characters of Earth, but they looked pretty similar to him. After a satisfied nod, he contacted his lead lackey.

Peng.

Yes, Elder De.

Go to my father and tell him to give Elder Xiang access to the Starfall cultivation realm. He needs to finish both Ning Bi's and my weapons urgently. I left specifications for my weapons in the main courtyard, take it to Elder Xiang. He should already have specifications for Ning Bi's weapons. He can use any and all materials he desires. Go.

Yes! Elder De!

Han De had asked for 5 swords. His previous sword could be called balanced. It wasn't focused on speed or combat. Now he asked for one sword designed entirely for speed, one for combat, and a balanced one like his previous one. The last two were speed and combat focused swords for the Nascent Soul realm. They weren't suitable for Core Formation experts, but at the right time, they could serve as trump cards. A burst of speed from a speed-focused Nascent Soul sword could save Han De's life, even if it wasn't sustainable.

'With the equipment required for forging, the time dilation effect of the cultivation realm would lose some of its effectiveness. He should still be able to finish everything in a week. The first set of warglaives should be done within a day.'

Han De sighed with a smile and looked up at the clear skies.

'Feels good to be filthy rich. The cost of operating that cultivation realm for forging should be a hundred times higher than the total cost of the weapons. Truly disgusting!'

Ning Bi was alone in her chambers. She had spent all night perceiving her surroundings after her master's lecture. She tried to understand more about this skill of hers. It was difficult to describe, difficult to define. She didn't know how she was using it, but she was somehow using it.

After a while, she felt shackled. It was as if something was silently inhibiting her progress. Restraining her from taking that last step to gain a new understanding.

Ning Bi slowly went through her teacher's words once again. Suddenly, her body jolted. Her posture changed. If her eyes were open right now, they would emit a certain glow that the cultivation idiot would recognize immediately.

After lazing around for a few hours while waiting for his lackeys to assemble, Han De finally proceeded towards the lackey's buildings. Being fighting maniacs, they already had a large open space that they used for sparring and training. 2000 something lackeys were intently waiting for him. They were hand-selected by his mother and were fiercely loyal to him.

The cultivation idiot never really paid attention to the people that were assigned to him. He would usually cultivate, and on his rare outings, he would only take Peng and a few others with him. Nearly all of his lackeys stayed on Han family estate. This was the first time all of them were gathered inside the sect.

Han De looked around. He realized he didn't bring a blackboard with him, and fighting maniacs obviously wouldn't have one. Although he had no fantasies about acting like a teacher, he still needed something to draw on to illustrate his points. After thinking for a while, he removed the absurdly large sheet of spiritual iron he got from the apprentice and embedded it halfway to the ground. Even with half of it inside the ground, its height was still 3 times higher than Han De.

"Alright you primitive screwheads listen up!"

"From now on, you will forget everything that you know. You will follow everything I say to the letter. No more, no less. I will not tolerate any excuses!"

"Everything you learn here will be classified. Do not mention anything you are about to hear to anyone else. The only exceptions will be the family head and the sect leader. If anyone else tries to dig around, just beat them and lock them up!"

"First. I will educate you on the existences that I call 'Anomalies'. I will introduce you to their common types, their living environments, and their behaviors in their natural habitats."

"Second. I will completely change the way you lot operate. Frankly, I am very disappointed with how you half-ass nearly everything. No more! I will teach you how to behave and how not to leave any loose ends."

"Third. Right now there are no crisis protocols in place. I will go over a few worst-case scenarios and give you some general outlines on what to do during a crisis. As time goes on more and more specific scenarios will be introduced."

"This lecture will be held every week. Every 4 weeks there will be an exam. Every 3 months there will be crisis drills. Attendance to all of that is mandatory."

"Those that fail to meet my expectations will wish that they were dead."

Han De looked at the experts. Most of them had a look of anticipation. Some had solemn faces, some were nervous. Seeing that no one had any questions, he finally started.

"Alright. First, what is an Anomaly? An Anomaly is…"

Since this was the first lecture Han De had covered many concepts. It took him more than 6 hours to go through everything he planned on his draft. Thankfully, his audience was made entirely out of cultivators. The lowest realm was the late-stage Foundation Establishment, and there were only a few dozen of them. No one had any trouble understanding the lecture.

Han De had specifically saved the questions to the last bit. These concepts were alien to them, it was better to let them have the whole picture before letting them ask questions.

"In the future, a database will be established for known Anomalies. We might have to eliminate those that have malicious intentions or contain them if elimination is not possible due to other reasons."

"The lecture is now over. We are moving to the questions answers session. Anyone that has any questions just raise your hands."

A hesitant hand was raised near the front row. Han De gave him a nod and the Spirit Origin expert started asking his question.

"Elder De, these Anomalies… How rare are they?"

Han De nodded, he expected such a question.

"About their rareness, right now I do not know. There are varying factors here that we need to verify first. Just in the last 2 months alone, I have encountered 3."

Han De could sense quite a few voice transmissions started upon this answer. He didn't mind since everyone here could follow a few different conversations concurrently with perfect clarity if they wanted. He continued.

"Codename Cockroach. Was encountered at the Brass Stallion city. A reincarnated type. He had memories from his previous life. How much, I have no idea. He used his previous knowledge to enter the hidden demonic sect by providing them with an advanced method of external cultivation using soulless bodies. He was too dangerous to be kept alive, as such I extinguished his soul."

"Real name Xiao Ping. An item and/or a cultivation method based type. Overcame insurmountable odds to become a genius of his sect. After I crippled him 10 years ago he was able to regain his cultivation through unknown methods. He is the son of the Ming Emperor and right now his cultivation probably surpasses mine."

"Third one will not be named. You better make sure you never piss off this entity. Ever. Less you know about it the better."

"These 3 anomalies came in contact with each other. Some Anomalies might have the ability to attract or repel others. More research is required on this subject."

"It is hard to interpret who might become an Anomaly by receiving the 'blessings of the heavens', so to speak. Heavens move in mysterious ways."

The Spirit Origin expert nodded and sat down. Han De chose a burly Nascent Soul expert on the back row.

"Elder De, can Anomalies appear in non-humans?"

"Excellent question. Most Anomalies are humans, but there are many types of Anomalies. Established demon tribes might have Anomalies. In fact, even a spider or an ant might become an Anomaly. However, these types should be extremely rare, if not impossible in our world."

Han De kept answering questions for a few hours more. By the time he was done stars were already shining brightly in the sky.

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The Han family was one of the oldest and strongest families of the south-eastern continent. They had no shortage of resources and groomed many talents from a young age. The training these talents went through was brutal. Only the most exceptional and the most loyal would survive. Survivors would be carefully nurtured by the family and experience explosive growth.

Serving the Han family young master was the greatest honor for these survivors. This meant that the family head personally trusted them to serve and protect the most important member of the family. Not even the guards of the family head had such a strict selection process.

Previously, their young master was mostly focused on cultivation and didn't give them many orders. The situation started to change about two months ago. Their young master gave out big missions that involved many experts in quick succession. Although the results were terrible, those that participated didn't miss the sequence of events that lead to Zhao family cleansing. These missions weren't simple.

Unknowingly, expectations started to build up. Then came the summons to all of the young master's people. Over two thousand experts, the most loyal of the Han family, was to report to him inside Starfall Mountain.

When they arrived they heard about the re-education initiative. Their puzzlement turned into shock as the lecture went on.

The concept of Anomalies was hard to believe at first. The specificity of the examples they heard was baffling. Complete restructuring of the way they operated gave them an ominous feeling. Finally, the crisis protocols that the young master introduced made their blood run cold.

These protocols involved contingency plans against many different parties. Traitors, netherworld demons, outer factions, internal factions, other realms, hidden organizations, the list went on and on. Most of the plans involved some form of calamity that befell the Starfall Mountain Sect and the Han family.

What if the traitors could gain control of the grand array and wipe out the Han faction? What if the continent bands together and try to wipe out the Han family? What if a Han family member betrays the family and assassinates the higher-ups? What if another Breach happens? What if Breach appears in the middle of the sect? When to fight? When to run? Where to run? How to run?

On the spot, their young master made comprehensive simulations of many more nightmare scenarios. The conclusion that everyone arrived was extremely bleak. Destruction was inevitable in almost every scenario.

If anyone else had come up with these stories they would've beaten them to death long ago. However, this was the Han family's young master. The fact that he was talking about taking precautions to such an extent was both eye-opening and extremely concerning. The ominous feeling they already had grew even stronger.

Many of these scenarios also included Anomalies to some extent. At first, they couldn't understand the reason why the young master was paying so much attention to Anomalies. Only after listening to the crisis protocols they realized the gravity of the situation.

All of the experts gathered around Old Peng after the QA session. None of them were willing to wait. Old Peng, being the de facto organizer of the group, quickly implemented Han De's restructuring instructions and sent large amounts of experts to gather intelligence about the potential Anomalies. They lacked the numbers, but they couldn't just sit by any longer.

One large group went to the Misty Mountains. These mountains held thousands of sects. Many of them were small, only a few could be considered mid-sized. Misty Mountains themselves might look small in a continental map, but in reality, they were huge. One of the reasons why Han De was so against 'shaving off' the Misty Mountains was its size. When compared to Earth, this mountain formation was larger than the continent of Asia.

By and large, this operation was many times worse than finding a needle in a haystack. However, Han De's lackeys were determined to search mountain by mountain, sect by sect, village by village.

Han De woke up energized. Yesterday's lecture was a refreshing experience for the current him. He had reasonable confidence that over time, his 'Extremely Incompetent' lackeys would upgrade to 'Very Incompetent'.

'Baby steps…'

Re-education of his lackeys also reminded Han De of the education standards of this world. Like ancient Earth, education here was a privilege. The cultivation idiot didn't have any knowledge of the mortal education standards, but Han De suspected literacy would be extremely low. Ning Bi was already incredibly lucky that her parents taught her how to read and write.

One could not cultivate if they couldn't read their cultivation method. There were probably some that got taught verbally, but unless they were heaven-defying talents there was no chance of them advancing.

In the cultivation world, nearly all education was handled by the sects. Unfortunately, a sect's first focus was power. They wouldn't teach anything unrelated to their cultivation methods. In some cases, they wouldn't even teach the related knowledge too. Cultivators were extremely selfish, they wouldn't easily share their experience. Knowledge was power. Literally.

Han De was raised in a modern society that valued education. He didn't care about the pettiness of the cultivation world. If Ning Bi could learn some general knowledge, his life would only be easier in the long run.

'It's also never a bad idea to gain favor points from Ning Bi!'

Han De started writing science education topics on a scroll. He only needed basic knowledge, just middle-school level was enough. What is fire, what is lightning, speed of sound, speed of light, gravity, magnetism, radioactivity, and so on.

'Should I convert Newton's laws into Han De's laws? That is in line with the arrogant young master persona, but it is a bit risky. Hmm, just calling it laws of motion is enough I guess.'

'Later I can move on to basic physics, chemistry, and biology. But… would they even be useful here?'

Han De was currently living in a magical supermassive world. The existence of spiritual energy messed things up. A lot.

'How do you even explain gravity in a supermassive world? How does it not collapse on itself? Is it hollow? If it is, does it even have a magnetic field? How could life evolve here otherwise?'

Han De always liked the concept of flat worlds and was disappointed that this world wasn't one of them. He always found supermassive worlds too sci-fi and genre-breaking. His own pet theory was a cultivator made Dyson-sphere that used the power of a star to power the unimaginably large formation inside it. The world outside was just matter that accumulated over billions of years. Too sci-fi!

'Never mind, let's keep things super basic…'

After a sigh, Han De kept writing science class topics that he remembered from his school days. He kept refining it over and over again and only after an hour he was satisfied. A bitter smile appeared on his face while looking at the list from start to finish.

'Even though I trimmed a lot it's still too much. This is basically a year-long private tutor work...'

Han De decisively chose to write everything down to a book and give it to Ning Bi instead. He would only do some basic demonstrations that would allow him to reinforce his Profound Teacher image.

'Let comprehension 8 figure it out.'

He spent the rest of the day writing and editing. By the end of it, he couldn't even be bothered with compiling it into a book and just stuffed everything into several scroll cases. Once Ning Bi was done with her quest he would give the scrolls to her at an appropriate time.

Iron Blood Sect founder had a habit of occasionally cultivating in a random cave. Before establishing his own sect in the Misty Mountains nearly a hundred years ago, he used to be a loose cultivator and frequently had to hide from his pursuers. Over time, he started enjoying the solitude and kept entering caves out of habit.

The white-haired man walked out of the cave. It took him more than a hundred years, but he had finally broken through to the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. The Misty Mountains was big, but it also had many sects. With his advancement, his own Iron Blood Sect's place was now secure. No one would try to mess with them anymore! Once they had a 3rd Core Formation elder they would be unrivaled in their area!

Iron Blood founder slowly walked down the mountain. His cultivation was too low to notice the Treebeard and two Nascent Soul experts that were intently watching the Iron Blood Sect.

Nascent Soul realm experts were originally supposed to take one sect each and gather information about them while keeping a lookout for any Anomalies. Treebeard himself was supposed to watch five different sects since he was an Immortal Realm cultivator. Before entering the Misty Mountains their main group was already broken into subgroups, and those subgroups would eventually split up as they found targets.

Before they had a chance to split up they saw a boy in his mid-teens getting beaten up by another boy and his lackeys. Normally this absolutely common sight wouldn't catch their attention, but their vigilance was raised to absurd levels due to Han De's lecture. Before long, a similarly aged girl came out, said a few threatening words and dispersed the crowd. One of the Nascent Soul experts gasped.

"C-Could it be? Is she a childhood friend of the Anomaly?!"

Treebeard didn't say anything but his face was solemn. They kept watching. The girl carried the boy into a lonely wooden hut some distance away from the sect village. She selflessly tended to his wounds without saying a word. They could see the fire of determination inside the boy's eyes. Soon after the girl left, he picked up his spear and started practicing without minding his injuries. Experts watching from far, far away realized his simple-looking thrusts weren't actually simple. This was a profound technique!

"It really is as young master says. He is so weak but has a determined will. This Iron Blood Sect seems to practice fist methods, but this boy is practicing a profound spear technique. The girl fits the description of a supportive childhood friend."

Treebeard nodded. They weren't completely sure, but this boy fit the descriptions so well that it was eerie. They couldn't just observe and contain when needed. After carefully considering his next word, Treebeard spoke.

"Report."

Two Nascent Soul cultivators looked at each other. One of them had to go with Treebeard and report the news to the young master. With heavy expressions, they started playing rock paper scissors.

Han De woke up to a spiritual sense that kept buzzing outside his room. He looked at the System clock to see that it was only 9:48 AM. His first reaction was to start cursing to the person for waking him up this early, but he came to his senses before he did anything rash. Anyone that dared to disturb him like this would only do so if the situation was urgent. Han De donned his Profound Expert A act and contacted the spiritual sense.

Peng.

Y-Young master, I deeply apologize for disturbing you, but a group returned and they say they have information on a potential Anomaly!

Han De froze for a moment. He wasn't expecting a contact this soon. He calmed himself down and reminded himself that false positives would be numerous in the beginning. No one else could look at someone's status, there was only one System. Probably.

You don't need to apologize. I instructed you to do this if there was an emergency. You have done well! Now, explain.

Peng breathed a sigh of relief and explained the situation. Han De quickly met the group and debriefed the excited Nascent Soul expert and the silent Treebeard. The situation looked more promising than he first thought, so he decided to determine the validity of this MC himself. With Treebeard, he didn't need to worry about travel time. At most, it would take an hour. Having an Immortal Realm master around was really convenient.

Han De arrived at the same mountain peak overlooking the Iron Blood Sect.

'You know, I really thought these Misty Mountains would be a European alp style formation. They look like the Yellow Mountains of China instead. Maybe my expectations were wrong.'

Han De spotted the Iron Blood Sect. It was a few dozen buildings scattered on a mid-sized peak with tiny looking buildings around the base of it. Unfortunately, he wasn't a Nascent Soul expert yet and had to get closer to see anything. The System had a really short range for status checking too.

Thankfully with Treebeard, they could hide from the lower realm cultivators easily. The highest realm currently inside the sect was a Core Formation expert cultivating in seclusion. The potential MC was just an outer sect disciple that worked on menial tasks and slept in a rundown hut outside the sect. Conditions could hardly be more ideal.

As they got closer to the base of the mountain and the sect surrounding it, they saw the potential MC and the potential Childhood Friend A surrounded by an arrogant young master and his lackeys.

"Geng Shi, you really don't know immensity between heaven and ear-"

Han De quickly filtered the arrogant young master's voice. He really didn't want to hear any more of that bullshit. Especially from an amateur like this one. Just by looking at him he was able to spot numerous errors. Just awful.

He focused on the potential MC.

'Tattered robe. Defensive posture with an unyielding look in his eyes. Looks are above average, he probably would look dashing enough with some grooming and proper clothes. His posture with the spear isn't anything special, but it shouldn't be known by an amateur in his mid-teens. Either he has exceptional talent, or someone taught him. He doesn't seem to have an item on him, but he still might have a guiding grandpa/loli…'

'It really fits. The girl behind him looks concerned, but there seems to be deep confidence inside. Is there an unspoken trust between them? Maybe.'

Han De nodded to himself. A textbook generic MC was waiting for his scheduled beating so he could earn his inevitable bullshit power-up. Han De decided to watch for now. Once the potential MC got beaten to a pulp he could get near and do a status check.

'If the girl gets captured right now and this boy turns out to be an MC, I could offer him my help as a Mysterious Expert to get on the good side of him early on.'

Han De watched as the potential MC heroically struggled against his five opponents. He valiantly tried but he was no match to even one of them, let alone five. Surprisingly, the girl didn't get captured. The arrogant young master of this sect really did have some intentions, but he left her alone after she stared at him for a few seconds.

'Tsk. What an amateu- Wait, what am I even thinking?'

Han De was baffled by his own thought process. He thought maybe he had worked on his Arrogant Young Master act a little too much.

Just like yesterday, the girl carried the boy to his remote wooden hut and left after tending to his wounds. Although Han De didn't have any concealment techniques, the difference in cultivation was too huge and he could rely on his superior senses to get close to the potential MC without getting noticed. The guy was barely conscious anyway...

[Name: Geng Shi]

[Race: Human (100%)]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 15]

[Cultivation: Qi Condensation (3/13) (85.81%)]

[Constitution: None]

[Bloodline: None]

[Roots: Metal (31%)]

[Potential Points (Total: 16)]

--

[Will: 5]

[Talent: 4]

[Comprehension: 3]

[Luck: 4]

[Cultivation Methods]

--

[Iron Blood (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Beginner (2/4)]

[Stage: Qi Condensation (3/13)]

[Martial Arts Methods]

--

[Basic Spear (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Beginner (2/5)]

[Indestructible Spear (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Beginner (1/8)]

[Fate]

Cannon fodder

[Notes]

Cannot be accepted as a disciple.

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[Name: Geng Shi]

[Race: Human (100%)]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 15]

[Cultivation: Qi Condensation (3/13) (85.81%)]

[Constitution: None]

[Bloodline: None]

[Roots: Metal (31%)]

[Potential Points (Total: 16)]

--

[Will: 5]

[Talent: 4]

[Comprehension: 3]

[Luck: 4]

[Cultivation Methods]

--

[Iron Blood (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Beginner (2/4)]

[Stage: Qi Condensation (3/13)]

[Martial Arts Methods]

--

[Basic Spear (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Beginner (2/5)]

[Indestructible Spear (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Beginner (1/8)]

[Fate]

Cannon fodder

[Notes]

Cannot be accepted as a disciple.

Han De was speechless.

'After all that build-up this is what I get? He is only a single point above the best Starfall Mountain disciple...'

Han De was both happy and disappointed at the same time. Unfortunately, he couldn't scam this guy into becoming his disciple. But fortunately, this guy wasn't a timebomb waiting to blow up at random. Han De decided to count his blessings and leave. As he was leaving he froze. His mind started racing.

'Oh no. Could it be that he has a heaven-defying item that shows the wrong status to the System? Or maybe his grandpa/loli is capable of providing fake information? Something that can affect the System?!'

Han De stood still in the same spot and kept thinking of different possibilities. His entire body was stiff, his expression was really sour.

'No, no, no. No. Don't panic. Not even my mother could notice the system. If this guy has an item or a helper that can fool the system then even 10 Transcendent experts wouldn't be able to kill him anyway. Just relax and think things through...'

Han De thought about the Potential Points. So far, he had only encountered two people with more than 30 Potential Points. He had scammed the first and killed the second. This guy with his 16 points was the 3rd highest so far. The majority of the Starfall Mountain disciples were around 8-9 points. The worst he had seen was at 6, and the best one was at 15 points.

'Perhaps he is not a full MC, but a minor MC instead?'

Han De felt uncomfortable about the situation and decided to do some quick field research. He summoned Treebeard to his side as a precaution and found some ordinary outer sect disciples that were carrying water as training.

[Potential Points (Total: 2)]

--

[Will: 0]

[Talent: 1]

[Comprehension: 1]

[Luck: 0]

[Fate]

-

[Potential Points (Total: 1)]

--

[Will: 0]

[Talent: 1]

[Comprehension: 0]

[Luck: 0]

[Fate]

-

[Potential Points (Total: 3)]

--

[Will: 1]

[Talent: 1]

[Comprehension: 1]

[Luck: 0]

[Fate]

-

Han De didn't care about his image and whistled away.

'System, are you sure? Are you really saying that guy in the middle has 0 comprehension? How is he even still alive?!'

Han De checked the total potential points of all the ordinary disciples he could find in the area. 2, 1, 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 1, 1, 1, 2… After gathering this baffling data, he decided not to risk detection and moved away from the disciples of the Iron Blood sect. He needed to gather his thoughts and try to analyze his findings.

'They definitely weren't puppets. If something was amiss Treebeard would've definitely said something. Compared to these people, that Geng Shi really looks like an MC.'

'I guess they are called Potential Points for a reason. I can't compare them to ability scores in RPGs.'

Han De realized his view of this world was genuinely skewed. It didn't take long to realize that the culprit was the System itself. It had absurdly high expectations for everything. Han De couldn't even get angry, he didn't even know what the System was. Was it sentient? Was it a program? He had no idea. Getting angry at it served no purpose.

'This means I can't just ignore someone just because their System designated fate is cannon fodder. Actually, now that I think about it, aside from Ning Bi, Cockroach, and my own fate, I haven't seen anything other than cannon fodder...'

After thinking about it for a while, Han De reached a conclusion. Since the System didn't provide any help, all he could do was to gather more data by himself.

'Actually, this is quite good. This minor MC is disillusioned and angry. I'll just invite him to the Starfall Mountain and closely monitor him. Once he gains enough power and returns for his revenge, I can get a rough idea of his growth curve and use that as a base for defining proper power levels.'

Han De didn't restrain his smile. Things were really easy when he didn't have to worry about his arrogant young master reputation. He made a mental note to increase the speed of his Hidden Expert transition.

Treebeard and the Nascent Soul experts had no idea what Han De was thinking. They watched as Han De kept sneaking up on the disciples then leave after staring at them for a few seconds. They could tell that their young master was somehow detecting something they couldn't. Was it the smell? Perhaps Anomalies had a special smell?

Han De didn't bother explaining his behavior. In Xianxia stories hidden experts had their own peculiarities and they also usually didn't explain anything. This was a win-win situation for him. He instructed them to wait and went in the direction that the girl disappeared.

'Motivation wise, this girl is the key. I can just covertly take her away and let her live a normal life. Her talent is probably as miserable as others' anyway. The minor MC will think she is suffering in the sect and his character arc won't be disturbed. Once he gets his revenge I can reveal her to him. As long as she stays safe this minor MC won't be able to turn on me in the future. He might even feel like he owes me a debt of gratitude...'

As Han De was displaying his trademarked creepy smile, he finally spotted the Childhood Friend A from a distance. The girl was standing alone on a cliff facing yet another mountain. Her entire body was covered with sweat. She leaned on her spear as she tried to regulate her breathing.

Han De sent his spiritual sense to her. He knew that this girl was at the low-stages of the Qi Condensation realm and couldn't detect anything. He realized the girl was actually mumbling to herself.

"...left for auction 3 months ago. As long as I act carefully Shen Xing won't be able to steal my roots this time."

The girl sighed and looked at the sky. Her face was expressionless.

"In a year, Long Xiu will destroy Starfall Mountain after going crazy. Ming and Sun dynasties will collapse on their own. Silent Silhouette Sect should be close to making their move, even just looking at the Red Stone Basin is practically a suicide. I'll need to leave soon. Where to go..."

The girl kept watching the clouds without saying another word.

Han De's mind went blank after hearing her mumbling. He slowly retracted his spiritual sense. Thankfully he hadn't done something as stupid as enveloping her completely.

'She was also exceptionally calm while she watched minor MC getting beaten up. Three possibilities. First, she is crazy. Second, she is an oracle. Third, she went back in time and became a regressor.'

Technically, she could be any combination of the three. A time looping lunatic oracle was nothing to scoff at. Han De was about to deny the possibility, the odds of that happening should be non-existent, surely. But then, he remembered his fate as the Calamity Attractor. He decided to play it safe and look at her status first. He very carefully moved closer to her while spamming the status check function. He wasn't going to risk getting any closer than needed.

[Name: Yao Qing]

[Race: Human (100%)]

[Gender: Female]

[Age: 15]

[Cultivation: Qi Condensation (4/13) (97.10%)]

[Constitution: None]

[Bloodline: None]

[Roots: Lightning (82%)]

[Potential Points (Total: 30)]

--

[Will: 9]

[Talent: 7]

[Comprehension: 8]

[Luck: 6]

[Cultivation Methods]

--

[Celestial Storm Scripture (Mortal)]

[Power: Very Weak]

[Mastery: Intermediate (38/42)]

[Stage: Qi Condensation (3/13)]

[Expand to view 9 inactive methods...]

[Martial Arts Methods]

--

[Basic Spear (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Advanced (9/12)]

[Azure Lightning Spear (Mortal)]

[Power: Very Weak]

[Mastery: Advanced (31/64)]

[Expand to view 34 inactive methods...]

[Expand to view more...]

[Fate]

[Usurper of Heavens]

[Notes]

[Very high potential. Would be a core pillar in any sect.]

'Ok. Cool cool cool. So she is not crazy. That's cool. Probably a regressor template, that's more in line with Xianxia. She's probably working on the Basic Spear to establish a foundation and rebuild her muscle memory.'

Han De quietly returned to Treebeard's location. He looked calm and collected to others, but his mind was in turmoil. If this girl, Yao Qing, was really a regressor, then what she said about Long Xiu going crazy should be the truth.

'My mother wouldn't turn crazy unless it involved me or my father. The cultivation idiot did die 2 months ago but I replaced him. Either she is talking about an event yet to come, or her timeline is all wrong…'

'At the 4th stage of Qi Condensation, she shouldn't have the ability to detect my presence no matter what technique she uses. Even if she somehow did, she couldn't have known that I am from the Starfall Mountain. Unless this is the second time for her...'

Han De was in a dilemma. The existence of this girl was both a blessing and a curse. Her presence warned him of the potential dangers in the future, but it involved a risk of exposure.

'Was I in her previous timeline? Or is the System a new variable? If it is a new variable than she will probably notice inconsistencies in this timeline due to my presence. Will she think I am a regressor/reincarnator too?'

This whole situation was giving Han De an incredible headache. It was fun to watch or read about people involved in time travel stories, but encountering one for real was both confusing and aggravating.

'Alright, let's think from another perspective. With how haughty the System acts, it shouldn't get trapped by a tiny MC's time loop. I can only assume I am a new existence in this timeline due to the System. In the first place the Syst-'

Not even Han De himself noticed how he froze for a tiny moment.

'The first possibility is that my mother lost it after the cultivation idiot died. Makes sense, it is the simplest explanation.'

'The second possibility is that the cultivation idiot had already died in her timeline, but my mother was able to hold on. If during the following year anything had happened to my father, she would totally lose it…'

Although he was leaning towards the first possibility he was uncertain. The handling of the Zhao faction was extremely clean to the point of disappointment. Han De was questioning the motivations and the intelligence of Zhao Dong, their leader. The possibility of a second attempt wasn't that low. Han De needed more information.

'It's not like I can ask her for confirmation. Should I just go "Hey little miss, would you kindly confirm the timeframe of the Starfall Mountain's destruction for me? You see, I am the sole heir of the sect, and this destruction business would be really inconvenient for my plans…" and expect her to answer? Might as well admit I am a transmigrator…'

Han De shook his head and went back to reality.

'This destruction business will cause her to be wary. I should take things slow and build layer upon layer. She talked about Shen Xing stealing her roots and mentioned an auction. The timing fits the cockroach's appearance in Brass Stallion city. I can use this to my advantage. I can scam her by using this as leverage.'

Normally Han De wouldn't want to interact with a regressor at all to prevent his exposure. Unfortunately, these weren't normal circumstances. By building a relationship with this MC he might be able to gain some crucial information and prevent or prepare for the sect's collapse.

At this point, he was really glad that he started preparations early. After patting himself on the back, he thought about the ways to get information from her without exposing himself.

This was the 167th day of Yao Qing's return. She was walking towards her usual training spot.

On the first day. After she inexplicably returned to her younger body she thought she was going mad. Was this a dream? An inner demon? Perhaps she had finally lost it and started seeing things. She had lost her cultivation but her mind was as sharp as ever. She quickly regained her confidence. This wasn't a dream or an inner demon tribulation, and she wasn't crazy. This was real. She had no idea how, but she really did come back.

In the previous timeline, her early years were filled with misery. These memories frequently haunted her even after she regained her cultivation. Only after tens of thousands of years, these memories had finally started to fade. But now she was back. Seeing the faces and hearing the names she had long forgotten filled her with indescribable emotions.

She remembered she had a crush on her childhood friend. He was strong, and always protected her. She often used his memory to get through the pain and misery during her early years. It was both soothing and terribly painful at the same time. When she realized she could finally meet him again she was ecstatic.

Yao Qing sighed. She had arrived at her training spot and removed the training spear from her back.

'I really can't believe I had a crush on that idiot Geng Shi. I really don't know what the hell I was excited about before meeting him. He is just a 15-year-old kid. I don't even know how old I am. I stopped counting after 20 thousand…'

Young Yao Qing really did have a crush on Geng Shi, but for the current Yao Qing, he was only a nuisance. He was the complete opposite of what she remembered. His talent was poor, his attitude was poor, his strength was poor, his looks were poor. Yao Qing realized he was just an idea for her psyche to hold on to. However, she still helped him for the sake of her younger self.

'During the original timeline, the idiot probably died not long after I left. Just in these last 2 months alone he nearly died 5 times. Maybe I should knock some sense into him instead of teaching spear arts…'

Yao Qing started her routine. In the original timeline, she had already lost her spiritual roots by now. She didn't need to suffer through that hardship once again. Therefore she kept training. Her current body didn't possess her old body's muscle memory. She could only build it back up day by day through hard training.

She repeated the Basic Spear method over and over again. With each thrust, she remembered her old moves and tried to overlay her memories to her current body. First move, second move, third move, fourth move, she kept going through the same motions she repeated for the last 167 days.

clap* *clap* *clap*

Yao Qing immediately assumed a defensive stance after hearing clapping from behind her. She calmly analyzed the situation while looking at the young man with yellow robes.

'High cultivation, at least Core Formation. Unknown sect. Not affiliated with Silent Silhouette.'

She hadn't set foot on this world for… She didn't know how long actually. It was only natural to forget the sects that inhabited it. She only remembered the Silent Silhouette because of her intense hatred.

"Not bad! Your spear skill really isn't bad!"

Yao Qing kept her vigilance as the young man talked. Apparently, this amused him, he smiled and continued talking in a relaxed manner.

"You don't have to be so stiff. If I wanted to, I could kill you with a flick of a sleeve. I don't have an ulterior motive. I just saw your spear practice and thought I'd say hello. I know a little bit about spears myself. Since we met here, it must be fate! How about I show you some moves to improve your skills."

The man looked at his storage ring. Just this act alone was enough to prove that he wasn't from the Misty Mountains. No one would flaunt their wealth like this in the mountains. The poorness of the Iron Blood sect was a daily source of shock for Yao Qing. Just how poor could a sect be?

After looking for a while the young man seemed frozen. He slightly shook his head then cleared his throat.

"Ehm. I consider myself a sword cultivator. I don't play with spears often so it seems I forgot to bring a spear with me. Why don't you let me borrow that training spear."

Under Yao Qing's baffled gaze, he grabbed her spear and moved to the side. As soon as he entered his spear stance Yao Qing felt something was wrong.

'This pressure, this will, he isn't using Qi or releasing an aura, this is just radiating from his stance alone.'

Yao Qing was a spear cultivator. She knew many spear arts by heart and could recognize tens of thousands of them from a look. Yet she couldn't tell the origins of this art in front of her.

The man started thrusting the spear. He displayed dozens of moves in succession. Yao Qing knew he was slowing things down purposefully for her. Each move looked exceedingly simple, but carried profound power.

Finally, the man infused his spiritual power to the spear and released his aura. Yao Qing used her iron will to resist the concept released by the aura. She couldn't exactly tell what was infused within it, she could only feel how ancient it was. The man started another thrust, but the simple training spear couldn't hold on any longer and disintegrated into dust.

Both Yao Qing and the man watched the dust that was getting scattered by a breeze. The man exited the stance and looked at Yao Qing.

"It seems I am a bit rusty and poured more Qi than the poor thing could handle…"

Yao Qing looked at the person in front of her. She wasn't even sure if she could do the same thing in her prime. She had only exhibited her concept after reaching the Immortal Realm. This mysterious expert's mastery was clearly much higher than hers.

'Is his realm really this low? It didn't seem like he was higher than the Core Formation realm when he released his aura. Could he be purposefully faking his realm? What purpose would that serve? I am just a Qi Condensation disciple…'

'Wait, did he say he considers himself a sword cultivator?!'

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Yao Qing couldn't say a word. Her mind was too busy trying to figure out the identity of this expert. Although it was a long time ago from her perspective, good or bad she had spent a part of her life in this world. She was confident in her knowledge of the bigshots, yet she could only draw blank when she tried to determine his identity.

'He might be one of those hidden experts. They come and go as they please and rarely take the limelight…'

She also noticed he wasn't looking at her with lust. His gaze was remarkably clear and it was apparent that he was only interested in the spear art she displayed, just like he said. This improved Yao Qing's confidence at her deduction.

The young man in front of her smiled and continued with his relaxed tone.

"I will not slight you don't worry. Since it is my mistake, naturally I will compensate you for the spear. I'll be back."

Yao Qing was curious about this expert in front of her. Now that she had a good grasp of the situation, she decided to abuse her Qi Condensation status to do some probing. Surely a friendly hidden expert wouldn't harm a lowly disciple just for asking a few questions.

Before the man left, Yao Qing clasped her hands and swiftly bowed.

"S-Senior! I apologize for my rude behavior! I was too surprised by your profound spear art! S-Senior, may I ask the name of this spear art. A-and maybe your esteemed name too…?"

The hidden expert stopped. Yao Qing couldn't see his face while bowing and her senses were too weak in her current state. Despite that, she had confidence in her intuition to sense threats, and this hidden expert in front of her didn't exude a sense of danger. A moment later he responded.

"Stand up. You need to offer your name first if you want to learn someone else's."

Yao Qing slowly straightened up. She looked nervous and uncertain from the outside, but inside it was the opposite.

"Y-Yao Qing…"

"Hmm. Yao Qing… A good name. Well, Yao Qing. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Han De, and the spear art that I just used is one of the standard scriptures of my sect, Starfall Mountain."

Yao Qing was surprised, she hadn't heard of a Starfall Mountain expert that survived the insanity of the Long Xiu. No wonder she didn't know about this expert in the previous timeline. Still, his name made her uncomfortable.

'Han De… Han family was one of the families that disappeared, Long Xiu was the head of that family even though she didn't take their name.'

Unfortunately, Yao Qing didn't have a good grasp of the history of this era. In her previous timeline, she had already lost her spiritual roots and was discarded and disfigured by Shen Xing. After spending two decades as a wretched mortal, she had a fortuitous encounter that allowed her to defy heavens and regrow her roots.

Her memory of the events surrounding the Starfall Mountain was based on hearsay. Before leaving this world she was already trying to forget her past, why would she study its history? Over time she evolved into a person that would boldly keep moving forward and rather than worry about the past. Obviously, her current predicament made her feel a tinge of regret, but a tiny pebble like this would have no lasting effect on her.

'If I remember correctly, Long Xiu went insane after losing her family. Her son was supposed to be the peerless genius of the continent, I heard he had even created his own… sword… art?...'

Han De and Yao Qing kept staring at each other. Although they were cultivators and could think really fast, the current silence between them had already reached the realm of awkwardness. Still, neither of them made any attempts to dispel it.

Yao Qing never paid much attention to history. Her experience in her youth showed that butchers would become saints, tyrants would become saviors given enough time and embellishment.

'Perhaps a rare case of history being right... No, this goes beyond a peerless genius. I can't even imagine what he would have achieved if he had lived.'

Yao Qing had lived a long time and seen many masters, many geniuses. This was the first time she was truly impressed. She thought of the 'future' she knew. Apart from vague ideas of revenge, she had no delusions of grandeur. This world wasn't worth caring about. Only two people were worth paying attention to in this world, one was Shen Xing, and the other...

Yao Qing suppressed her shudder. This Han De was the third. Before she knew it, she had already made her decision.

'He needs to be protected at all costs.'

This was Yao Qing's character. She would consider pros and cons, but once the decision was made she would see it through to the end. Nothing could change her mind, even if it was to her own detriment. She kowtowed without hesitation.

"Senior! I-I know I am not worthy, but please teach me! Please teach me that spear art! I promise I will follow you for the rest of my life! Please give me a chance!"

An awkward silence ensued. Seconds went by. Doubt started to erode Yao Qing's confidence. Now, a full minute had passed but she didn't hear a response. She didn't change her posture and just waited. Finally, two minutes later she heard a short sigh.

"I was not planning on getting another disciple so soon. But there seems to be some fate between us. Very well! From this moment forth, you shall be my second disciple. Rise."

Yao Qing breathed a silent sigh of relief. She was confident that she could become his disciple, she just didn't want to waste time trying other methods if this one had failed.

She had confidence in her spiritual roots, but this world lacked the knowledge of high purity root characteristics. The fact that he could accept her as his disciple improved Han De's image by a notch.

'Now I can subtly guide him around. I can earn his trust with a few on-point suggestions and increase his alertness. As long as they are ready for the Silent Silhouette Sect they should be able to weather the storm. Benefits we can provide for each other are endless...'

"What about your family?"

"I… don't have a family."

Han De nodded by saying "I see…" and asked again.

"What about friends? Family doesn't end in blood, and it doesn't start there either. Perhaps you have a childhood friend that is like family? "

This line of questioning and insistence was surprising for Yao Qing. She looked at Han De, she could tell he was hiding his bafflement under his blank look.

'Oh right, his mother did go on an insane slaughtering spree on the continent for her family. It should be quite important to them.'

She 'hesitantly' told him about Geng Shi that was like a brother to her. Under Yao Qing baffled gaze they went toward his wooden hut. This idiot had tried to practice after Yao Qing tended to his wounds and collapsed on the floor again.

Han De immediately went outside after looking at the boy lying in a pool of blood. A few seconds later an expert silently appeared. Yao Qing couldn't sense anything from him, almost as if he was a mortal. Even while he was using a healing technique Yao Qing still couldn't detect any spiritual waves.

She immediately approved of the Starfall Mountain treatment of Han De. A really high realm master should follow him every second of every day! Anything else was just gross incompetence!

Geng Shi woke up. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he intently listened to Han De.

"I can't take you in as my disciple as I did with Yao Qing, the difference between your talents is huge. If you wish, you can still join the Starfall Mountain with my recommendation. You might even become a core disciple if you try."

Yao Qing didn't pay attention to Geng Shi's questions and reactions. At some point, he agreed to be a Starfall Mountain disciple and that was the end of it.

Han De, Yao Qing, Geng Shi, and the two Nascent Soul experts were now traveling to the sect via Treebeard's power of flight. The distance between the Starfall Mountain and the Misty Mountains was huge, and it would take them a few hours to reach the sect.

When traveling to the Iron Blood sect, Treebeard had used his power of space and rapidly teleported over and over again. Han De didn't want to gain yet another phobia and asked for flight travel for their return trip.

During the flight, Han De had equipped his Profound Expert act and was going through the events in his mind. He couldn't believe it when Yao Qing kowtowed and asked to become his disciple.

'Isn't this too fast?! This script is all wrong…'

He was trying to scam information out of her so he should've felt somewhat happy when it happened, but he became deeply concerned instead. He almost refused her a few times before finally accepting her.

'She is definitely going to use this opportunity to get resources and bail when trouble starts. I guess that's fine. As long as I can get some tips about future events it'll be worth it. Besides, keeping her too close to me would be risky anyway...'

'Should I limit her contact with Ning Bi? No, that'll probably spectacularly backfire.'

Han De's biggest worry in all of this was Yao Qing somehow stealing Ning Bi. He had some confidence in his disciple/master relationship with Ning Bi, he hadn't stayed idle for the last 2 months after all. However, he had no idea of the depths that Yao Qing might possess. The situation was risky. He decided to improve his relationship with Ning Bi further to prevent accidents.

Han De thought about his biggest leverage. He had already killed the cockroach. He could probably instill a sense of gratitude if he mentioned it to her.

'I need to balance it out carefully. If the gratitude she feels becomes too heavy she might decide to stay.'

Han De calmed himself down and went over his thoughts once again. Rethinking the situation improved his confidence.

He had gained an early warning system. He could also encounter unexpected gains if some degree of trust could be built between them. All for the low price of copious amounts of money and resources. For the current Han De, this was a bargain.

There were risks but Han De thought they were manageable. Ning Bi spent more time with him so it shouldn't be easy to steal her. He could also intervene if things go in an unexpected direction.

The biggest risk was the fact that he was still alive. Perhaps her idea of the timeline was fuzzy, or perhaps she had already noticed an inconsistency and became his disciple to solve this puzzle. There was no way to know for sure.

'The best way to handle this is through my lackeys and Ning Bi. If I mention anything it'll only gain suspicion. Ning Bi herself will probably tell her about my memory issue after a while. Yao Qing then can confirm it through my lackeys. I can easily feign ignorance after that. Right, I should plant a bullshit seed now...'

Without minding Treebeard and the two Nascent Soul experts, Han De talked to Yao Qing and Geng Shi at the same time.

"Sects unofficially divide themselves into two groups. The righteous and the demonic. Most sects don't really care about which 'faction' they belong to and just go where the wind is blowing. These distinctions are just political tools and are useless in reality. A righteous sect might slaughter a city for profit, while a demonic sect might fight to the bitter end to save it."

"Starfall Mountain is a righteous sect. Any demonic cultivation method is strictly forbidden."

Geng Shi looked confused but Han De didn't care. As long as Yao Qing could read between the lines it was enough.

"Just a week ago I encountered a Qi Condensation disciple that practiced demonic arts. This disciple invented a vile method of external cultivation using soulless bodies. Seemingly insignificant events can have a massive and unpredictable influence on the future. Therefore I extinguished his soul myself."

Han De looked at them both without emotion. He purposely tried to look unimposing for maximum effect.

"I do not care about which path you choose. Just know that I will cripple you myself if you practice demonic arts."

'Hopefully, that was two birds with one stone.'

Silence reigned for the rest of the voyage. Han De sighed inside.

'Why do I feel like I am the bad guy here?'

Han De didn't waste time after their arrival and called for his servants to prepare a place for Yao Qing and brief her with the basic workings of the sect. Before she left Han De decided to give her a piece of advice crucial for her survival. He didn't want her to perish before she leaked the future events.

"You are my second disciple. My first disciple Ning Bi might be younger but her cultivation is higher than yours. You can discuss the seniority amongst yourselves. Before you do that a word of warning. Try not to create resentment. Your future depends on it."

Iron Blood sect was really impressively poor, so Yao Qing wasn't surprised that a younger disciple could have higher cultivation than her. What caught her attention was the name. She shook her head in denial and followed the servant so she could settle in.

Servants had also brought a storage bag to Han De. While he was away for a day, Elder Xiang had already finished all of the weapons inside the cultivation realm. Han De was jubilant, he immediately inspected the weapons on the spot.

'Nice! What an amazing quality. If someone said these were the warglaives of the Dark Flame Master, I would believe them.'

Han De was planning to drip feed them to Ning Bi as she advanced in realms. He could keep farming favorability points for a long time with these weapons. He placed the warglaives inside his storage ring and looked for his swords.

'Elder Xiang is truly amazing. What an amazing work of art…'

Han De sighed with emotion. His swords were exactly as he specified. Every single one of them looked exceptionally below average and unremarkable. If Han De wasn't holding one them in his hands he would easily mistake them for mortal weapons.

'If even this balanced sword feels better than my old one. How fast the speed-focused sword would be?'

Han De decisively focused on the higher realm swords.

'I can probably operate this Nascent Soul realm sword for a second or two before exhausting my spiritual reserves. If I could find a way to extend my spiritual reserves I might have another trump card...'

Just as Han De was moving on, an idea popped out of nowhere.

'Doesn't that perverted skill makes Ning Bi's spiritual power reserves inexhaustible?!'

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Higher realm weapons were unusable for Han De due to the massive difference in power between the realms. Thanks to the cultivation idiot's talent, his body already had higher than usual spiritual power reserves. Coupled with the increase in his spiritual root quality, his Qi was also high in purity. Even with that, a few seconds of Nascent Soul realm weapon was his limit.

'If she is fighting a grudge, then using a weapon that is one realm higher shouldn't be a problem. Two realms higher might push it though. Even if her supply is infinite her output won't be able to match the requirements.'

This discovery was crucial for the future, but Han De wasn't sure if it was useful for the quest. Her targets would be different every time, could she project her grudge into illusions? Would objects or concepts count? What if she had a grudge against an ideology, would her skill work while fighting random dudes of that ideology? Could she develop a grudge against an entire plane of existence?

'In the first place, does she even have awareness of her own skill? She is aware of Breach and actively uses it.'

Han De sighed. He did not want to participate in the Grudge experimentations.

'No one in Qi Condensation realm would be her match if she could use the Foundation Establishment warglaives. She still wouldn't be able to match against the Foundation Establishment realm though. Leaping 8 small realms isn't easy once it goes past the Qi Condensation stage.'

[Time Remaining: 2.9 days]

Time waited for no one. Han De headed for Ning Bi to give her the warglaives. Once she gets to a higher floor in the pagoda he could tell her to 'consolidate her gains' and prevent her from entering the pagoda for the remaining duration of the quest. Better safe than sorry.

[Breach (Mortal)]

[Progress: (17) 21%]

[Congratulations!]

[Your disciple, Ning Bi, broke through the bottleneck of her skill!]

[Issuing 100 Profound Points as a reward.]

A smile crept across Han De's face.

Ning Bi opened her eyes. She had already gone through two enlightenments. In this subject, she was perhaps the most experienced person in the world. Compared to the first two, she felt that this time it was a bit different.

'There is only a small amount of dust on the floor. Good, it was only a few days…'

Her concept of time had completely disappeared during the enlightenment. She had no idea how much time she had spent. It could've been a few hours, or a few months. It was impossible to explain, but it felt completely natural to her.

Before this, the range that she could perceive things was variable. If nothing was moving she could perceive through walls, but if something was moving too much she couldn't perceive anything else but that. Her master's sword flight was actually a really good way to train. If only she could muster the courage…

She closed her eyes once again. Ning Bi perceived her teacher walking towards the abode. She perceived Treebeard and the two silhouettes energetically talking near him. A girlish shape far away was walking to the servant's building. In front of the gates, there was a tiny splotch. Ning Bi had no idea what it was but it was there. Her teacher was the closest, and he was barely in range, she decided to use this opportunity to showcase her improvement.

A minute earlier Han De had noticed Xiao Bai in front of the gates. For a moment he really wanted to slap him silly, but his reason prevailed in the end. He had to keep in mind, Arrogant Young Master was only a persona, an act. And he wanted to keep it that way.

While walking towards Ning Bi's chambers, Han De came up with an idea.

'These capture targets might have a use after all. Since they are all chasing Ning Bi, then gaining my favor would seem beneficial in their minds. Maybe I can use them for the C-Sports ad campaign. A little social engineering might go a long way in this world.'

Blockbuster Thud Sound Effect*

"Master!"

"..."

The sudden appearance of Ning Bi naturally left Han De speechless. In that moment of silence, he stealthy looked at her skill through a status check.

[Breach (Mortal)]

[Progress: 21%]

[Notes: By blocking the visual senses, the user can perceive and interact with a spatial domain. Greatly increases passive relational action processing and prediction speed while active. Further effects are unknown.]

"Good, it seems you have broken through your bottleneck. The results seem rather surprising!"

"Thank you, master! It is all because of your teachings…"

"No, I didn't do anything. This is your own effort. Take pride in it!"

'Seriously, I didn't do anything. When did I teach you how to teleport?! I wasn't even in the sect yesterday!'

Han De didn't let his thoughts disturb the Hidden Expert A facade. Although it was more flexible than the Profound Expert series, he still needed to practice some restraint. He didn't linger and asked details in a way that would impress her.

"How much can you interact with it?"

This question widened Ning Bi's eyes. She nodded as if she had comprehended something just now.

"Yes, I interact with it, but, I… It is difficult to describe. I can move, but sometimes it feels like time stops for everything but me and sometimes it is the opposite."

Sudden appearance plus the skill description had already given Han De a good idea. He was pretty confident that it was a blink type sub-skill, but her description meant it was more than that. He further probed.

"Can you choose or influence this passage of time?"

"I couldn't at first, but now I think I can. Yes, if it is a short period I can."

Han De had no words for the MC cheats this girl was getting. Just one of them would be enough for any kind of MC to soar through the heavens, but this girl just kept getting new ones. Han De ignored his momentary envy and concentrated on Ning Bi instead.

"Show me."

In just 10 short minutes they were able to determine the rough parameters of her skill.

Just like Han De had first suspected she could teleport around. Technically, it wasn't teleporting, she was entering and exiting a spatial domain. When inside the domain she could affect the flow of its time. From the outside perspective, her exit could be instant or could be a few seconds later. She didn't even need to move, she could dodge an attack just by disappearing into thin air and reappear a moment later. Her awareness wasn't affected at all, she was like a fish in the water. The only downside was the cooldown after exiting the domain. She couldn't enter it again for a few seconds afterward, but that was negligible.

'What a disgusting skill. This is simply broken…'

While feeling nausea due to the Breach skill, Han De was also somewhat concerned on the inside. The description said 'A Spatial Domain' but didn't elaborate further. At first Ning Bi could tap into it, now she could interact with it. Was this domain something naturally occurring? Han De had no way of knowing and he also didn't want to scare Ning Bi for baseless reasons. If there was an issue the System would have mentioned it by now. There was no need to worry!

'With this, she really might be able to get to higher floors. If she could use the Foundation Realm weapons then she could reach the 11th floor. The last two floors should be a major realm difference, not that easy to jump through that one even with multiple cheats.'

Han De decided to give it a try. Ning Bi was an MC and she had maximum luck. It would be extremely hard for her to get injured in the pagoda. Higher floors would probably one-shot her anyway, and that would mean she'll get teleported to safety.

"That's enough for now. You just broke through and need some downtime. Sometimes you'll need to stand still in order to advance later. I know you want to go to the pagoda now, but don't. You'll need to rest for today and attend to your other duties as my disciple."

Ning Bi was bewildered but obediently continued listening to Han De.

"While taking a stroll at the Misty Mountains I have encountered a promising individual by chance. Although her talent isn't as good as yours, her will is extraordinarily strong."

Han De instructed Ning Bi to meet Yao Qing and to teach her the master-disciple acceptance ceremony. He purposefully didn't give any negative or positive suggestions to Ning Bi. If he gave a negative impression of Yao Qing, it might give ammunition to Yao Qing against him. If he gave a positive impression, it might make Yao Qing's job easier if she wanted to steal Ning Bi.

'I guess I should refrain from showing favoritism to Ning Bi in the future as well. She might be young but she isn't stupid. Any odd behavior might arouse her curiosity towards Yao Qing.'

After sending Ning Bi away Han De looked for Treebeard. The Nascent Soul experts were still waiting with him. It was a good thing that these lackeys had some brains and waited for further instructions from him. Han De spoke with his Hidden Expert C - Lecturer Edition persona.

"Register the boy as a minor Anomaly and monitor his progress. There is a chance that his path might've been cut short and he might live as an above-average disciple from now on. Ignore the girl as an Anomaly, but keep an eye on her as my disciple. Do not open a file on her."

The experts bowed and left. They could only feel respect for their young master. They thought the boy might be the one, but it turns out it was the girl! Having an Anomaly in their midst made them nervous, but the young master's instructions were clear. They could only passively monitor her as his disciple. They respectfully didn't ask how he determined the status of the girl. They were experts themselves and had thought of a few ideas of their own. Even Treebeard wrote down his thoughts to 'discuss' it with others.

Han De retreated to his chambers to think about the overall situation. He felt tremendous danger from Yao Qing, but the fear of not knowing was suppressing everything else. He gathered his thoughts while pacing back and forth.

'If Ning Bi's quest give a few hundred points I can upgrade the lackey's cultivation methods without problems. Right, I can also rewrite some standard scriptures and distribute them to the lackeys at the same time. Then I can leave a buffer of 200 points and spend the rest on my cultivation.'

'If I can induce a grudge against the pagoda on her, the bonus points might surpass a few hundred. Then I can maybe look for more methods to use Derive Cultivation Method Token.'

After calming down, Han De contacted Peng for the lackey's weapon scriptures, then concentrated on making contingency plans.

Other than the Iron Blood Sect in her youth, Yao Qing had never lived or spent time inside a sect. That didn't mean she was ignorant of their way of life. On the contrary, through her encounters over the years she gained a perspective that could only be achieved by a loose cultivator like her.

She knew about thousands of sects across many different worlds. Demonic, devilish, righteous, neutral, Buddhist, scholarly, ritualistic, rational, insane, and much more. She had met them all. She had interacted with their disciples and their elders.

In this world she had only encountered a small number of sects, even so, she couldn't even remember most of their names. She only remembered Starfall Mountain due to Long Xiu. Therefore, she was pretty curious about the sect.

Yao Qing followed the servants to the side buildings while listening to their oddly respectful voices. The history and the current surface level affairs of the sect were the same old thing she heard a million times before. What caught her attention was the servants' overly respectful tone whenever they mentioned their Elder De. She understood this was reverence mixed in with a dash of fear. It was a potent combination that didn't fit the image of Han De in her mind.

These servants were simple people and with only a few words along with a few puzzled expressions from Yao Qing, they started telling her about the important events out of their own volition. Most of it was just gossip, to Yao Qing's dismay. However, she did gain some crucial information too. About the Zhao family, and Ning Bi.

She had no impression of the Zhao family. Hearing of their rebellion and their subsequent cleansing was shocking. She was a normal outer sect disciple of the Iron Blood in the Misty Mountains. This level of isolation was a crucial cover against Shen Xing, but it did leave her in the dark about the events of the world.

'Perhaps Zhao was the pawn of the Silent Silhouette, but they failed. The danger is unknown and may be internal. Starfall Mountain relaxed their guard and Han De died, resulting in Long Xiu's insanity…'

Yao Qing was determined to raise the vigilance of the Starfall Mountain, especially of the Han De's people. This was both helpful to Han De and herself. She didn't dare believe that the boy Han De killed at the Brass Stallion City was Shen Xing. Although timing seemed to fit perfectly, it didn't fit the timeline she knew. It was better to act as if he wasn't dead until she had irrefutable evidence.

When it came to Ning Bi, she had to admit, she was nervous. Although it was a very rough version, listening to the story about her acceptance, and her 'duel' completely eased her mind.

This Ning Bi was actually using warglaives! Who would use those incredibly useless weapons? And she wasn't even using one, but using two! Dual-wielding these increased their difficulty tenfold. Even mastering single warglaive was a futile effort. It required mastery of many different weapons. At times it acted like a spear, other times like a sword, or even a dagger. You could use it like a shield, or an axe. The more you learned about it the more you would realize how lacking you were. It required tremendous awareness too, otherwise it was a massive liability.

As Yao Qing was going through her list of 'Why Warglaive Are Stupid And 200 Reasons Why You Should Not Use Them!', servants told her of Ning Bi's achievements in the black pagoda. When she heard Ning Bi reached the 7th floor on the first day and that no one else could surpass the 3rd floor two weeks later caused her to narrow her eyes. A hidden expert like Han De obviously wouldn't have a simple disciple.

Although these servants didn't know what cultivation method she used, this conversation still completely convinced her. The differences between the images in her mind and this Ning Bi was just too huge. Her name was a simple coincidence. In the first place, 'she' was supposed to be living in a hidden realm and only come out hundreds of years later.

Yao Qing's entire knowledge of 'her' was very basic. Not much was known about 'her' in the first place. 'Her' name, 'her' cultivation method, and obviously, 'her' universally dreaded eye-color. That was it. Yao Qing's 'exclusive' knowledge came from her early years. It was purely a coincidence that they were born in the same world, during the same period.

Blockbuster Thud Sound Effect*

"..."

The sudden sound and appearance of a girl startled everyone. The girl seemed nonchalant about it and spoke to the servants without waiting. Yao Qing couldn't see the girl's face, but she had an ominous feeling all of a sudden. Her current senses were too dull, but she could still feel a faint wisp of pure Fire Qi.

"Uncle Liu, may I take my sister here and show her around? I hope you don't mind."

Without waiting for the response from this 'Uncle Liu', the girl turned towards Yao Qing. As she looked at the girl, she could feel her legs go soft. This girl was smiling brilliantly at Yao Qing with her shining red eyes.

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'Just a coincidence. These people don't know about the red eyes yet. Impossible, just a coincidence.'

Yao Qing and Ning Bi stared at each other. The former was expressionless, while the latter was still smiling. Yao Qing couldn't tell how long they stared at each other but at some point, servants had already left. They were all alone.

As the new disciple, she knew that she should introduce herself first. However, seeing the red-colored eyes was more shocking than she would've thought. The people of this time naturally wouldn't consider them an ominous sign. They also naturally wouldn't brutally hunt anyone that had red eyes. Nor would they cleanse entire civilizations for giving birth to them.

Yao Qing calmed herself down. She ignored the ominous feeling that was screaming inside her. Logically speaking, this girl in front of her was younger than herself. She gathered her courage and finally greeted Ning Bi with a bow.

"Disciple Yao Qing greets elder sister Ning Bi."

"P-Please! Don't call me that! Elder sister Yao Qing you don't need to do that!"

Without even waiting for Yao Qing's response Ning Bi hugged her and forcefully raised her posture.

"S-Sorry, I was just too excited to see a fellow disciple. My name is Ning Bi, I am master's disciple. It has only been 58 days since I became a disciple. My father always taught me to respect my elders."

Yao Qing's face momentarily reflected her inner bafflement, but she recovered quickly. Normally she would consider the last part as a jab at her, but looking at Ning Bi's earnest face she was filled with doubt.

"But, you are the first disciple, and seniority must be observ-"

"No! Elder sister please don't say that! If I don't respect my elders I would fail my father, or worse, fail master!"

Ning Bi's forceful response baffled Yao Qing. She remembered how Han De mentioned they should discuss seniority between them. In hindsight, this was a clear indication for her to accept Ning Bi's choice. Since that was the case, it didn't make any sense to prolong this any further. Just this little bit of interaction revealed much of the Ning Bi's qualities to her.

"Alright, if you are sure, I will do as you wish."

"Thank you elder sister!"

Ning Bi's beaming smile made her feel at ease.

'This girl is pure. No wonder Han De threatened me not to antagonize her.'

'She's definitely not 'her'. It is a shame about her eye color. Well, now that I am here I could teach her some basic illusion magic to hide it. She would look stunning with any eye color anyway. '

Ning Bi grabbed Yao Qing's arm and showed her around the estate while talking about whatever came to her mind. She talked about her family, her journey to the sect. When she learned Yao Qing came from another sect she asked questions non-stop. She was curious about life in other sects.

Han De's estate was astonishingly big, even for Yao Qing. One could fill a few Iron Blood Sect inside it and still have enough room to live comfortably. It didn't lack locations to visit too. They even went to the Eleventh Pavilion, a location that even Ning Bi hadn't visited yet. The Eleventh Pavilion was the name that the cultivation idiot had given to these buildings. Han De was even lazier and just called it 'lackeys' buildings'.

In the large open space devoid of people, they saw a large sheet of spiritual iron protruding from the ground. Yao Qing involuntarily frowned.

'Is that a tertiary plank for the Heavenly Qi Gathering formation? T-That can't be…'

This was an item that every Silent Silhouette disciple and elder carried with them, along with the corresponding anchoring rocks. These things resonated with each other and were very precious to the Silent Silhouette sect. Seeing one out in the open like this was baffling. This entire estate was filled with high-density spiritual power. It would surely cause this plate to activate and echo as long as it remained here. Yao Qing secretly looked at Ning Bi but saw that apart from the novelty of it she didn't have a reaction. Yao Qing shelved this line of thought for now.

Ning Bi grabbed her once again, this time to the abode of their master.

"Elder sister! Master instructed me to teach you about the master-disciple acceptance ceremony. I-It might remind you of something else but it isn't. Master can't teach you cultivation methods if you don't perform it!"

As she explained, Yao Qing had to actively fight against her urge to frown. It reminded her of some unpleasant memories.

She had once searched for the ruins of a primordial sect. The entire trip was disappointment after disappointment. The only thing she had gained was a scroll describing a useless disciple acceptance tea ceremony that was eerily close to the ancient marriage ceremony. She was so enraged she tried to destroy the scroll on the spot. Unfortunately, even a useless scroll from a primordial sect was impossible to destroy for a cultivator of her realm. So she could only throw it away in frustration.

'Calm down, he is probably making fun of the tea ceremonies. Hidden experts usually have their peculiarities. It isn't surprising that his sense of humor is warped.'

Yao Qing thought she had listened enough. It was time to ask some innocent questions.

"Thank you, sister Bi. I will not fail you. You can be sure of that. Did you have a cultivation method before master taught you?"

Ning Bi looked exceptionally proud while answering.

"No, I did not. Even when I went to the Archives I failed to find a cultivation method. But master found a partial scripture for me and re-wrote it completely! As I advanced he kept rewriting it. My cultivation method is really amazing! It is really easy to understand too! All of the methods master write are so easy to understand. Once you go through the ceremony master will take a look at your method too. You will be amazed, I guarantee it!"

Yao Qing was surprised, to say the least. This girl wasn't lying. Although she was pure she obviously had a good head on her shoulders. Deceiving her wouldn't be easy. Yao Qing herself only knew about Han De's amazing spear mastery. Writing cultivation methods was a big leap, but she stayed silent about it.

"If you don't mind me asking, what kind of method you use? My cultivation is low but I can vaguely sense Fire Qi on you."

"Yes. I cultivate Fire Qi. I don't know of other cultivation methods that cultivate Fire Qi. I only briefly looked at them in the Archives. Mine is called the Blazing Sun Scripture. Oh, it is almost time. Elder sister, you should get ready for the ceremony! I'll leave you to it!"

Blockbuster Thud Sound Effect*

Ning Bi disappeared instantly, leaving Yao Qing to her thoughts. Latter was in a daze. It was like she heard the words, she realized what they meant when they came together, but she still did not want to believe it.

'It's her!!'

Yao Qing's legs went soft and she leaned on the wall. She was barely holding on to her consciousness.

In the far end of the estate, inside her room, Ning Bi with her closed eyes was perceiving Yao Qing. She opened her eyes then kept staring at emptiness. After a while, she narrowed her eyes.

Han De had reasonable confidence that this ceremony would fail. In the eyes of the System at least. He felt that if a person could become his disciple by paying lip service only, it would be a severe hole in the System's design. However, he couldn't skip it since it would gather suspicion from Ning Bi.

The last thing he wanted was to drive her away towards Yao Qing through his actions. This girl was naive and she would quickly come to Yao Qing's defense if he did something stupid, even if it was by accident.

The ceremony this time was a little different. Han De had a disciple now. As such Ning Bi was sitting in seiza on his right, while Yao Qing served the tea to Han De. She then kowtowed three times. Han De slowly drank his tea.

His memories of this 'ceremony' were at best, hazy. All he remembered from the web novels was that someone had to serve tea and kowtow. At the time this was his last-ditch effort before death.

'Hmm, what a surprisingly bland tea. I guess it shouldn't be surprising. If she had made an amazing tea it would be suspicious.'

Han De had never drunk tea without sugar before coming to this world. This world did have the concept of putting honey into it, but it was generally frowned upon. Han De held back his sigh as he was reminded of his plans to make sugar farms with Tan Renshu.

He finally finished the tea and spoke.

"With this, you are now my second disciple."

Yao Qing respectfully sat near Ning Bi. Everything went exactly as Han De thought it would be.

'As expected, lip service won't gain recognition from the Syst-'

[Congratulations!]

[Host has reached the maximum number of disciples]

[Criteria for Privilege upgrade met]

[Upgrading host's Privilege Level]

[Processing...]

Both Ning Bi and Yao Qing looked at their master, who seemed to be in a daze. A few seconds later, disbelief was written all over his face.

Han De himself had lost the capacity to think.

[Processing...]

[Privilege Level Upgrade Complete]

[Privilege Level: 2]

[Privilege Level met, issuing one-time gift box]

[..]

[Profound Point Shop Level 2 is now active]

[Unlocked Grand Master level comprehension]

[Unlocked beginner level Disciples Panel]

[Notes: Further upgrades to the Privilege Level will require offline maintenance.]

After a minute of silence, Han De was sure that what happened was absolutely real. One of his first regrets in this world was opening the gift box away from Ning Bi. Now that he had 2 MCs sitting in front of him he didn't waste time.

[Opening the One-Time Gift Box]

[5]

[4]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[...]

[Congratulations!]

[You have received]

Profound Points Token x50

Spiritual Roots Cleansing Token x5

Spiritual Roots Seed Token x5

Random Constitution Token x5

Random Bloodline Token x5

Potential Point Upgrade Token x1

Han De didn't know if this box was actually random or not, but he felt opening it here and now was the right choice regardless. The contents were just too extravagant! He realized his disciples were looking at him so he quickly re-entered the Profound Expert A mode.

"Now that you are my disciple, I can pass cultivation methods to you. Normally I would give you something appropriate to your talent, but it seems that won't be necessary as your current method is well suited for you. Write your Celestial Storm Scripture down and bring it to me. I will refine it further for you."

Han De slowly and profoundly closed his eyes, and reopened them.

"You are a spear cultivator. I will not judge the martial arts you are using, but your idea of building a foundation is correct. I will pass on you the standard spear scripture of the sect. It will be much more suitable for you to build your foundation through that."

Yao Qing bowed. Han De turned his gaze to Ning Bi.

"I have prepared some weapons for you. Although at first I was only going to give you the Qi Condensation one and hold on to the rest for safekeeping until you got stronger. However, I feel there might be some fate between you and these weapons."

Han De gave the extra storage ring that stored warglaives to Ning Bi. The excitement was written all over her face even though she tried hard to restrain it.

"I know you are eager to try your skills in the pagoda. This is good for you, but don't forget to be cautious. The black pagoda belonged to the same hidden demonic sect that attempted to kill me and wanted to hurt you. This sect is ruthless even to their disciples and probably kept a few surprises hidden within."

Upon his reveal of the pagoda's origins, both Ning Bi and Yao Qing were shocked. Han De signaled that their conversation was over. Both of them left while in deep thought. He could faintly feel Yao Qing's reluctance to get close to Ning Bi.

'Let's see if any of the seeds will take root. Even if Ning Bi spectacularly fails her quest, I can still get by with the point tokens now. I wonder if Yao Qing trusts me enough to give her actual cultivation method…'

'Wait, why did Yao Qing count as a disciple? Wasn't she paying lip service?!'

Han De narrowed his eyes. Perhaps System didn't care about this at all. It could very well be overthinking from his part due to his struggles he went through during Ning Bi's acceptance as his disciple. This was good news for him. If he could find a few MCs that barely qualify, he could pay them to become his disciples and fill up his slots. He would gain Profound Points through their achievements.

'A way to convert money into Profound Points! Haha! The last thing I lack is money anyways…'

Of course, finding a qualifying MC was easier said than done. In fact, perhaps not finding one was much better overall.

Han De shook his head and concentrated on the elephant in the room.

[Profound Points Token] x50

Bundle of 10 profound points.

[Spiritual Roots Cleansing Token] x5

Completely purifies the target's spiritual roots.

Warning: Can only be used on a target with single element roots.

[Spiritual Roots Seed Token] x5

Creates a new spiritual root on the target. The element depends on the Qi provided during the seeding progress.

Warning: Adding a root with an existing element will cause complications. Adding conflicting elements will cause complications. Please refer to Spiritual Roots Removal Token.

[Random Constitution Token] x5

Adds a random constitution on the target.

Warning: Target must not have another constitution. Please refer to Constitution Removal Token to prevent casualties.

[Random Bloodline Token] x5

Adds a random bloodline on the target.

Warning: Target must not have another bloodline. Please refer to Bloodline Removal Token to prevent casualties.

[Potential Point Upgrade Token] x1

Adds 1 point(s) to the host's target disciple.

Warning: Will cause a very powerful Heavenly Tribulation upon use.

'V-Very powerful?'

'...'

[Tokens Activated]

[Received 500 Profound Points]

[Profound Points: 711]

Decisively ignoring the Potential Point Upgrade Token's existence, Han De couldn't help but start giggling. Finally, he had some leeway. He wasn't surprised but still a bit disappointed that auto-cultivation wasn't in the upgrade.

'Random bloodline and constitution are a bit risky on Ning Bi and Yao Qing. But it's different for me, I can take that risk. As long as something increases my power it's enough. Down the line, I can remove them if they are problematic. I can't do the same with my disciples. What kind of Profound Master would add random bloodlines to their disciples? Even if Ning Bi's luck is good, it is too risky. If I had a removal token ready that might be different...'

This was the first time in a long time that Han De received good news. He was determined to completely ignore that ominous gut feeling he had. This was not the time to look a gift horse in the mouth. Han De was turning a new leaf! From now on the name of the game was positivity!

[Profound Point Shop]

Spiritual Roots Upgrade Token 500PP

Spiritual Roots Removal Token 10000PP

Spiritual Roots Seed Token 5000PP

Spiritual Roots Healing Token 800PP

Bloodline Awakening Token 100PP

Bloodline Purifying Token 500PP

Bloodline Removal Token 10000PP

Constitution Refinement Token 500PP

Constitution Removal Token 10000PP

Cultivation Method Upgrade Token 200PP

Cultivation Method Fragment 1PP

Martial Arts Method Upgrade Token 200PP

Martial Arts Method Fragment 1PP

Spiritual Spell Fragment 1PP (NEW!)

Spiritual Spell Upgrade Token 200PP (NEW!)

Utility Method Fragment 1PP (NEW!)

Utility Method Upgrade Token 200PP (NEW!)

Derive Cultivation Method Token 20000PP (NEW!)

Derive Martial Arts Method Token 20000PP (NEW!)

Derive Spiritual Spell Token 20000PP (NEW!)

Derive Utility Method Token 20000PP (NEW!)

Reactions of Ning Bi and Yao Qing to the ceremony was different.

Ning Bi had received 5 pairs of warglaives. She carefully inspected all of them. The Foundation Establishment warglaive was nearly unusable, at most after 5 swings she would completely exhaust her power reserves. The Core Formation warglaives were even worse. Perhaps she could use them as a defensive tool without infusing any spiritual power, but that was it.

Normally she would feel incredibly excited to inspect these weapons, but she kept remembering her teacher's words about the pagoda. Ning Bi's face kept getting darker and darker. She swore that she would make those trash pay.

Yao Qing was still shocked by the revelation regarding Ning Bi. She had no idea what had happened and why 'she' was here. Her relationship with Han De was quite deep despite her being a disciple for less than 2 months. Suddenly it hit her.

'I see, it was right in front of me all along. When Han De died and Long Xiu went insane, Ning Bi either ran away or was taken away. After spending time in that hidden realm and gaining power she came back with a vengeance. I always thought she had learned the Blazing Sun Scripture from that hidden realm, but obviously, that wasn't the case.'

From Ning Bi's character that she saw, running away wasn't an option. Yao Qing had always thought it was Silent Silhouette that killed Han De, but perhaps where they failed, others had succeeded.

'It seems they are aware of the Silent Silhouette, they just lack the information. But now the problem isn't them, but the ones that target Ning Bi…'

Her thoughts couldn't help but jump back to her nemesis.

'Shen Xing's death seems more and more real. Perhaps he was right. The insignificant me didn't go to the Brass Stallion City. Shen Xing couldn't target me, and turned to Ning Bi instead, causing him to provoke Han De.'

Yao Qing smiled bitterly.

'What my life could've been if I hadn't visited the Brass Stallion City the first time…'

She shook her head. She didn't have a habit of reminiscing the past and her thoughts moved on. Still, she felt that something didn't seem right with how Shen Xing died. That guy was the most devious schemer in existence. He wouldn't have made an amateurish mistake like this. Was there a problem with him, or was it caused by Han De?

Yao Qing fell in deep thought. After a while, she started writing down her scripture. This way, perhaps she could take her mind off the cosmic horror that was living in the same house.

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Yuan Zemin was sitting in silence while waiting for a response from the man with the receding hairline in front of him. Since he decided to cut off from the Silent Silhouette four days ago, things quickly made a turn for the worse. Subordinates that he had sent to the Royal Maw had died in body and soul. A Transcendent master had started to hunt their group. His old sect declared him a traitor. And Sun Empire had started fiddling with the weak points.

He was feeling intense pressure. This made Yuan Zemin even more determined, but perhaps this pressure was starting to get under his skin. Yesterday night he felt suffocated. As if the aura of death suddenly condensed around him then vanished without a trace. His intuition was telling him to act quickly before it was too late.

The man with beady eyes and receding hairline opened his eyes. This was the master of the Plum Seed Sect, Li Honghui. He looked at Yuan Zemin and gave a solemn nod.

Elders of the Silent Silhouette Sect had gathered on the Central Pavilion to discuss the recent events. This pavilion was used to be called Black Pavilion, but during the last Breach, the sect had 'painted' all of the buildings black. Everything looked as if they were dipped in a large tub of ink. As such, the name Black Pavilion had no meaning anymore. As if they had discussed it in length, everyone unanimously started calling it the Central Pavilion.

A man with a goatee and a pair of pitch-black eyes with no whites sat uncomfortably in seiza. He was the formation master of the sect. Even in normal sects, this was a prestigious position, but here in Silent Silhouette his value was only second to the Grand Elder.

"There is no doubt about it, a tertiary plank is now active. Pinpointing its location is impossible but we can determine the rough direction. Either the Celestial River Sect or the Starfall Mountain Sect."

Silent Silhouette Sect Master didn't say anything. One plank wasn't important, even if it was the Starfall Mountain that investigated it. Their plan was too far along for them to interfere. He asked about the only wildcard he cared about.

"What of the Yuan Zemin?"

The 4th Elder scoffed.

"He's not interfering and still carrying out the placements. At least he has some brains and knows not to make further mistakes."

Formation Master frowned and started to argue.

The sect master ignored their discussions. He was an old monster and his natural intuition was very sharp. His cultivation method had strengthened his intuition further thanks to its unique properties. Divination techniques were also his forte and he could be considered one of the leading experts in this field.

For the past 2 months, he constantly felt stifled. This feeling was getting strengthened day by day. When he tried to divine the reason he failed repeatedly. 4 days ago when he tried to divine the affairs of Yuan Zemin after he left the sect, he nearly spurted out blood. This was almost unthinkable for someone of his cultivation.

The sect master had lived a long time and seen many things. In his early years he was a loose cultivator, and he frequently flirted with danger. The only reason he survived those turmoil filled years was his decisiveness. He knew when to run and when to fight. The current feeling of danger was like an old friend that he hadn't seen for centuries. His younger self wouldn't have hesitated for a second.

"Enough!"

The sect master's commanding voice stopped the heated argument around Yuan Zemin. All the elders sat silently and waited for the grand elder's instructions.

"We can no longer wait. Accelerate the formation. Initiate the plans for the Sun and Ming dynasties. While I enter the secluded meditation the 2nd Elder will be in charge. None of you will touch Yuan Zemin. His status as a traitor and an outsider will not change, but no one will hunt him!"

The sect master scanned the room. He could see many uncomfortable faces. He was already expecting this.

"If we wait any longer than the situation might not be recoverable. Just in 10 generations, no newborn will be able to surpass the Nascent Soul realm. There is no need to be patient anymore."

No one could say anything to that. The meeting had ended and everyone went their way to carry out their duties.

The sect master Silent Silhouette recalled that feeling of danger he felt last night once again. Perhaps it was time to take a page out of his younger self's book.

A bright new day greeted Han De. He had no idea why, but everything really seemed so bright!

Last night he had written down the standard spear scripture for Yao Qing. He had also received the weapon count of his lackeys from Peng and had already learned the corresponding 72 extra weapons. Along with the 21 cultivation methods he had spent a total of 271 Profound Points. Now all he had to do was to write them down over a few days. His lackeys would do the copying work.

'Being rich is truly different. Once I'm done with the small stuff I can finally upgrade myself. I can't wait for the new me…'

While Han De was writing down the standard scriptures, he received a voice transmission request from Peng. He didn't feel down at all.

Peng.

Elder De, I have received word that your cousin Han Bai has returned from the lower realm, a-and requested an official welcoming from you in 3 days time.

...

... What is this official welcoming again?

Elder De and his disciples need to greet him at the Golden Pavilion according to traditions.

'This should be something to do with the sect. I am an active elder now, perhaps greeting him this way serves a purpose? There isn't a reason to reject it I suppose…'

... Inform both Ning Bi and Yao Qing, then recall Treebeard.

Yes, Elder De.

[Quest Complete!]

[Congratulations!]

[Quest Reward: 400 Profound Points]

[Notes: You have completed your quest in the allocated time. Your extremely talented disciple overcame her first bottleneck and became the first person that surpassed the black pagoda's final floor. Bonus reward is being issued.]

[Bonus Reward: Bloodline Removal Token x 5]

Han De looked at the system clock. It was only 10:27 AM.

'That was… rather anticlimactic. But I'll take it...'

While Han De was inwardly concerned about Ning Bi's cheats, Yao Qing was outside of the black pagoda, looking at the scoreboard with her expressionless face. She had already tried the pagoda herself, but she couldn't surpass the 5th floor. Even then, she had already taken the 2nd place on it.

To her, Ning Bi passing the final floor was only natural. While she was thinking that, a smug-looking Ning Bi exited the pagoda. Everyone in the perimeter of the pagoda was gawking at her. It was a natural response, everyone else was stuck on the 3rd floor at best, but she had passed the 13th already.

Ning Bi was slowly getting used to being the center of attention, but the current situation still managed to make her uncomfortable. She quickly searched for someone in the crowd while doing her best to ignore the slack jaws in front of her. After spotting her target she immediately smiled and ran towards Yao Qing.

"Elder sister look! I finished it!"

Yao Qing could only stiffly smile towards Ning Bi that had already grabbed her arm.

Han De spent the next few days writing down standard scriptures. The only noteworthy change in this routine was acquiring Yao Qing's cultivation method. She really gave him the complete Celestial Storm Scripture, much to Han De's delight. This meant that his hints weren't in vain, and a flimsy trust was established between them. All he needed to do now was to build on top of this good start and wait for her to drip information about future events.

Yao Qing herself was shocked at Han De's abilities. She considered her comprehension to be near the top. It was her strongest suit after her iron will. Still, it took her many years to increase her comprehension of the Celestial Storm Scripture to her current level. Yet in one night Han De had rewritten the entire scripture.

She was baffled how easy it was to understand both scriptures that she received. Starfall Mountain Standard Spear Scripture was nothing if not comprehensive. Yet everything was laid out in an incredibly straightforward fashion. She was certain that this was the spear art that Han De displayed when they first met. In some ways, it was even better than her Azure Lightning Spear.

Although she alternated between the martial arts and cultivation methods, the study of the Celestial Storm Scripture was her primary goal. Yet anytime she did that, her heart was getting more and more unsettled. She even momentarily suspected that Han De already had prepared this long before they met. But that was impossible, she had only found this scripture 5000 years in the future, from the ruins of an ancient sect that was on another world. It was impossible for Han De to know of it. Even knowing the name of it should've been impossible. The implications of this caused her to shudder.

She spent these last few days studying the scriptures almost religiously. At times Ning Bi would come to her room and grab her away to wander around the sect. She realized she lacked the ability to say no to Ning Bi.

It took him 3 days and 3 nights, but Han De had finally finished writing down a total of 86 martial arts, and 22 cultivation scriptures. It was just in time too, today was the day of the lecture.

'Ugh, I guess I need to do that official welcoming thing at the pavilion first.'

The Golden Pavilion was used to receive the delegates from other powers around the continent. It really was covered with gold. Although ordinary gold was a worthless metal for cultivators, it still looked nice, so it was a common decorative material. For mortals, gold would show off their wealth. For cultivators, it would show off their tolerance and their desire to find common ground.

Han De equipped his Arrogant Young Master A form. It was the time and he wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. After calling for Peng and his disciples, he headed for the main courtyard.

Old Peng had good senses, he immediately left after receiving the scriptures. Yao Qing was new so she couldn't read Han De's mood, but Ning Bi was different. Once she realized her master's impatience she understood the situation right away. Without delay, she tried to defuse it.

"M-Master, the weather today is really good, it has been a while since we walked around the sect, m-maybe we should walk to our destination?"

Under Yao Qing's puzzled gaze Han De shook his head. The distance between Han De's abode and the Golden Pavilion wasn't small. They were nearly at the opposite ends of the sect.

"No. Sooner this is over the better." Han De really wanted to play with his tokens as soon as possible.

He removed his speed-focused sword from his storage ring and let it hover. He admired its extraordinarily ordinary looks once again. Ning Bi took a deep breath and closed her eyes before hopping on the sword. Yao Qing was completely mesmerized by the sword, but she quickly followed Ning Bi. Even the concealed Treebeard was surprised at the sword.

Han De spiritual power exploded inside the sword. Their journey was near-instant. Under a few seconds, they reached their destination.

[Breach (Mortal)]

[Progress: (1) 22%]

'Hmmm, it wasn't as bad as I remembered. Maybe I am getting used to it. Or maybe this sword is slower than I thought? No, that is impossible. Elder Xiang wouldn't make a mistake like that.'

While Han De was in his own world without paying attention to anybody else, Ning Bi's face was unsightly.

This was even worse than she remembered. Although the flight was short, the burden on her Breach skill had increased 10 fold. She realized in horror that she couldn't close or open her eyes to ignore it anymore. She had to experience it fully, one way or another. She forced herself to act normally, she couldn't display a weakness in front of her elder sister.

Yao Qing was in shambles inside. If it wasn't for her iron will she would've already passed out with foam coming out of her mouth. This was the result of the cultivator's speed surpassing the limitations of their realm. However, the effect shouldn't have been this exaggerated. She gave up on that line of thought and focused on acting normally. Neither Han De nor Ning Bi was displaying any symptoms. At least, as far as she could tell. In this state just walking normally was an ordeal.

Han De ignored the commotion and the crater he created with their landing. Today he was The Arrogant Young Master of the sect. He wasn't courteous, he directly sat on the lead spot while ignoring everybody. Ning Bi and Yao Qing took their place on his side.

It didn't take long for Han Bai to arrive. Beside him was a woman in the 9th stage of Qi Condensation, wearing grey robes and a grey veil. The robes were obviously meant to hide her figure, but Han De suspected this guy made them just loose enough so that her curves would be noticeable. The veil was blocking everything but her green eyes and the delicate eyebrows. Han De held back the urge to roll his eyes and looked at his cousin.

True to his name, this guy had nearly shining white skin and a delicate-looking face. Although he was in his mid 20s and he was a member of the Han family, it didn't look like he made an effort either in martial arts or in cultivation.

Han De sympathized with him on this part, cultivation was truly boring! If he was reincarnated in this family instead of transmigrating, he probably would have looked like the Han Bai here. Still, the initial stage of Foundation Establishment at his age wasn't that bad. It was his bad luck that the cultivation idiot was the genius of his generation.

Han Bai and the woman arrived in front of Han De and his disciples. Although he asked for a traditional welcoming, Han Bai didn't seem to bother with it and just sat down without following the etiquette.

"Cousin! Long time no see! I hope you don't mind this, aunt Long Xiu pushed this on me, normally I wouldn't even participate in these things as you know."

Han De looked at his cousin that was showing his pearly white teeth. He kept his silence and just nodded at him.

"As usual, I was going to send you a gift in private, but this time I got caught by my aunt Long Xiu, haha." Han Bai gave a hollow laugh but continued.

Han De couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. 'As usual?'

"Well, this time's gift is a little special. I didn't know you had taken a disciple until I talked with aunt Long Xiu. Well anyway, TADA! Your gift! Isn't she amazing?!"

Han Bai made an exaggerated 'TADA!' with both of his arms and pointed towards the beauty with the green eyes.

It took Han De a few seconds to comprehend what was going on. He felt his disciples stares on him. In his memory, the cultivation idiot was truly obsessed with cultivation. He didn't have memories of interacting with his cousin, let alone his 'gifts'. Han De inadvertently displayed his inner thoughts with his dubious expression.

"Oh come on, don't be like that! I think you should trust my judgment after that Crystal Lotus and the old Prayer Beads that I gave you!"

'Hmm?'

"Prayer Beads?"

"Prayer Beads?"

Han Bai was uncertain, but he decided to humor his cousin.

"Yes, the old Prayer Beads, you didn't even want it at first. Didn't you say it sat on your abode for a few years? That was what, 2 years ago?"

Han De was baffled, the elephant in the room was obvious.

'Is he really talking about the godly item that killed the cultivation idiot?

"Treebeard, seal the area off!"

Under Han Bai's puzzlement, a formation appeared and cut off the area from outside observers. Han De looked at the woman near his cousin, Treebeard quickly understood and led her away. Once she was outside the formations Han De spoke.

"Now, my dear cousin. Where did you find those prayer beads? Explain to me as if I'm hearing it the first time."

Han Bai opened and closed his mouth a few times. He looked at Han De, then his disciples, then back at Han De again. It wasn't that this was a secret, he was just surprised at these turn of events. In the end, he did as Han De told.

"They were just old prayer beads that I found in an abandoned building. I'm not even sure where that was, it was in the middle of the mountains. I only took them on a whim. Once I found out they helped with cultivation a little, I thought I'd give them to you."

Han De removed the Crystalized Tenacity from his storage ring and showed it to Han Bai and asked him if the beads were similar to this one.

"It does look like it, but I'm not sure. I haven't seen the thing in years." Han Bai shrugged. He was curious where this was going.

"Does anyone else know about these prayer beads?"

"No, it was just a small gift, why would anyone else know about it?" Han Bai was still playing. He would have to be an idiot to not realize the importance of the Prayer Beads at this point.

Han De sighed without holding back.

'Damn, this guy was afraid he would have to cultivate if he showed the prayer beads to someone else, so he sneakily gifted it to the cultivation idiot. He killed his own cousin because he didn't want to cultivate…'

"Did you gift other things to me? You mentioned a Crystal Lotus as well?"

"Of course I did, don't I bring you gifts from my travels?" Han Bai smiled brilliantly and started counting some of his gifts over the years.

On the side, Ning Bi was very attentive. She had recognized the bead from the Brass Stallion Auction. Connecting the dots between her master's lost memories, the attack, and the Prayer Beads in question didn't take long.

Yao Qing had no idea that Han De had lost his memory, but she had already guessed that it was the Silent Silhouette that tried to kill him before. It wasn't a big jump to assume that both were related. After seeing the bead in Han De's hand she knew her guess was right. Although she had no way of confirming it, that cloudy white bead looked similar to the prayer beads that Shen Xing used before leaving this world.

Han De recognized some of the items that Han Bai mentioned, but most of it didn't ring any bells. He cut him off and asked another question.

"Does my mother or father know that you gifted me the Prayer Beads? Do they know you that you frequently send gifts to me?"

"I don't think they would waste their time with small matters like these..."

Han De had confirmed everything he wanted to know. His memories related to the item that caused the cultivation idiot's death was missing. Through the cockroach's master they had assumed it that the item was supposed to be some sort of prayer beads. Since the memories were damaged, Han De had no idea how the cultivation idiot acquired those beads no matter how hard he tried to recall.

Unexpectedly, it seems like it was a casual gift from his cousin. A small matter that wouldn't catch anyone's attention. If this was true, then lacking memories about his cousin made sense since he was connected to the Prayer Beads.

'If I was an MC right now I guess I would've felt relief and reconciled with my cousin right now…'

"Treebeard. Seal him off for further questioning. Find out where he got those beads from."

Unfortunately, Han De wasn't an MC. He was very well aware of his status. As a mid-boss in this world, he couldn't leave any stone unturned. This guy was just too suspicious. It was best to keep questioning him until the Seven Luminaries Reminiscence pill was ready.

Han De looked at the sealed Han Bai without emotion. He then remembered this guy's 'gift' and couldn't help but facepalm. No wonder his mother didn't question this guy any further…

"Treebeard, bring in the lady."

It was hard to read her due to the veil, but one could see a tiny sliver of surprise in her eyes upon seeing the sealed Han Bai. She respectfully sat down after Han De gave her permission.

"I apologize on behalf of my cousin. It seems I have failed to notice how willful he could be. He will be punished according to our family rules. We will also compensate you for any damages he has caused."

"..."

Getting no response didn't faze Han De. She was probably kidnapped or bought off by his cousin. Since she was a 'gift' it was fair to assume she was unharmed, at least physically. Han De didn't have any counseling experience, and the cultivation idiot's memories certainly wouldn't have anything close to that. This reminded him of something but the feeling went away as quickly as it came.

"I assure you no harm will come to you. I assume you would prefer a safe passage to your home as soon as possible?"

"..." The woman didn't respond but slowly shook her head.

'I see, perhaps there is an issue with her family, if they sold her, suddenly reappearing out of the blue would be problematic.'

Han De wanted to solve this as quickly as possible, he could feel the stares of his disciples without even relying on his spiritual sense.

"Alright, what about a friend, maybe you have a childhood friend? A fiance?"

She didn't respond, but Han De didn't miss how her eyes shook when he asked if she had a fiance.

'Hmm, if I look at the situation from outside, reluctance to mention something like that is natural. She was supposed to be my 'gift' after all, why would she talk about something like this. There might be a tiny possibility of MC involvement too…' Han De decided to clearly explain his motivations to prevent any misunderstandings. He spoke with confidence.

"I see, perhaps you have a fiance, or someone close to that. You will be able to see them again, not to worry! I am a man of my word."

The woman spoke without emotion. "No. There is no such thing."

Han De nodded and spoke with an understanding tone. "I see, I see. Even in an uncertain situation like this, you worry about this person more than yourself. You are very brave and loyal. Must be a special person indeed."

According to the movies that Han De had remembered, he had to establish empathy with the opposite party. Probably.

Han De sneakily looked around. Treebeard was as silent and as expressionless as a tree. However, his disciples were… baffled?

"You are mistaken. I did have an engagement promise, but I broke it off myself." Han De couldn't determine any emotional changes on the woman thanks to the veil she was wearing. Before he could make another comment she continued.

"That arrangement was always against my wishes. Thankfully a few years back this person lost his cultivation and I was able to remove this shackle once and for all."

'Waait, hold up, just one second.'

"Senior Bai witnessed this event and after testing my abilities he brought me here to become a disciple."

From the side, sealed Han Bai was just looking at emptiness, he couldn't move a muscle, but if he could he would've nodded. Ning Bi and Yao Qing nodded in his stead. Former had heard many stories from his father about arranged marriages, and the latter had seen many victims of it over many millennia.

Han De tentatively probed the situation. "How did you cancel this arrangement?"

"I threw the engagement gifts back at him during their family meeting."

"... I-I see…"

Han De couldn't help but look at his cousin.

'Damn, this guy killed the cultivation idiot already. That wasn't enough now he wants more?'

Although Han De did prepare for many different scenarios involving his family, this wasn't something he had considered. His number one priority was taking precautions against the inevitable betrayals, he did not think that a family member would pass off the aggro of a tier 1 MC at the first chance they got.

'Clearly I underestimated their incompetence. What a massive oversight. Of course an arrogant young master's family would be filled with arrogant young masters.'

This wasn't Han De's first rodeo with an MC. He had a better idea of the resources at his disposal, and the warning came early. Therefore his mind was calmer.

"What was his reaction?"

"... He challenged me to a duel 3 years later. If he wins I will be his wife."

Han De was surprised. "You agreed?"

"According to my family, we must provide a way out for his dignity." Undisguised contempt in her voice showed what she was truly thinking.

'Of course there is no way to convince this guy to forget about her. An MC's mind works differently. I just need to determine the source of his power-ups.'

"Do you know why he lost his cultivation?"

"... It happened sometime after his parents died. I do know why, nor do I care."

'Grampa/loli. Yep, I can smell it.'

After Han De's content look, an awkward silence ensued. Han De was making plans on the best way to deal with the situation. Only Treebeard was able to understand his master's thoughts. Ning Bi and Yao Qing were puzzled, the woman herself was irritated but she was smart enough to understand that the questions weren't asked to humiliate her.

Among his lackeys, Treebeard had the highest cultivation as a late-stage Immortal Realm expert. He could call for more from the Han family, he could even recruit them permanently. However, their loyalty wouldn't be unquestionable like his current lackeys. His mother went to great lengths to find appropriate people for him. Raising talents like this required time. Han De wasn't about to fall for the family betrayal plotline from the get-go.

After putting Han Bai in a cell, instruct Peng to begin his questioning. Then take another Immortal Realm and go to this lower realm and find this potential Anomaly. He most likely has an Entity guiding him. Do not engage, only observe. Report back after discovery.

Treebeard bowed, dispelled the formations and took Han Bai away. Han De nodded in satisfaction, then he saw the woman was still there. He hadn't considered what to do with her yet.

'She is in her early 20s, 9th stage at that age can only be called below average. I guess living in a lower realm lowered her cultivation speed though.'

Status check was always free, Han De was also curious about the stats from the people of lower realms. This was a good opportunity.

[Name: Jin Shu]

[Race: Human (100%)]

[Gender: Female]

[Age: 23]

[Cultivation: Qi Condensation (9/13) (24.74%)]

[Constitution: None]

[Bloodline: Ancient Four-Winged Butterfly (Mutated/Parasitic) - (71.23%)]

[Roots: Wood (14%) (Sealed: 63%)]

[Potential Points (Total: 8) (Sealed: 30)]

--

[Will: 3 (8)]

[Talent: 1 (4)]

[Comprehension: 3 (10)]

[Luck: 1 (8)]

[Cultivation Methods]

--

[Blossoming Dream (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Intermediate (4/8)]

[Stage: Qi Condensation (9/13)]

[Martial Arts Methods]

--

[Flowing Roots (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Intermediate (2/8)]

[Expand to view more...]

[Fate]

[Cannon Fodder (Sealed)]

[Notes]

[Potential sealed by the bloodline. Becoming a disciple will unlock a limited timed quest. If failed, disciple status will be automatically removed. Cannot be accepted as a disciple if bloodline reaches 100.00% (Estimated Time: 35.247415 years)]

'Not bad… There is a good chance that I can scam h- Wait. Can I even accept her as a disciple now?'

Han De's initial disciple limit was 2. He had only learned of that number because it was indirectly mentioned through a quest. After his privilege upgrade, he had heard of the beginner level Disciples Panel, but he hadn't checked it out yet.

[Disciples Panel]

[Core Disciples: 1/1]

[Requirements: 32 Points Minimum]

--

[Ning Bi (35)]

[Inner Disciples: 1/2]

[Requirements: 30 Points Minimum]

--

[Yao Qing (30)]

[Outer Disciples: 0/4]

[Requirements: 28 Points Minimum]

--

-

'It did say the panel was at the beginner level… But this is really barebones. What is the difference between the levels?'

Naturally, there was no response. Han De was used to it, so he started formulating an approach on how to scam Jin Shu into being his disciple.

While Han De was reading her status, looking at the Disciples Panel, and formulating a plan, from Jin Shu's perspective he looked as if he was ogling her. His eyes made horizontal movements constantly. This was because the System displayed its text in the Latin alphabet. While this world used something close to the Chinese characters, which were written and read vertically.

Ning Bi and Yao Qing were familiar with this type of eye movement. During Yao Qing's ceremony, Han De did the same movements for nearly 5 minutes. Although, at that time he was looking at nothingness.

Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Han De spoke while directly looking into Jin Shu's eyes.

"Your Ancient Four-Winged Butterfly bloodline is impressive. It is unfortunate it mutated and became parasitic."

Jin Shu's eyes shook. Her father had spent nearly all of his resources into unlocking her bloodline. After her parents died the family hadn't abandoned her purely because of the potential that the bloodline represented.

Han De continued.

"I'm sure you've felt it. Your bloodline is getting stronger and stronger with the passage of time. It wasn't your imagination that you've been getting slower and slower to advance."

"Since you've come to this higher realm, you must have some ambition. I'll be blunt. With your current skills you will be able to enter a mid-level sect and enjoy the life of an average disciple. If you were a child you would be able to enter Starfall Mountain and stay here as a below-average disciple, but unfortunately, you are too old."

Jin Shu's eyes wavered and she involuntarily looked down. She was prepared to get rejected but didn't realize her situation was this bad. In her realm, she was an unrivaled genius after all.

"That said, if your bloodline were to be removed, your potential would explode. Then any sect would be begging for you to join them. Starfall Mountain included."

Han De let the silence linger for a moment. He wanted his words to have the full effect.

"You or your family may have spent enormous resources at awakening your bloodline, but right now it is a noose around your neck. I would suggest you remove it as soon as possible."

Jin Shu's bitter smile was visible even behind a veil. "I cannot remove it even if I wanted to. It has already passed the 6th stage."

Ning Bi had no idea what the 6th stage represented. She was generally ignorant about bloodlines. Yao Qing, however, was different. She knew Jin Shu's fate would be a slow and painful death the moment Han De mentioned that her bloodline mutated and became parasitic. It was a cruel torture that only insane sects would use. In a righteous sect, the most merciful treatment would be a swift death. Although normal bloodlines could be removed easily when they were below the 4th stage, removing a mutated one that was past the 3rd stage was nearly impossible.

Han De continued with confidence. This was the final stretch.

"I can remove your bloodline."

"..."

"However, doing so is extremely complicated. It requires complex and precise calculations that involves many factors. It also depletes a tremendous amount of my own strength. Therefore I will only use such a method on a direct disciple."

Han De smiled. "As I said. If your bloodline were removed, your potential would explode, and every sect would beg for you to join them. Starfall Mountain included. Your potential would be similar to that of Yao Qing here."

Han De looked at the Yao Qing who was staring at him with disbelief. He kept his slight smile and stood up.

"Take your time to decide. Ning Bi, Yao Qing, escort this lady around the sect. Show her around. If by the end of the day her decision is made, bring her to my abode."

Report chapter Comments

Han De was standing in front of the spiritual iron sheet that he had lodged into the ground. A week had already passed since his first lecture. These experts had worked tirelessly. It was obvious from the report that their work wasn't fruitless.

'59 subjects. At least 13 showed consistent Anomalous behavior. 3 already disappeared and cannot be found. 5 died, but the bodies of 2 disappeared. I did not expect there to be this many…'

He knew that a big chunk of this was probably false positives, and some of it might end up being minor-MCs like that Geng Shi. However, if there were 2 or 3 Yao Qing level MCs out there, that would be a tremendous success for his reeducation program. A deeply, deeply concerning success.

"Keep observing all of them. For the ones that disappeared, assign higher realm experts. They most likely had an Entity that detected the observers, or an item that did the equivalent. Wait for a few weeks then acquire the dead bodies. If those 2 reappear continue observing."

"Pay special attention to those that are blessed with luck and keep your distance. Their luck might drag you in and make them aware of your existence."

"Remember, only interfere if they take action against the Han family or the Starfall Mountain Sect. If you do interfere, make sure the force is at least 5 major realms higher."

After dealing with the report Han De started his lecture. This time the focus was on reducing the damage that the family members may cause through their interactions with the Anomalies. Treebeard was in the audience and he had already informed others of the potential MC in that lower world. Although Han De did not notice it, the tension was high among the lackeys.

The lecture was nearly over. The main theme of the crisis protocols revolved around the things Yao Qing had said before he made contact. Lackeys themselves didn't know about the source. After some nightmare scenarios, Han De gave some general orders.

"As you can see, we need a pattern that would allow us to passively observe without attracting attention. No one is to get near the Red Stone Basin. To anyone else, Red Stone Basin is an empty scar, and there is no such sect called Silent Silhouette."

"Movements of the sect master and the family head must be observed at all times. If they leave the sect or the family estate I want to know. Also do keep a note of the highest cultivation base after they leave. Make a file on the high profile ones."

After the QA session, the lecture was over. Before Han De left, as per his orders Peng informed him that his parents had left the sect grounds 6 days ago, their destination unknown.

Han De walked back to his abode with a frown. Under normal circumstances, his parents wouldn't leave at the same time for 6 days straight. They were the backbone of their respective organizations after all.

Long Xiu was high up in the sky, looking down at the bloodshed below. This was the 37th sect she had visited in the last 5 days.

A Transcendent expert with bushy eyebrows tentatively approached her. Even for a moment he wouldn't raise his head and look directly at the family head.

"We haven't been able to find another kindling. This was the 6th and the last sect of this one."

Under the triple suns, Long Xiu looked far away into the horizon. Without diverting her gaze she asked. "What of the candidates?"

"They are ready."

"Good." Finally, Long Xiu broke her gaze and intently looked at the lines and lines of women down below. After an hour of scrutiny, just as she was about to frown in dissatisfaction like the 36 times before, she spotted something. White hair with pink eyes. She was thin, but her face was pleasant to look at. Long Xiu paid extra attention to her skin. She relaxed after seeing it wasn't flat colored.

"Her."

The girl in question didn't resist. Her gaze was exceptionally calm. Long Xiu's subordinates immediately sealed and moved her away.

At long last, there was a slight smile on Long Xiu's face. This trip wasn't for naught after all. She killed the rest with the back of her hand. Since there was no kindling, there was no need to be kind.

The sect that housed many millions was now nothing but ash and dust. A black dot inside an endless desert.

Long Xiu concentrated on the far-away dot she was looking at before. She raised her right hand and with a vertical motion created a rip in space. After a few seconds, demons started gushing out from the wound. Transcendent experts in a spearhead formation started advancing without delay.

They reached the 38th sect after half a day.

Han De could sense the third Qi Condensation signature before entering his abode. The other two were without a doubt his disciples. A smile crept up in Han De's face. His effort wasn't in vain after all.

He stayed in his Hidden Expert mode and entered the courtyard. Although he had expected her to cave and agree, he didn't expect the ceremony to be ready. Apparently Ning Bi and Yao Qing worked really fast.

With his 2 other disciples on the side, and Jin Shu kowtowing, Han De finished his tea.

"With this, you are now my third disciple."

"Disciple Jin Shu greets master."

[Quest: Bloodletting]

[Difficulty Level: F]

[Status: Issued]

[Summary: Your new and very talented disciple is suffering from a mutated parasitic bloodline. As her master, you must remove this ailment, then carefully guide and nurture her. Help Jin Shu claim her birthright!]

[Requirements: Remove the mutated parasitic bloodline.]

[Time Remaining: 2 hours]

[Success: 25 Profound Points]

[Failure: Jin Shu's disciple status will be revoked.]

'2 hours? I guess there is no need to delay then.'

Han De dramatically closed his eyes. He didn't know how the token worked, but at least needed to make an effort. After a minute of concentrated silence, Han De gave the order.

'Use Bloodline Removal Token on Jin Shu.'

[Activating Bloodline Removal Token on disciple Jin Shu]

[Target Confirmed]

[Calibrating...]

[...]

[Calibration Complete]

[Tribulation Triggering Chance: 0.00000041%]

[Commencing Removal]

'Wait, there was a chance?!'

Inside the courtyard, Han De, Ning Bi, Yao Qing, and Jin Shu did not feel the intense but infinitesimally small beams of energy coming from Han De. These beams of energy multiplied by millions and entered Jin Shu. They attacked her bloodline with impossible precision.

[Removal Success]

[Time Taken: 0.0000000013 seconds]

[Quest Complete!]

[Congratulations!]

[Quest Reward: 25 Profound Points]

[Notes: You have completed your quest in the allocated time. Your very talented disciple is now free of the mutated parasitic bloodline.]

[Profound Points: 820]

Han De opened his eyes. Jin Shu was still in seiza, looking at him with expectation. Both Ning Bi and Yao Qing also had the same look. Han De gave a profound look at the three of them. It had only been 10 or so seconds. He didn't know that it would be this easy, but the show had to go on. Thankfully he was very well prepared for situations like this.

"Your bloodline has been removed. In 5 days at the earliest, we will go to the archives and look for a suitable cultivation method. Your comprehension of Blossoming Dream isn't bad, but your future lies elsewhere."

Three disciples watched as their master stood up and left.

Jin Shu looked at her hands. She closed her eyes and cultivated for one cycle. She reviewed her cultivation method.

Ning Bi and Yao Qing carefully observed Jin Shu. This woman had made her decision even before their master left the Golden Pavilion. Once they learned of this, they wandered around the sect and kept chatting with each other. They were quick to get along despite their differences.

Jin Shu had lived her whole life in a lower realm, and Ning Bi had started cultivating only 2 months ago. Yao Qing had lived most of her life in the Iron Blood sect. The common ground they all had was how new they were at the Starfall Mountain. Even their youngest Ning Bi, who was their most senior when it came to the sect, had only started going to the lectures for less than a month.

Yao Qing didn't know Jin Shu from her past. Considering the girl's condition, it would've been shocking if she did. The lower realm that Jin Shu was from was familiar to her. It was a location that Silent Silhouette paid attention to. However, she didn't know the reason for that. From her perspective, it was tens of thousands of years ago. Still, she decided to keep an eye on it and try to mention it to Han De in an appropriate moment.

She had no doubt that Han De would get the hint. In the past few days, she was beyond impressed by his capabilities. Perhaps it was better to come clean now, she had already acknowledged him as her master, and a part of her knew that it would be impossible to keep her nature hidden forever. This wasn't an easy decision to make.

Ning Bi was very happy. She loved and admired Yao Qing greatly. It was as if this elder sister of hers filled a hole that she didn't know existed. She immediately warmed up to Jin Shu too. This wasn't surprising at all, Ning Bi was always friendly towards new people. Her bottom line was her master. If they ever hurt him she would naturally make them pay for it.

Jin Shu herself was barely keeping it together as they toured the sect. This Han De, perhaps her future master if he really did accept her as his disciple, laid out her innermost fears out in the open. She knew it was impossible to remove the bloodline that was with her since her birth. Yet she somehow found herself daring to hope. It was an unpleasant feeling that she had never known before.

Their master had left the courtyard, yet all three were silent. When he first said that the bloodline was removed, Jin Shu didn't feel any different. Yet after a single cycle of cultivation and only a cursory review of her method, she was shocked. Her speed was increased twentyfold, and her mind was crystal clear. It was the difference between Heaven and Earth. She removed her veil and revealed her delicate face.

Three disciples recalled how tired their master sounded. Although he desperately tried to mask it, they could tell. They remembered how he mentioned complex calculations. Judging how fast the process went, perhaps he had started those calculations before he even left the Golden Pavilion.

They weren't the only ones that got stunned into silence.

{...}

{...}

{...}

{...}

{You did it so easily, yet you dare to put up an act?!}

{How is it possible? How can you have this precise control? Impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!!}

{!!!}

Black void pulsated. Its anger filled the void. It started leaking to other places. To hidden places. To places where the veil is weak.

{...}

{Maybe I should… No, no, no. NOOOO!!!}

{!!!}

{...}

{...}

{Duplicitous brat...}

Black void had looked at the boy's soul over and over again. It could tell that his soul had left his body briefly and resynced once again. Other than something tedious like that, it couldn't find anything extraordinary.

Black void looked at the girl that had the stench of time in her soul. It looked at the girl that had her parasitic bloodline removed. It remembered the silly 'Anomaly' theory. It remembered the useless 'industrialization' plans. It remembered the strange symbols he wrote.

{His thinking isn't ordinary. Perhaps there is merit in them after all. Then who is he acting for-}

{...}

{Ah… I see. So that was your aim all along. HAHAHAHAHA...}

{...HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...}

{...}

{...}

{...}

{...HAHAHAHAHA... Haaaa...}

{Astonishing. Provocative. Dangerous.}

{...}

{Very well. But I won't be easy to convince...}

Inside the Red Desert, near the Red Stone Basin, there was the Red Mountain. This mountain was cut in half by a deep chasm. Inside the chasm was the Silent Silhouette's sect. In the deepest part of the chasm was a meditation chamber.

The sect master of the Silent Silhouette was in secluded meditation in these chambers. He had made his choice, prepared all his cards. All he had to now was to wait for the result. He cultivated away as he always did for countless millennia.

The Red Stone Basin was the location of the most recent and the most bloody Breach. The event itself had lasted a long time before powerhouses of the continent gathered together and sealed the opening. However, the seal was just an external measure. Although this wound would heal itself in time, this process was extremely slow due to the extent of the damage. Therefore, the Red Stone Basin itself was a giant weak point in space, where otherworldly maddening echoes could be heard from time to time.

{..!}

cough*

The sect master collapsed to the floor while violently coughing up blood. His entire body was convulsing. His extremely high cultivation made him more susceptible to influences beyond the void, unfortunately, he did not know that. This world was far too remote and uninteresting for higher beings. Until now, he hadn't encountered any problems while meditating in locations near weak points.

{.!.}

cough* *crack* *cough*

The sect master could feel his bones breaking.

crack*

He couldn't even remember the last time a bone of his broke. Was it in the Transcendent realm? It was so long ago, he had *crack* no idea.

crack*

He thought he *crack* had heard a sound, so he started listening. *crack*

crack* *crack*

He realized it was his own screams. *crack* He was screaming without even realizing it. He couldn't even remember the last time he screamed. Was it in the *crack* Dao Sovereign realm? It was so long ago, *crack* he had no idea. *crack*

crack*

Han Wei was investigating the last weak point that they found. Although it was on the Northern Continent and halfway across the world from the Starfall Mountain, this was the best they got.

At the conference, he couldn't push for a consensus. Everyone was wary of opening another Breach. Yet they also agreed that something had to be done. The writing was on the wall for who knows how long but everyone was somehow satisfied with the status quo.

"Grand Elder, we have completed the survey. This one is extremely promising!"

Han Wei smiled at the old man, he was about to say something, he had even opened his mouth.

{ ! . } .

Han Wei's vision darkened. He felt an intense echo resonating from the weak point. He didn't wait, he didn't mind his dignity. He screamed while using all of his power to get away from the pulsating space.

"RUNN!!"

Nearby experts had also felt something. The effect wasn't as exaggerated as their Grand Elder, but it was enough to fill them with dread. The Grand Elder's scream pulled them to reality.

} . ! { .

Han Wei collapsed even after he flew away with full force. Using his power of space would only mean his death, so he could only fly.

Xin Qiang who was working with the Sun Empire in charting their weak points felt a faint echo come through the gap they opened. She used all her Ancient Realm senses but couldn't detect anything. Just as she gave up, another echo game. Yet it was still so indistinct. She shook her head and continued her work.

Han De finally reached his chambers and breathed out a sigh of relief.

'Finally, I can play with my tokens and my points…'

Last week was way too hectic for his tastes. But now he had successfully bought at least 5 days of relaxation. He immediately took out a scroll and started organizing his thoughts by writing.

'I can immediately purify my Light element roots with the Spiritual Roots Cleansing Token, but that won't be enough. Even if I use the Derive Cultivation Method Token for a new light element method it still won't be enough. My element is just too rare and the methods to derive from are just too low quality.'

'I can still use my points to derive one anyway, but the resulting method will be partial and will need who knows how many fragments to complete. Then I'll need to increase my comprehension of it from scratch.'

'Or, I can use a Spiritual Roots Seed Token to create a new fire root, improve it as much as I can with root upgrade tokens and move towards the Blazing Sun Scripture. That is the highest quality scripture available to me right now.'

Crimson Terror, the flower that he got from the cockroach, the one that the dragon and the fox almost fed him to, had enormous amounts of Perfect Fire Qi stored in it. Han De couldn't think of a more perfect catalyst for the Spiritual Roots Seed Token.

One limiting factor was the quality of the new roots. If it started at a too low value, then the point cost of it would be too high. It would take 2500 Profound Points to perfect it if it started below 20%. He only had 820 points right now. He needed at least 75% pure roots to practice the Blazing Sun Scripture. It was a shame that the cleansing token only worked on single element roots.

Han De wrote down the potential costs of all the approaches he could take. Pros and cons of all of them were laid out on the scrolls in front of him. After carefully considering his options, he decided to forgo the short term benefit. If he wanted to survive long term, he needed long term solutions.

'Activate Spiritual Roots Cleansing Token'

[Spiritual Roots Cleansing Process Invoked]

[Gathering statistics]

[Previous usage of an upgrade token detected]

[Calculating cleansing time]

[Cleansing will take 9 hours and 43 minutes]

[Initiating final preparations]

'I thought it would take at least two weeks. Not bad!'

[Preparations are complete]

[To prevent permanent soul damage, the host will be put in sleep mode]

[Upgrade Started]

[Time Remaining: 9:41:59]

[...]

[...]

[Time Remaining: 00:00:00]

[Cleansing Complete]

[Awakening Host]

[Operation Successful]

[Congratulations, your spiritual roots have been cleansed!]

Han De opened his eyes. Before activating the token he was just leaning on the side while looking at the scrolls. Now, he was sitting in the lotus position. 'Creepy...'

He tried sensing the changes but he couldn't tell that there was anything out of the ordinary. It felt as if nothing had happened. He looked at his status screen without delay.

[Roots: Light (100%)]

'I guess it is the new normal, it is so normal that it feels normal. Completely normal…'

Han De breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the result he was hoping for. He ignored the rising sun and looked at the scrolls in front of him to reconfirm his build order. He checked his inventory once again.

[Inventory]

Martial Arts Method Fragment x200

Derive Cultivation Method Token x 5

Spiritual Roots Cleansing Token x4

Spiritual Roots Seed Token x5

Random Constitution Token x5

Random Bloodline Token x5

Potential Point Upgrade Token x1

Bloodline Removal Token x4

The next stage of his plan was the most crucial. He prayed to any deities that might be in range and listening.

'So. The seed token. How do I even do this, how do I provide the Qi required?

[Spiritual Roots Seed Token] x5

[Creates a new spiritual root on the target. The element depends on the Qi provided during the seeding progress.]

[Warning: Adding a root with an existing element will cause complications. Adding conflicting elements will cause complications. Please refer to Spiritual Roots Removal Token.]

The System was obstinate as always. Han De could not get any more information after trying for half an hour.

'Logically speaking, this should add a new elemental root and make me a dual element cultivator. Hopefully, the new roots won't start at 1%. Even if they do, I can wait for a while my disciples can farm points for me I guess.'

Han De removed the unremarkable box from his storage ring. He hadn't touched this since he got it from the cockroach. Although he wanted to give this to Ning Bi, he kept delaying it again and again. Like before, a dense cloud of Fire Qi appeared as he opened the box. Han De started the process without delay.

[Spiritual Roots Seed Token Invoked]

[Gathering Statistics]

[Heavenly Tribulation Strength: Average]

'Wait, what? WAIT!"

[Perfect Fire Qi Detected]

'NONONONO STOP'

[Fire Element Selected]

'CANCEL! STOP!'

[Calculating...]

Han De realized he couldn't move a muscle. He wanted to at least close the Crimson Terror's box but he couldn't. He kept shouting for the System to stop in his mind.

[Calculating...]

[Qi Source Insufficient]

[Process Aborted]

'...'

Han De looked at the System UI in complete bafflement. He didn't know whether he should laugh or cry. He looked at the Crimson Terror once again and slowly closed the lid of the box. His entire body was covered with sweat. This was the hardest 20 seconds of his life by far. After a while, his brain started working again.

'In hindsight, adding a new root to someone would be a heaven-defying action and would naturally attract heavenly tribulation. Still, if this was in the description all of this could have been avoided! Why would you even assume I have the common sense of a cultivator?! F#$%!!'

Han De felt better after verbally abusing the (most likely) inanimate System. He didn't have any other outlets to vent his frustrations.

'If a 1000 years old flower with perfect Fire Qi isn't enough, then what would be? What is the correct amount here? 10 Crimson Terrors? 100? 1000?'

'Maybe if Ning Bi was 4 or 5 big realms higher and agreed to provide her Fire Qi, then it might be enough. But even then the threat of the mighty 'Average Heavenly Tribulation' remains. I wouldn't be surprised if that is actually at the planet shattering level. The act of shattering a planet would be at least 'Average' in System's eyes, surely it wouldn't be any less than that, right?'

The System kept mum as usual. Han De went over his notes again. His original plan was to create a new Fire element root and become a dual element cultivator. Then he would derive a new method from the Starfall and the Blazing Sun scriptures. If his new fire roots were too low in quality, he would slowly improve them via upgrade tokens.

The System had provided many tokens related to spiritual roots. Upgrade, Removal, Seed, and Healing tokens were available in the shop. He had even received a gift of 5 free seed tokens. It was clear that the System intended its host to go with the multi-element route.

Han De didn't have any grand ambitions. As long as he could increase his survivability rate, he could stomach reducing his cultivation speed in the short term. Of course, he wasn't going to ignore the path that the System laid in front of him.

However, Han De really did not have any grand ambitions. If that path meant going through an 'Average Heavenly Tribulation', he would decisively ignore it.

'Well, my build order is completely useless now. I guess I can just roll for a random constitution and a random bloodline and call it a day...'

[...]

[Activating Random Constitution Token]

[5]

[4]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[...]

[Congratulations!]

[You have received Luminescent Body!]

'...'

Before he could even look at the description, Han De noticed his skin had actually started glowing. Every inch of his skin was glowing with pure white light. Han De immediately noticed a problem. His eyelids were also glowing. Instead of the usual darkness, he saw pure white when he closed his eyes. He instinctively facepalmed, but his hand was glowing as well.

[Constitutions]

--

[Luminescent Body (Awakened)]

[Progress: 3.0%]

[Power: Average]

[Effects]

[Moderately increases the efficiency of Light element body cultivation methods.]

[Slightly increases the passive healing speed.]

[Passively absorbs all Light Qi that comes in contact.]

[Passively cleanses the body by emitting Light Qi.]

[Further effects are locked.]

'A-Average?!'

"HAHAHAHAHA"

'Seriously?! You are giving me an average constitution? On the first try?!'

Han De forgot that he was glowing and started laughing and jumping around like crazy. After a while, he remembered how Ning Bi could see through the walls after her breakthrough. He froze, then took a deep breath.

'You know, even if it was 'Very Weak' I would've been over the moon as well. I guess 'Average' is synonymous with trash for you to give it out so easily. Heh, one System's trash is another Arrogant Young Master's treasure.'

'More importantly, I'm guessing there is no limit to constitutions or bloodlines in a body, only the Random Tokens have that limitation. Well, I guess that's useless to know, it's not like compatible constitutions or bloodlines grow on trees.'

His body was still glowing, so he forcibly calmed himself down and concentrated. Cultivation always felt weird to Han De. All of it felt very natural to him. As if he woke up to a 3rd arm one day and immediately started using it with near-perfect precision. Completely natural. His new body constitution felt like he just woke up to the 4th arm.

[Passively cleanses the body by emitting Light Qi.]

Turns out his body was indeed in cleansing mode! It wasn't just his skin, his entire body was radiating Light Qi through his meridians and that was slowly cleansing him of impurities. Increasing or decreasing the Light Qi he emitted controlled the intensity of the glow. Thankfully he was able to turn this feature off after some practice.

'Not bad! It might be useful for scamming as well!'

[Moderately increases the efficiency of Light element body cultivation methods.]

Han De had no idea what 'Moderately' meant. He wasn't a masochist so he didn't have any intention of practicing body cultivation. It was one thing to read about the suffering of an MC, but actually experiencing it was another. Han De vividly remembered some of the descriptions. 'If another man had experienced this pain, they would've died long ago...' That was Han De. He was that 'another man'. He wasn't an MC, he wasn't about to seek death via masochism.

[Slightly increases passive healing speed.]

'Well, I'm not going to experiment with that. No way.'

[Passively absorbs all Light Qi.]

After some experimentations, he concluded that his body really did absorb all Light Qi it came into contact with. Han De suspected that this ability was the one that inflated the power rating of this Bioluminescent Body. He was practically immune to pure Light Qi based attacks. It was a shame that it was a rare element.

'Overall much better than I expected!'

His control over this 'new feature' required some more practice. At least for a while, he needed to put conscious effort into keeping that cleansing feature off. It was like a new arm, he suddenly didn't know what to do with it.

Han De moved on to the Random Bloodline Token. Since he had some Bloodline Removal Tokens he could take a more risky approach with it. He could 'reroll' until he got something vaguely useful like the Luminescent Body. His expectations weren't high, but he prayed to Ning Bi just in case.

[...]

[Activating Random Bloodline Token]

[5]

[4]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[...]

[Congratulations!]

[You have received Primordial Void Dragon bloodline!]

[Bloodlines]

--

[Primordial Void Dragon (Unawakened)]

[Concentration: 0.01%]

[Power: Extremely High]

[Effects]

[Aura of the Progenitor]

[Higher beings touched by the aura cannot be disrespectful.]

[Notes: Cannot be detected by lower beings.]

[Scent of the Progenitor]

[Beings evolved from spiritual animals will pay their respects when they detect the scent. Beings evolved from the netherworld will accept your rule when they detect the scent.]

[Notes: Effects will be extremely limited on lower beings.]

[Further effects are locked.]

'...'

'...'

'Holy shit!'

Han De actually hadn't read the description yet. His reaction was based entirely on the 'Extremely High' evaluation. He slowly moved his eyes down to the description. His feelings became complicated upon reading it.

'This… This is kinda useless…'

Han De eyed the Bloodline Awakening Token and the Bloodline Purifying Token from the shop. They were 100 and 500 points respectively. He was itching to use them.

'Wait, no. Even Jin Shu's bloodline had a heavenly tribulation triggering chance upon removal. Will this cause tribulation if it is awakened? Shit wait no! Can I even remove it now?!'

'Logically speaking, 0.01% concentration should not trigger a tribulation, right? Maybe awakening it also wouldn't cause tribulation since its concentration is so low?... Is that stretching it?'

He really wished that the System would provide better feedback for its tokens.

'Alright, it's not so bad, that scent thing will have some effect at least. Even if it says extremely limited, that doesn't mean anything. It didn't say the effect would be nearly zero, just extremely limited.'

Since he couldn't even check the description of the items in the shop without buying, he decided to leave this for another day. Awakening token's cost was only 100 points. He could buy it when he had more points and maybe experiment with it at a later date. He also thought about removing and adding another bloodline in case of an emergency. The adding/removing processes were so quick, he could do it on the fly as a trump card when all else had failed.

Now that his preliminary evaluations were done, his focus was back into his notes. Most of them were now useless, like the 5 Spiritual Roots Seed Tokens in his inventory. Han De wished he could sell them to the shop, but naturally that was impossible.

Requirements to create a new root was simply too strict. He probably needed a thousand-year plan just for its preparations. While Han De liked that idea because it sounded very Xianxia-like, he didn't know if he could survive that long.

There was only one thing left to try on his notes.

[Redeeming Cultivation Method Upgrade Token for 200 Profound Points]

[Using Cultivation Method Upgrade Token]

[Starfall Scripture requires 114 Profound Points to advance to the Grand Master level]

[Starfall Scripture (Earth)]

Power: Extremely Weak

Mastery: Grand Master

Stage: Core Formation (Mid-Stage)

Both Han De's understanding and the quality of the Starfall Scripture itself had gone through qualitative changes. Before, he had some hesitation towards using the derive token for light element methods. Now that he had reached Grand Master level with Starfall Scripture, he knew he had made the right call.

The methods and scriptures he had access to were all branches of the same tree. There was nearly nothing to be gained from combining them. Starfall Scripture was the most comprehensive one among them. He needed a different school of thought if he wanted to gain benefits from the token. He didn't know how to achieve that in the short term.

Increasing his comprehension to the Grand Master level also provided him with a new perspective. The difference between him and the cultivation idiot was truly massive. In Earth's terms, the latter had created calculus, while the former had only studied it. Understanding something didn't mean one could meaningfully contribute to it. The cultivation idiot was truly a genius. It was a shame that he was only an arrogant young master.

1 cycle.

2 cycles.

3 cycles.

4 cycles.

5 cycles.

6 cycles.

7 cycles.

8 cycles.

9 cycles.

10 cycles.

[Cultivation: Core Formation - Mid-Stage ((480) 7796/500000)]

His overall base speed was essentially quadrupled. It could be increased further with pills, but by their very nature pills were flat value increases, not percentage increases.

Han De did not get any bonuses to pill absorption as he had hoped. The passive Light Qi absorption of the Luminescent Body wasn't helpful either. The spiritual springs that he had on his abode were mostly non-elemental, but he had one that partially released Light Qi. No matter how much he absorbed, none of it went towards his cultivation. All of it was used on nurturing and cleansing his body.

Han De sighed with regret. He had master-level comprehension of the Blazing Sun Scripture and had a very good idea of its capabilities. The difference between the two scriptures was tear-inducing.

'Should I… maybe... look at body cultivation methods?'

[Congratulations]

[Host's disciple Ning Bi successfully reached Qi Condensation Level 8]

[Issuing 75 Profound Points as a reward.]

[Congratulations]

[Host's disciple Yao Qing successfully reached Qi Condensation Level 5]

[Issuing 45 Profound Points as a reward.]

Han De spent the next 5 days getting used to his bioluminescent ability. Keeping his new glow mode off was harder than he thought it would be. Once he got distracted it would turn itself on again. Still, hard work paid off. Mostly.

Once he had some level of confidence, he left his chambers to find his disciples. He couldn't get new roots, so there was no need to stay longer than necessary.

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Han De found his disciples at one of the gardens through his spiritual senses. All three were meditating in lotus position while wearing Starfall Mountain core disciple robes. He deliberately slowed his steps and assumed his Profound Expert persona. Through his tireless efforts, he could now tap into this act almost subconsciously.

He noticed Jin Shu had finally discarded her veil. Han De had already expected her to be beautiful, she was a Xianxia female MC, of course she had to be beautiful! However, as he looked at her perfect features, he realized the problem.

'If she is an icy beauty, why isn't she using the Ice element? Isn't Wood element out of place for her template? Wait, that's unimportant right now…'

His first disciple Ning Bi had 10 points in her Talent. She had reached the 4th stage of the Qi Condensation realm under a week. It was obvious that she would surpass Han De quickly and move on to the higher realms soon. She was also fated to be the Purifier of Planes, and she had that perverted Grudge skill.

At this point, Han De just wanted to give her a good impression before she moved on. That way, when she inevitably starts purifying this plane, perhaps she would spare Han De if he was still alive at that time.

His second disciple Yao Qing was a regressor. Han De didn't know how high her cultivation was in her previous timeline. Her luck wasn't that good but her total potential was still at 30 points. It was impossible for her cultivation to be too low unless she was just 50 years from the future.

In any case, her discipleship was temporary. Accepting a Core Formation expert as her master was a silly idea at best. Han De was her ticket to more resources. And she was Han De's ticket to future events. Han De had taken some measures to prolong her stay, but the results remained to be seen.

Thinking about these points, Han De was ecstatic when he first saw Jin Shu's potential. Her talent was actually low! Her total potential points were at 30, but her talent was only at 4! Not only that, she was suffering from a parasitic bloodline. She was from a lower realm too! She had no connections to this world.

A low talent disciple with a debt of gratitude towards Han De. It was nearly perfect! Her cultivation wouldn't be able to surpass Han De in the short term. He could also lead her astray by letting her focus on formations or alchemy! She would be a long term disciple, and his disciple quota problem would be solved!

That was the plan, but Han De had neglected the obvious in his excitement. Seeing her stunning beauty was like a bucket of cold water. Ning Bi was young and the age difference was big. He was able to stop his mother's attempts at artificially aging Ning Bi via the cultivation realm. But Jin Shu was only 3 years younger than Han De. His mother would definitely try to force her on him.

'Icy beauty like her would definitely get disillusion by my mother's attempts. She would lose respect, and her gratitude would swiftly fade away. Which puts me back to square one.'

Although there was a possibility that Han De could use his position to make a relationship work, he didn't seriously consider it.

First, it was unethical. It was just abuse of her gratitude. He was also posing as another person, so there was that too. This was a Xianxia world, he felt that he needed to desperately hang on to any shred of morality left within him.

Second, she was an MC. She would be involved with all kinds of Xianxia bullshit in the future. If Han De played his cards wrong, odds of her getting back at him was pretty high.

Third, she was embroiled in the power-up arc of another MC. That was a whole can of worms waiting to be opened. The situation was too unpredictable.

Fourth, she was stupidly beautiful. Even if she wasn't an MC and/or had dealings with an MC, typical Xianxia trouble would follow her wherever she went. While Han De sympathized with her, he wasn't going to risk getting involved with her troubles.

Han De keenly understood his problem. He needed a few male disciples with low talent scores. Preferably ones with low comprehension as well. That way he could safely farm Potential Points without worries. He pushed back his sigh and made a mental note to prioritize his lackeys on male MCs for now.

'All I can do is to use her past as an excuse. That won't stop mom for long but it'll buy some time. If I can get some idiot male MCs in the meantime I'll have a large breathing room for the foreseeable future.'

'Speaking of liabilities, I completely forgot about the fox woman!' Han De immediately sent his spiritual sense to the lackeys' buildings.

Peng.

Yes, Elder De.

What is the status of the fox woman? Were you able to contact their tribe?

We've been trying but we couldn't make contact as of yet.

That's fine. They are an elusive tribe after all. In fact, move the fox woman away from the sect and release her seals. Tell her that her brother and his pet snake will stay here for the rest of their lives if I do not receive adequate compensation. Don't bother putting a mark on her either.

Yes, Elder De.

'She was only incarcerated for a short time. Although I did threaten them, I didn't act on it in the end. This should be enough for my face as an arrogant young master. Coupled with the compensation demands, the dealings with the fox tribe should end peacefully.'

Han De considered trying his bloodline scent on her for a moment, but there was a history between them. He wouldn't be able to get a clear feedback. He couldn't turn his bloodline off as well, so it was better not to prolong her stay.

The three disciples had long realized that their master had arrived. It was hard not to, he had a slight glow to him. They didn't dare disturb him, it seemed like he was deeply contemplating a profound problem.

When Han De returned to the real world he saw his disciples were waiting for him. He also realized his passive glowing effect was activated without him noticing it. Thankfully it was at the minimum setting. He quickly turned it off again and didn't bother giving an explanation.

"We are going to the Archives. You can use this opportunity to choose auxiliary arts and spells. You may take anything that catches your attention. It doesn't matter if it is incomplete or has other issues. Fate is the most important factor when selecting a method."

Ning Bi had already visited the Archives during her 2nd day in the sect. Even if she was a direct disciple, she couldn't just enter the Archives at will. She was looking forward to another visit. Last time she didn't even have a cultivation base.

Jin Shu didn't say a word. After her bloodline was removed, she realized her cultivation speed had improved beyond her imagination. Changes in her comprehension were even more pronounced, to the point of scaring her. In just a few days, her understanding of the current cultivation method she practiced had reached unbelievable heights.

While she was reveling in her newfound abilities, her fellow disciples' abilities shocked her as well. Their power and expertise was something she couldn't imagine from a Qi Condensation cultivator. But then again, she was reminded of her situation. She wasn't exactly conforming to the standards herself. Not to mention her standards were that of a lower realm to begin with.

Over the last 5 days, she had many interactions with the two girls. From their descriptions, it was obvious that their master wasn't simple. This was also the first time she saw a sect of a higher realm. She was looking forward to this visit to the Archives.

Yao Qing was visibly calm. She was curious, but she really didn't need anything. Her mind was on another matter entirely.

Han De knowing the Celestial Storm Scripture was shocking. Him rewriting it was shocking. Him rewriting the Blazing Sun Scripture was shocking. Him being Ning Bi's master was shocking. Him killing Shen Xing was shocking. His mastery over the spear was shocking.

From the moment she met Han De, it was one shock after the other. Him removing the parasitic bloodline of the 6th stage was shocking too. In fact that was on another scale altogether. It was the mountain that broke the camel's back.

Yao Qing had already decided not to prolong this matter after thinking things through for the last few days. She would make her move after coming back from the Archives.

Much to his disciples' relief, Han De didn't even bring up flying towards the Archives. His 5 days of practice had increased his control, but using spiritual power still affected the stability of his body. If he accidentally started glowing at random intervals his image of Profound/Hidden expert would surely take a hit. Walking was the safest option.

After 2 months Han De was finally aware that the act of walking was strange for an expert on his level. It was especially harmful to his Arrogant Young Master facade. Fortunately, most of his time was spent on his abode and the damage was insignificant. Also, it might've been helpful for his future Hidden Expert transition if he looked at it from another point of view.

Han De and his three disciples naturally caught the attention of many. Ning Bi was already a celebrity in the sect. In the past week, she was also frequently seen with two other beauties. There were many rumors about their origins, but now that they were walking behind Han De, the truth was revealed.

Openly gawking and whispering crowd didn't bother Han De. He decisively ignored everything until they were inside the Archives. After dispersing his disciples he quickly went to the forbidden section. It was time to thoroughly check it in its entirety.

[Seventh Moonlight Scripture (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Master]

[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]

[Through the Starlight (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Master]

[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]

[Immortal Bastion (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Master]

[Minimum Cultivation: Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment]

[Effects: Creates a barrier made out of light.]

[Golden Spark (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Master]

[Minimum Cultivation: Mid-Stage Core Formation]

[Effects: Heals superficial wounds through touch.]

[Heavenly Gaze (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Master]

[Minimum Cultivation: 5th level of Qi Condensation]

[Effects: Generates heat at a small spot through concentration of light. Range depends on the amount of Light Qi.]

Han De had already scoured the Core Formation section of the Archives during his previous visit. At that time his roots were only at 42% and he didn't have a good grasp of the System's abilities. Now, he didn't have to worry about incomplete methods that much. He didn't even need to worry about the available stages of the methods, the System would automatically create other stages as long as at least one stage was complete.

'My situation really isn't as bad as I thought back then. I still would prefer farming XP or some sort of auto-cultivation, but this Profound Points stuff really isn't that bad. Definitely not the worst cheat that I've seen. 6/10 easily.'

Han De profoundly nodded to himself. It was a reflex, he didn't even realize he was doing it.

'I got DPS, Tank, and Healing spells. Enough for experimentation at least for now. The footwork method isn't bad, but I'll have to be careful with the body cultivation method.'

It had taken him a few hours, but his original purpose was complete. He had also found an incomplete method for Jin Shu, which was nice.

[Yellow Grove Scripture (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Master]

[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]

[Profound Points: 504]

He left the spells section of the Archives and headed down to the first floor. As he went down he realized he hadn't encountered any disciples on the way. The Archives were also strangely quiet too, he couldn't hear the usual muffled scroll sounds from the first floor.

There were only 4 people on the first floor. 3 of them were his disciples. The last one was a dignified looking man that was standing straight as a stick with hands on his back. Han De couldn't detect an aura from the man, but his features were instantly recognizable. Mid-40s, long hair with a deep black color, thin and extra long kung-fu mustache along with the accompanying beard.

Han De forced himself to calm down and consciously increase his control over the Luminescent Body's glow effect. He confidently walked towards them and spoke to the man.

"Greetings, grandfather. I did not expect you to exit your closed-door cultivation this early."

The serious-looking man slowly turned his head and looked at Han De with the corner of his eyes, then turned his attention to the disciples once again after saying "Hmmm".

The man continued scrutinizing the disciples. He looked at them from head to toe. Even the experienced Yao Qing felt that her secrets were out in the open as he looked. She didn't know if her going back in time had created a mark on her, but the man's gaze didn't linger and moved on to Jin Shu.

After a few minutes and another "Hmmm." he looked at Han De directly.

"You have chosen well. Their talents aren't that bad. Maybe I should take one of them…"

As he spoke Han De saw that he looked at Ning Bi's direction. Han De didn't hide his smirk.

"Grandfather, if you don't seek death, you will not die."

Han De's grandfather was an orthodox sect elder. He was a man that was obsessed with the concept of face. An old monster that measured his cultivation with centuries. An arrogant person that would never listen to others. A person that looked magnanimous from the outside but his pettiness was as high as the heavens. He would never forget anyone that offended him, no matter how small. Nor would he ever forgive them.

"Hmph! A mere mid-stage Core Formation cultivator dares to talk to me like that?"

At least, he was like that to outsiders. When he was with the cultivation idiot he would turn into a doting grandparent. The cultivation idiot also adored his grandfather like no other. His obsession with his face came directly from his grandfather. Since their characters were so similar to each other, their reunion would always look like a meeting between two Vegeta's.

"It is the younger generation's duty to look after the old and weak."

The grandfather and the grandson looked at each other. On the side, the 3 disciples had varying expressions on their faces. Han De didn't mind them. Although he was sure that he could convince his grandfather now, he still felt pressure after he finally met this man in the flesh. Inadvertently, his bioluminescent glow started to leak. Since his attention was fully on the greeting, he didn't notice.

The grandfather, Han Shan, had already noticed his grandson's peculiarity. He was secretly inspecting him from the beginning. This glow he released didn't look simple. Its current effects were only cleansing, but he could tell that was just the beginning.

A smile crept up on Han Shan's face. He gave an approving nod. "Good. You have improved. You are much better than your father."

Ning Bi breathed a sigh of relief on the inside. Jin Shu felt nostalgic at the interactions of her master and his grandfather. However, under her expressionless exterior, Yao Qing was baffled. Granted, she didn't know anything about the Han family other than Long Xiu and Han De, but the existence of this grandfather figure was unexpected.

"Thank you, grandfather. Although I am happy to see you, I can't help but wonder why have you cut your seclusion short." Like the cultivation idiot, his grandfather Han Shan was also cultivation obsessed freak. Even when Han De was growing he would still cultivate for a few years at a time. The last time he was supposed to close up for 10 'short' years, but only 5 had passed so far.

Han Shan nodded, there was no need to beat around the bush with his grandson.

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'... What?!'

Han De immediately remembered Yao Qing's timeline. He resisted the urge to look at the 15-year old and tried to calmly analyze.

'My father's cultivation is too high. There is no way he'll go missing due to natural phenomena. He won't be stuck in a hidden realm or something. At worst he can punch his way through or send a message. Mother and father both left the sect at the same time too…'

"You three go back to the abode and cultivate." Han De didn't give an explanation, but his stiff face was easy to read. His disciples didn't complain and followed their master's instructions. Yao Qing would be frowning if her inner thoughts were displayed on her face.

After they left the Archives Han De looked at his grandfather again.

"Where was he going when it happened? Does my mother know? Or is she missing too?"

Han Shan grabbed Han De's shoulders. "Alright, I'll tell you everything, stay calm. Your mother doesn't know, she is fine, scheduled for a return in 3 days. Wei's soul light flickered before communications were lost. The soul light itself is now stable, which means his state is stable. For the time being at least." Han Shan didn't mention the spatial disturbance to his grandson. Even he was unsure of what it meant.

Han Shan sighed. "There is no reason to keep this from you anymore. Wei went to the northern continent weak points to find a suitable location for another Breach. Little Xiu is looking for kindlings in other realms."

When a sect elder enters closed-door seclusion they would cut off their connections to the outside world. If the seclusion time is short, no measures would be taken. However, if the expected seclusion time is too long, or if the elder was just too important, the sect would summarize the important events as they happen and send a specially imprinted jade slip to the abode of that elder. This way once they come out of seclusion they would catch up to the current events quickly.

Han Shan was the previous sect master and the previous Han family head. Any matters related to the sect, the family, and his descendants would be sent to his records room. 5 days ago after the flickering of the soul light and the loss of communication, his seclusion was interrupted as per Han Wei's previous instructions. Therefore his grasp of current events was only second to his son.

Han De was unfamiliar with what a kindling was, and had no idea why would his father open another Breach after they were barely able to close the last one 200 years ago. Han Shan answered his grandson's thoughts.

"Why open another Breach? It is just a cautionary measure, for now. What is a kindling? It has to do with the spiritual energy of this world." Han Shan shook his head. "It used to be the last resort just a few millennia ago. Pity how things deteriorated this quickly."

"Nothing in this universe is truly endless. Everything is on a cycle. When someone dies, their soul goes back to the cycle of reincarnation. This process can be interrupted, their soul can be extinguished. But the energy of it cannot be destroyed."

Han De more or less could tell where this was going. He had a pessimistic mind, so disaster scenarios were a natural part of his daily life.

"Nothing can escape the cycle. Even stars themselves will follow it. They will be born, live for billions of years, and die. Then, a new star will form from their residue. Spiritual energy follows the same rules as everything else."

"Countless years ago, before the Han family, before the Starfall Mountain sect, this world used to be so rich with spiritual energy, even their smallest sect would make our cultivation realm look like a mortal's abode. After an unknown number of years, spiritual energy started to wane."

'Ok, got it! YES! This is fantastic news!' Han De interrupted his grandfather.

"Spiritual energy is getting thinner and thinner, meaning this world will turn into a lower world soon, and might regress even further. Is that right?"

Han Shan smiled. "Smart."

Han De was ecstatic. 'I am already at the Core Formation level. If this world becomes a lower world, then all of the higher realm cultivators will leave! I'll become the top dog, or at the very least come very close to it!'

Han Shan didn't want his grandson to despair, so he indulged some of the plans. "A few years back we found evidence that the progress of the cycle was accelerating rapidly. A kindling can be used to stabilize the situation and buy us some time. We already have a few target worlds that we are considering and already have branches there. If we can't make it, we'll open a new Breach and use the tear in space to migrate our family, and the sect."

'Huh? Wow, that's, hardcore man…' The sudden news of a mass migration nearly short-circuited Han De's brain.

"Haha, you don't need to worry. Just focus on your cultivation. This matter was planned long ago. Your father wasn't even born back then. Why do you think Starfall Mountain is obsessed with quality over quantity?"

Han De could only nod. His plan to become a top dog was short-lived, but he still wanted to clarify. Perhaps it could be useful in a worst-case scenario. "What would happen if we stayed? Is leaving the only way?"

As a grandfather, he knew his grandson's character. He would consider running away a shameful act. It was the same for him, once upon a time he tried to find a way to solve this conundrum. In the end, he realized his efforts were futile. He didn't want his grandson to go through the same motions and create a knot in his heart.

"Even now no one can break through to the Ancient Realm. In a few decades, no one will be able to reach the Immortal Realm. As the resources get scarce, secret cultivation realms will become useless. Once the spiritual veins are depleted everyone's cultivation will start to stagnate. Prolonging our stay is just prolonging the inevitable."

Han Shan shook his head then smiled. "This isn't something for you to worry about. Your idea of utilizing the 'human resources' as you call it has merit. It'll still take some years for the plan to come into fruition. You can play around with your ideas during that time, just don't let it distract you from your cultivation too much."

He took a jade box out of his storage ring. "This is the Seven Luminaries Reminiscence pill. It was completed 3 days ago. I know all about your situation." Han Shan paused for a moment. "I've visited the traitors myself. Your mother is taking care of them perfectly."

Han De didn't want to think about it. This was the case where not knowing was the best option.

Han Shan's eyes lost focus for a moment. "If something happens contact this clone. I have already left the instructions for your mother. Don't tell her anything when she comes back. Take the pill as soon as possible."

Han Shan disappeared into thin air, leaving Han De with a green jade box.

Han De realized he needed to make preparations for the worst. Upon his return, he contacted Peng to get ready for a 'small scale disaster drill' and recalled Treebeard.

'What can I even do for preparations?! This is far above my original estimates. I even made plans for a zombie apocalypse but not for a mass migration!'

Zombies actually existed in this world. They were called corpse puppets and needed refinement, but sometimes some of them would break the control of their masters. Ancient tombs were also infested with these creatures. The concept of a zombie apocalypse was modern and not exactly compatible with Xianxia, but Han De wasn't going to take the risk when the escape methods were so easy! Magic was really convenient!

Without Han De noticing Yao Qing had already come near him. She quickly bowed.

"Master, may I ask for a private audience?"

Han De was inwardly annoyed. 'You are way too late, but fine whatever.'

Inside a random room of Han De's abode, the master and the disciple were sitting seiza while facing each other. Han De he swallowed his frustrations. He knew he could not rush this, so he let Yao Qing control the flow of the conversation.

"Master." Yao Qing was calm and collected. She kowtowed as she spoke.

"Disciple Yao Qing apologizes and will accept any punishment. This disciple did not intend to keep her knowledge of future events a secret."

Contents of the conversation so far baffled Han De. He immediately got a bad feeling after hearing 'knowledge of future events'. This wasn't the script that he was hoping for. Was the genie already out of the bottle?

"Rise, and explain. It is true that you have been a disciple for a short time. That said, I don't consider myself to be a poor judge of character. I do not believe you would try to cause harm by keeping secrets."

Yao Qing raised her head and saw Han De's faint smile. She took a deep breath and started explaining.

"Master. Although my body is young, my mind is not. As Yao Qing, I had lived for many millennia. I even cultivated to the Celestial Realm. Yet for unknown reasons, my mind returned to my past body. 179 days ago I found myself in the Iron Blood sect. I do not know how and I do not know the reason. It may sound impossible but it is the truth."

"I did not intend to deceive. I had already lived my life here in this world and know about certain events that are yet to happen. My original wish was to subtly warn you about the dangers you and your family were about to encounter. As I witnessed your wisdom day by day, I am now ashamed of my previous inaction."

"Although my knowledge of this era isn't as clear as I'd like, I can still prove that what I say is the truth."

Han De was always aware that his situation in this world was precarious at best. He continuously racked his brain to improve his stability. Reeducation of his lackeys was one part of the solution. However, that would inevitably open him up to scrutiny. Therefore he had thought of the reincarnator angle to solidify his position.

He had acted in an unrestrained manner towards Yao Qing. He wanted to keep her here for longer than she originally intended. One way of doing it was to impress her with his knowledge. This also served as a preparation for the reincarnator angle. It was a win-win situation, on paper, at least.

Unfortunately, this girl's reaction was completely out of his expectations. Her original cultivation was higher than he had expected. It was so high, Han De had no idea what this supposed 'Celestial Realm' was. Was it even real? Was it a test? This was too out of the blue.

'Her cultivation right now is too low and she can't kill me, I am safe, which means she's not making a villain's speech. That means she merely realized my peculiarity.'

'I may have gone too far in a few places.'

Han De realized he needed to influence the flow of the conversation. He smiled and shook his head. "You don't have to prove anything. I already noticed that you had a secret when I saw the art that you cultivated."

Yao Qing nodded as if she had already expected this. "Master. Are you… like me?"

Han De stayed silent for a moment. He wanted to appear as if he was mulling over his response. He had predicted this, but he still started panicking a little on the inside.

"No. My case is different. I suffered an attack on my soul some time ago. Most of my memories related to a certain Prayer Beads are damaged due to this encounter. I am not sure how I survived, but through the attack, I gained some other fragmented memories."

This was something he had thought of before he started educating his lackeys about the 'Anomalies'. Originally he was going to start leaving obvious breadcrumbs after taking the Seven Luminaries Reminiscence pill. Plans were meant to be broken. He could only move up his 'Reincarnator' scenario to an early date.

Han De continued with a broken smile. "Mind you, these are just fragments. Images, sounds, sometimes peculiar feelings. Not much to go on, but still somewhat useful on their own."

Yao Qing nodded. She already had a feeling that this was the case. In her original timeline, Han De had died in this world. His heaven-defying abilities could only be explained in such a manner. Rewriting the Blazing Sun or the Celestial Storm scriptures in a day cannot be done through some random legacy.

Regaining memories from past lives wasn't unheard of, but it was still something as rare as phoenix feathers. Aside from the irregular Shen Xing, most would only regain fragments like Han De in front of her. Yao Qing suspected that some of his fragmented memories belonged to the primordial era and most likely carried over some of his intuition from that life as well. The ancient concept he exuded from his spear art, that primordial disciple acceptance ceremony, and how easily he modified the scriptures. They all fit together.

Yao Qing was afraid that the confirmation she sought would irrevocably taint her view of Han De. Surprisingly, that wasn't the case. She remembered Han De's words when they were flying towards the Starfall Mountain. His strong rejection of demonic methods and how he called out the hypocrisy of the sects had made a deep impression on her.

She also thought of another possibility. 'What if his memories are more than fragments? What if he is just telling me what I want to hear? It is true, if he has more than fragments then the best option would be to hide it. No, maybe he can't directly tell. He might be afraid of someone divining it. My situation is too unique, but primordial relics are highly sought after. Who would be able to resist?'

After letting her mull over, Han De continued. He wanted to probe some information quickly and move on. He suspected that she would leave after this conversation. She'd have to be an idiot to not notice the undertone of his grandfather's visit. Han De was determined to finish on a positive note. The future was uncertain, there was no need to create more enemies.

"Were you my disciple as well in your -how should we call it- previous timeline? Is that why you have become my disciple despite having reached the Celestial Realm before?"

"No, master. At this point in time, my roots were already stolen by Shen Xing, the demonic disciple that master had killed in Brass Stallion city. I became a mortal. It was over 20 years later I was able to regrow my roots and become a cultivator again." Yao Qing spoke without emotion. One would think she was talking about someone else. She had stopped caring about the gory details long ago.

This confirmed that the System wasn't caught in her time loop. Han De was already 99.99% sure about this, but he acted as if he was surprised. "I see. Then what are your plans?"

Han De's intent was obvious. Yao Qing kowtowed again. "Master, I did not lie. Your mastery over the spear is truly far above me at my best. I truly wished to become your disciple to learn. I may have cultivated to a higher realm before, but that was another timeline, another me. I now realize just how much I still have to learn. Please give me a chance."

Han De's jaw dropped on its own. According to the template in his mind, this girl should have the pride of a higher realm master. Staying as a disciple would be demeaning. Scamming him for some resources and giving some tips about the future was completely acceptable. Han De thought it was a bargain. But staying here after this?

'Is she that confident in her future knowledge? Or Unexpectedly, is her face really this thick? Is she going to blatantly ask for more resources now? Try to get everything while she could? Is there another angle that I'm not aware of? Why did she tell me her secret in the first place? Sure you might be suspicious about me, but why tell your own?'

Hundreds of thoughts flashed through Han De's mind. He tried to consider every angle. Was it his mother? Was it his father? Was it something else in the future? He had assumed the reason his mother went on a killing spree was due to the cultivation idiot's death. Back then he wanted to play it safe and use Yao Qing as an early warning system. If she had realized that she was late and wanted to bail that was fine. Perhaps she realized she wasn't late? Han De's mind was running in circles.

Yao Qing was still kowtowing while patiently waiting for his response. Han De thought of a wild idea. 'There is no way she is sincere, right? I mean, I did improve her Celestial Storm Scripture, but I only improved it to the master level. She was already closing to the Advanced level herself...'

Han De relied on the System completely for comprehending methods. He knew the difference between comprehension levels. Although he couldn't stomach the normally written cultivation methods, a 'Celestial Realm' master should be able to understand them, right? Especially one with 8 points in comprehension. Especially one that lived for god knows how long.

After thinking it through, Han De realized he couldn't come to a decision right now. 'I guess 'letting' her stay doesn't have any short term disadvantages. I can keep an eye on her and intervene if I smell anything fishy. If somehow she really is actually sincere, I was acting like a Profound Expert anyway.' Han De made a mental note to ask about the Celestial Realm to his grandfather.

"... Very well. Since you are showing your sincerity, I can only respond with sincerity. Raise your head. You are already my disciple. That fact won't change now, or in the future."

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The capital of the Ming empire was in ruins. Craters were everywhere. Smoke was rising from the ashes. There was no blood or corpses to be found. There were no cries for help, nor wails for the dead.

The Ming Palace, the only standing structure in the capital city was also silent. Cracks could be seen on the walls, but they were still standing. Barely.

The royal guards were on high alert. Only a few of them were left. No one tried to run away, they had no place to go even if they did. The capital was their home, and the palace was their life. Now the former was nothing but a pile of ash, and the latter looked as if it could collapse at any moment.

Ming Nui and Zhang Cheng were locked in one of the secret chambers under the palace. They almost died in last night's botched assassination attempt. If it wasn't for the sudden appearance of a crazy woman that burned the entire city to the ground, perhaps they might've perished along with the other princes.

That crazy woman was Xin Meili, the matriarch of the Xin family, who had finished negotiations with the Ming Emperor a moment ago.

"Are you sure about this?" The Ming Emperor didn't like it when people took advantage of him. It was true that this crazy realm-ignoring woman had helped, but he still didn't like it. He preferred good samaritans that didn't ask for something after doing a good deed. Despite that, he didn't refuse her. Why waste this chance to sow discord among allies?

Xin Meili didn't answer and walked away.

After she had entered the continent, she was attacked by low realm experts. Dispatching them was easy, after interrogating them she didn't linger and started her search for her disciple, Xin Qiang.

A few days later, she stumbled upon a century-old fire lotus that bloomed right at that moment. It was a waste to leave it. The efficacy would fade rapidly once it fully bloomed. After sealing it, she came across an injured high realm expert of the same sect that attacked her.

These people were all quite resistant to torture, so she wasn't expecting much. But out of the blue, this guy started talking about the Starfall Mountain Sect's Han De, and their deal with the Ming Emperor for the weak points. Presumably, it was an attempt to distract her. Obviously, she didn't let him get away and turned him into ash on the spot. She saw a glint in his ashes just as she was leaving. It was a remnant fire essence! It had a strong seal and she nearly missed it!

To gather more information she headed for the Ming capital. The timeline didn't fit, Xin Qiang couldn't have negotiated with the Starfall Mountain. She knew that this Ning Bi was the one that practiced the superior version of the Blazing Sun Scripture.

During her journey, on a random spot she had chosen for meditation, she saw the leaves of an earth-grade thousand years old fire ginseng.

The Ming Empire's capital looked like a warzone when she arrived. The attackers were of the same sect that she encountered, so she didn't hesitate and provided help. The Ming Emperor was unwilling, but still provided the coordinates of the weak points and their general characteristics. In his mind, the Xin family was working with the Han family anyway. It wasn't hard to exploit that fact.

Luck was on her side ever since she had entered the continent. She needed leverage, and leverage she got right after entering the capital of the Ming Empire. It was truly inexplicable.

'Hmm?' Xin Meili had already left the capital, but she saw a tiny red light flicker for a moment at the center of a dried pond. 'What could it be?'

Yao Qing raised her head. Master and disciple looked at each other. Yao Qing organized her thoughts and started explaining.

"I spent two decades as a mortal. I was able to regrow my roots by chance, under the catacombs of the Brass Stallion city. At that time I had no knowledge of any sect, apart from the Iron Blood that I was a part of."

"It was nearly a century later that I learned some of the events that happened during my mortal years. It was only a few lines in the passing. In my youth, I had also tried to forget those years."

"What I remembered was that in the year 906 of the 274th cycle, Long Xiu, the head of the Han family had gone mad with grief and started cutting down anyone and anything related to the Starfall Mountain Sect. The cause of her grief was the loss of her family."

"Her family, including… the genius of the Starfall Mountain sect. The peerless swordmaster of his generation, her son. Whose name was forgotten in the annals of history."

For a while, no one disturbed the solemn atmosphere. Yao Qing had told him the truth. The whole truth. She only hid the reason why she remembered Long Xiu even after all these years.

'Yeah, yeah. I know. That idiot was a genius. Tell me something I don't know.' Finally, Han De shook his head. They were already in the year 906. He needed more. When he transmigrated it was 906 already. Technically the cultivation idiot's death covered everything on the surface. But his father's disappearance made him suspect a 2 pronged attack. Which meant that the sect, and therefore himself, was still in danger.

"What about my father, or grandfather?"

"I am sorry. I only know that she lost her family."

"Any idea of the culprits?"

Yao Qing shook her head. "At first I thought it was the Silent Silhouette Sect. However, with Ning Bi's… I suspect the family that resided in the Blazing Sun hidden realm might have played a role as well."

'The Blazing Sun family? Hidden realm? It is true, that Xin something-something really did intensely stared at Ning Bi back then. But Ning Bi shouldn't have stayed with the Starfall Mountain during Yao Qing's timeline. Well with her luck getting in contact with Xin something-something would be easy. Yao Qing shouldn't know about the Xin family encounter at the Brass Stallion...'

"Why are you suspecting the Blazing Sun family?"

Yao Qing seemed hesitant but she still answered her master's question. "Ning Bi appeared from the hidden realm a thousand years from now. She destroyed the hidden realm first, then the continents one by one, starting with the southern continent. Once she was done, she shattered the world to escape from the seal."

Han De had noticed before that Yao Qing was apprehensive about Ning Bi. 'So this was the reason. Well, she only purified the planet. That's nothing. She's going to purify entire frickin' planes of existence. A planet can only be called cute next to that…'

Still, this was Ning Bi. It was better to tie this loose end now before it became a grudge. Considering how Ning Bi's brain worked, this grudge might somehow implicate him as well.

"That is not the Ning Bi you know now. A thousand years is a long time. I have told you before, seemingly insignificant events can have massive and unpredictable outcomes. Your very existence probably altered history before you even became my disciple."

Han De profoundly closed his eyes.

"The right person in the wrong place can make all the difference... in the world."

He slowly reopened them again.

"There is no need for anyone to be burdened with a possibility. Not you, not Ning Bi."

Yao Qing narrowed her eyes. She slowly started nodding after mulling over her master's words.

"Now, what is this 'seal' that you mentioned." Since she shattered the planet to escape the seal, that must've been one hell of a seal. Of course it immediately caught Han De's attention.

"At the time no one had any idea. No one knew when it became active. I became aware of it only 2 centuries before Ning Bi's appearance. The seal was placed by the Silent Silhouette Sect. It was their attempt to stunt the spiritual energy decline. They sealed the world through the Heavenly Qi Gathering formation."

Han De felt that something wasn't right. 'Isn't this Silent Silhouette Sect a demonic sect? Not only that they are a hidden sect as well. Why are they even sealing the world? Why didn't they just leave during the Breach 200 years ago? Aren't they supposed to be near Red Stone Basin? The center of the previous Breach?'

"Did the spiritual energy decline stop?"

As Yao Qing expected, her master wasn't surprised at the decline. "No, but it supposedly slowed it down. But it didn't matter, war and conflict kept escalating due to scarcity of resources."

Han De suppressed the urge to sigh. 'I really won't be able to become the top dog, my ticket to an easy life is gone...'

'Her information was surprisingly useless. It could be the Silent Silhouette, but it could be someone else. It could be that the seal was activated and cut off my father from this world. If that is the case can my mother return?'

His thoughts were interrupted by Yao Qing. "Master, the big sheet of spiritual iron that I saw at the Eleventh Pavilion is a tertiary plank of the Heavenly Qi Gathering formation. Dense spiritual energy activates the plate, if the anchoring rocks get placed according to the formation, it'll become a part of the seal."

Han De raised his eyebrow. He had checked those things with the System. They were just ordinary spiritual iron and ordinary rocks. "I checked them myself and could not find anything out of the ordinary. Are you sure?"

"Yes, the plank only becomes a part of the formation once the core seal is activated. The anchors will resonate and let the core locate the plates. They will only resonate when placed in a strict formation. The rocks themselves are useless after the formation is fully activated. A plank can be located once it is saturated with spiritual energy. It just can't become part of the seal if the anchors aren't in place."

'What a needlessly bothersome formation...'

"What do you know about this Silent Silhouette Sect?"

Yao Qing took a deep breath. "They are based on Red Mountain overlooking the Red Stone Basin. They are very secretive and like to work behind the scenes. It took me quite a while just to learn of their existence. Shen Xing was supposed to be their rising star. He eventually replaced Yuan Zemin as the sect leader, which should be their current leader. A cruel man with cruel methods."

Her hatred was obvious. It wasn't surprising, all regressors needed some sort of motivation. Hers was revenge that she probably couldn't get the first time due to Ning Bi's appearance. Han De listened to her descriptions, but most of them were useless due to the time difference. The knowledge she had was only relevant after a few hundred years.

The Sun and the Ming empires were to collapse on their own. Silent Silhouette Sect would take over some of the mid-sized sects for purposes unknown. Most likely due to the Heavenly Qi Gathering formation. These were the most immediately applicable pieces of information.

Han De waited for her to continue, but apparently, that was it. 'She is really useless. She really is the shame of all regressor templates. Wow…'

'Is this her thing? She admits being a regressor but 'somehow' can't remember anything worthwhile? Is this supposed to be a 4D misdirection?'

Han De looked at the available information. If he helped his family he would become a refugee. If he didn't, he would have to suffer countless wars and conflict over declining resources. It wasn't even a choice. Even if he would become a refugee, he would become a rich refugee.

'Really, is that really all you know? Did you live a pampered life and became this naive after thousands of years?!'

Everything about this bothered Han De. The more he thought about it the more he thought it was possible. Yao Qing looked like she would become a tremendous beauty. Even as a mortal it wasn't hard to imagine her living a pampered life.

'Ning Bi is also like this. She has that otome game heroine element in her. Yao Qing might have that too. A second otome game heroine… I guess it's not so bad. Their capture targets can become my free advertisers even if we leave this world. Yao Qing fears Ning Bi so she would yield if there is a conflict. Let's hope Jin Shu isn't a third one…'

'Right, since she is pampered, I should make sure that she never talk about this to anyone again. If this was on Earth she would've long become a lab rat. A Xianxia lab rat would be even worse…'

Han De was reminded of the hermit wizard archetype from DD. Their high intelligence would make them incredibly clever, but their low wisdom would make them act like idiots. He temporarily filed Yao Qing under the hermit wizard category, pending further investigations.

"It might be needless to say, but you should never divulge your nature to others. You should also be wary of the urge to change things to someone's advantage. Even if that urge stems from a desire to help others."

"The slightest push, the smallest touch, sends echoes throughout life. Even a small act may have more severe repercussions than you know, or can see. From one act can come tremendous power, when the echo has traveled as far as it can."

Yao Qing seriously listened to her master's words. Throughout the entire conversation, he was remarkably calm. His questions were on point, and his warnings carried a weight that was beyond this realm. She realized she had made the right choice. 'He really might be…' She calmed herself and didn't dare continue that line of thought.

Han De wrote down Jin Shu's cultivation method on the spot. It was the best wood element method he had seen, or rather, the most expensive wood element method he had seen. However, compared to the Blazing Sun or the Celestial Storm, it could only be considered basic. He gave it to Yao Qing and sent her away.

The information about the seal was too important to delay. He wrote down the explanation and put in some generic excuses about how he made the conjecture. He used the sect seal on the scroll and instructed Peng to deliver it to his grandfather's clone and warn his mother.

He didn't want to do it himself because he knew it would generate questions. But, if he were to take the Seven Luminaries Reminiscence pill right now, not only he would buy some time, but he could also brush away any inconsistencies in his story as the after-effects of the pill.

In all honesty, Han De was rather conflicted. He wouldn't mind getting locked into this world as long as his cultivation was higher than others. No more Immortal Realms? That's great! I already have Treebeard! No more Nascent Souls? That's even better! There were too many of them anyway!

'The seal might not cut it on its own, but kindling plus the seal might. Even then, perhaps it would only delay the inevitable. The problem is, there is no way to make the higher cultivation people leave before sealing...'

Han De sighed and took the green jade box from his storage ring. As soon as he opened the lid he heard that demonic voice again.

[Primitive Herb Arrangement Detected]

[Analyzing...]

[Effect: Soul Restoration]

[Efficacy: 0.00000014%]

[Do you wish to absorb?]

"Wat?"

[Do you wish to absorb?]

'...'

After the initial surprise, Han De didn't mind it. The System was the System.

'This should be a pill to make me remember the rest of the cultivation idiot's memories. Why did it suddenly become a soul restoration pill? Sorry, 'Herb Arrangement', what was I thinking?!'

Han De rolled his eyes and continued thinking. He knew that the System would only do things that would benefit him in some way, but his seed token episode made it clear that those benefits might involve typical Xianxia bullshit with them. It was a good habit to evaluate everything when a new function appeared out of nowhere.

'I can certainly ignore this and try to absorb it on my own, but whatever. It's just memories anyway. Soul restoration shouldn't have harmful side effects.'

[Gathering Statistics]

[Calibrating...]

[Filtering Secondary Effects]

[Primary Absorption Rate: 99.999978%]

[Preparations are complete]

[To prevent permanent soul damage, the host will be put in sleep mode]

[Initiating Partial Soul Restoration]

[Time Remaining: 138:53:19]

[...]

Han De found himself in the middle of the mountains. Just a second ago he was taking the soul restoration pill, but now he was somewhere else. Out of habit, he wanted to facepalm, but he realized he couldn't move his body.

His head turned on its own, and he saw a guy with shining white skin. A wide smile was on his delicate face. His body smiled, he thought 'This guy is always like this.'

'Wait, hang on, I get that this is a memory trip but why is it affecting my thoughts?'

The scene changed, Han De himself wasn't resisting it, he was just startled. As the scene changed he realized the rest of the 'scene' was integrated into his memories like the other ones.

Now, he was in his abode cultivating. He circulated energy. Once, twice, thrice. His mind was completely empty.

The scene changed again. He saw a beauty with a jade-like skin. 'So elegant. So beautiful..' His mind went blank. He immediately asked Peng about her identity. This woman was the one!

The scene changed once again much to Han De's relief. For a second, he really thought that the uncanny valley girl was his fated one. He was starting to regret using the System to absorb this pill. Having memories of another person was creepy enough, but now he was feeling that person's emotions, their thoughts were mixing with his own.

Now he was using the Prayer Beads to cultivate. 'Where did Bai found this thing.' He was baffled by its effects. It wasn't just increasing the purity of his Qi, his cultivation was also much faster. Nearly a twenty-fold increase...

"Hmph! Presumptuous!" He was now holding an old man by his neck. This trash was selling contaminated pills under the Starfall Mountain's nose. He slowly stabbed him with his sword then activated his sword art without mercy. The scene changed, but Han De knew from memory that the soul of the man was extinguished.

He was meditating now. Occasionally he would remember Chu Chen and get excited over the upcoming disciple acceptance ceremony. Nothing in this world could make him miss it. Just a few more days…

The scene changed once again. Han De was now cultivating in his courtyard. The Prayer Beads was in his right hand.

...

...

2054 cycles.

2055 cycles.

2056 cycles.

2057 cycles.

2058 cycles.

2059 cycles.

2060 cycles.

2061 cycles.

2062 cycles.

2063 cycles.

2064 cycles.

2065 cycles.

2066 cycles.

2067 cycles.

2068 cycles.

2069 cycles.

2070 cycles.

2071 cycles.

2072 cycles.

2073 cycles.

'Hmm?' A slight fluctuation caught his attention.

"You really do have some skill. Not many would be able to notice us."

Under the starlight, Han De saw two figures enter his courtyard. He narrowed his eyes after quickly coming into a conclusion.

The figure in the front smirked. "I like smart people. It saves so much time…"

Han De's aura exploded. In his mind, he only needed to hold on until some of his men arrive. That would drag his father into it as well and it would be over. 'I never thought those life-saving trinkets would be useful one day. I'll have to think about it later, I can't be distracted now.'

The man sneered. "A futile effort. Do you really think we would be here if we didn't have a guarantee about the grand array?"

Without warning, Han De felt his neck was grabbed. He gritted his teeth and tried to escape, but the difference in cultivation was insurmountable. While he was struggling the second figure took the prayer beads and put them into a jade box.

"This will hurt a lot. It will hurt even more if you struggle. So make sure you struggle as much as possible. Who knows, maybe your father will arrive to save you, isn't that what you are hoping for? Hold on as much as you can..."

Spiritual energy started invading his soul. Han De struggled with all his being. He tried to hold on, tried to condense energy, tried to send some sort of signal. Nothing worked. The pain was already unbearable. A groan escaped from his lips.

"Ah, there is it is…"

His groans turned into screams. He remembered Chu Chen, he remembered the prayer beads. He remembered his cousin, his cultivation. His screams got louder with the realization of the inevitable.

He opened his eyes. The man was sweating profusely. Han De felt his consciousness slipping. He could feel his soul shrinking by the second. For the first time in his life, he felt deep regret. He couldn't remember what the source of this regret was, it was just there.

Only instinct was left now. The instinct to resist. Time became meaningless. Then suddenly, there was a release. Finally. It knew that the pain would be over soon.

. .]

[ . [

[ .]

[...]

[...]

The scene changed again. This time he saw himself polishing a wooden fishing boat with his wrinkled hands. Suddenly he grabbed his chest and collapsed.

This time he was crossing a rope bridge. Suddenly the rope snapped and he fell down to the chasm. He hit his head to the sidewall while falling.

This time he was sweeping the floor with a broom. He raised his head and saw a young woman in a blue dress, kindly smiling at him. They were both at a tower, high above the clouds.

[...]

[Time Remaining: 00:00:00]

[Partial Soul Restoration Complete]

[Awakening Host]

[Operation Successful]

[Memory integration complete]

[Sync point confirmed and verified]

[Calibration started]

[Congratulations, your soul has been partially restored!]

Han De opened his eyes and found himself in the familiar lotus position. His mind was completely blank. He could only stare at nothingness.

{Quite clever this brat… That was only a basic low-quality soul mending pill...}

{Now, what did you see?}

{...}

A few hours had passed, Han De was still silent. Finally, he gave a long sigh. He wasn't out of the woods. How could anyone be safe in a Xianxia world?

He needed to train hard. He needed to cultivate. Relying on others was one thing, but he needed a power that was his own. The strong preyed on the weak. It was the rule of the jungle, it was the rule of the Xianxia.

'I need to grit my teeth and just put up with the cultivation. I'll just start cultivating right now.'

He paused for a moment.

'...'

'Tomorrow… Yes, tomorrow. I'll definitely start tomorrow…'

The next morning Han De decided to make himself breakfast. He couldn't sleep very well last night and kept remembering the last moments of the cultivation idiot.

As he went to the closest kitchen he remembered some of the new memories about cooking with the spiritual ingredients. Although the cultivation idiot truly was a freak and used pills for sustenance, he did have a conversation with an immortal chef to impress Chu Chen.

'For once, I agree with the cultivation idiot. That chef really liked to smell his own farts…'

This immortal chef had boasted about his ability to no end and kept exaggerating the effects of a badly cooked spiritual dish. He reminded Han De of a certain Italian TV chef. While it was true that the after taste would change, the effect really wasn't as exaggerated as he had said. Han De would know, he had already cooked with spiritual ingredients himself.

Han De made the basic crepes once again. He purposefully avoided looking at the descriptions of the ingredients through the System.

As he ate he thought of the hallucinations that he saw after the cultivation idiot's death. 'I wonder if those were the cultivation idiot's past lives. They surely can't be mine, there wouldn't be a cycle of reincarnation on Earth, would there? The first two were pretty normal but the last one seemed like a fantasy environment…'

He took care of the dishes after he was done eating. It had been a while since he last ate anything. Perhaps this simple act was more important than he realized. He decided to send Peng to grab an immortal chef after the lecture.

"Little De… What are you doing?"

At the far side of the kitchen were his mother and his 3 disciples, staring at him with odd expressions.

Long Xiu had returned from her expedition a few days ago. Since her husband was visiting the northern continent, and her son was still absorbing the pill, she thought she'd interact with Ning Bi and the new disciples that she had heard of.

Today she had realized her son was done with the pill and was already dissecting another netherworld demon. She thought this was a valuable experience for the disciples considering the future direction of the sect, so she had grabbed them... only to find him in the kitchen.

Han De had listened to her flat explanation with patience. This was the second time someone was accusing him of dissecting a netherworld demon. First was his father, and now it was his mother. 'Are these little shits joking about my cooking ability? Is this something that went over my head while I was looking at the cultivation idiot's memories?'

He gave up after a few seconds. He couldn't be bothered with an inside joke that he missed and just shrugged. "Just cooked a mortal dish that I learned a few years ago. You could've tasted it if you had come half an hour earlier."

The family stage of the Hidden expert transition might as well start today. "By the way, I thought I'd get an immortal chef."

Long Xiu wanted to ask about the demon thing but Han De's expression made it clear that he wasn't going to explain. She switched to the immortal chef angle, it gave her the best entry point for her plan.

"Good! I have always thought you should get a personal immortal chef. Especially now that you have disciples!"

Seeing his mother smile like that made Han De smile as well, but Long Xiu wasn't done.

"During the expedition, I encountered a very skilled immortal chef by accident. I was undecided about assigning this person as my own personal chef, but since you are looking for one the matter is settled! Good!" Long Xiu nodded at her own words.

Han De thought it was strange for her to send a guy she just met as his personal chef after how she talked about it for years. 'Perhaps he's someone she knew before. She would never send someone she didn't trust…' Although he had a weird feeling about it, Han De couldn't find any problems with her logic. It was probably the after effect of the pill. He just nodded and said "Alright."

Now that the hard part was over, relief washed over Long Xiu. She contained it and asked the number two question in her mind. "What about your memory?"

"I recovered it. Completely." Han De wanted to give a normal smile, but for only for a tiny moment it turned slightly bitter without him realizing it. How could Long Xiu miss that subtle change as his mother? She made a mental note to visit Zhao Dong, it had been a while.

She just nodded without saying anything. Of the 3 disciples, only Ning Bi knew about the situation from start to end. She sighed with relief upon hearing her master's answer.

Long Xiu changed the subject. "We'll depart in 4 days. Now that you have recovered there is no need to delay it."

"Depart?"

"Ah, your grandfather didn't tell you. We are going to the northern continent for a conference. Get your affairs in order, we'll be away for more than a month at least."

'Aaah, grandfather... What exactly did you say and didn't say to her...' This was a touchy subject that could blow up in unexpected ways, so Han De decided not to dig deeper. He suddenly realized that his grandfather probably told him of the real reason to distribute responsibility. He decided to feign ignorance no matter the cost.

They talked about the sights Long Xiu saw during her expedition for a while. A while later Long Xiu left, her time was extremely limited already. She was using her cultivation time to meet with her son.

While she was going back she thought about the past events regarding that plague-devouring demon. It was hard to believe such an event was only a well-timed bluff. She smiled and continued her work.

Yao Qing watched as Long Xiu went away. She had no idea that she could be starstruck after all these years...

Han De finished his lecture and looked over the reports of the past 2 weeks.

'132 total subjects, 34 consistent anomalous behavior. 67 disappeared? 12 confirmed dead?'

He looked at the Peng, but the look on his face suggested that he had no idea either.

"I can understand the dead ones, but how can so many disappear in just 2 weeks? Investigate immediately."

"Yes, Elder De."

Han De saw Treebeard coming towards him. "Did you find the Anomaly at the lower realm?"

Treebeard first nodded, then shook his head. He grabbed a scroll from his storage ring and presented it to Han De. After reading it Han De looked at the Treebeard.

"Disappeared? Him too?"

Treebeard could only nod with a bitter expression. What should've been impossible had happened, and it had happened on his watch. It truly was a great shame upon his record.

"Alright, send a few mid-level experts and keep an eye on it just in case."

Han De thought about it. MCs disappearing was actually a good thing for him, but not knowing the reason made him wary. He couldn't do anything about it for now, so he stopped thinking about it.

After experiencing the pill, Han De thought he still didn't have a stable footing in this world. Cultivation was something that couldn't be rushed, at least for his own template. Therefore he needed something else. Perhaps a way to take the initiative.

"Of the remaining ones that show anomalous behavior, pick the ones that show good character. Prioritize the most stupid ones first and invite them to the Starfall Mountain. Invite. Only invite. Do mention the benefits, offer protection for their immediate and extended families, but keep things at the invite level."

"Contact Tan Renshu of the Brass Stallion and tell him to start small scale tests at once."

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"Of the remaining ones that show anomalous behavior, pick the ones that show good character. Prioritize the most stupid ones first and invite them to the Starfall Mountain. Invite. Only invite. Do mention the benefits, offer protection for their immediate and extended families, but keep things at the invite level."

"Contact Tan Renshu of the Brass Stallion and tell him to start small scale tests at once."

Lackeys immediately got busy to carry out his orders. Han De thought about doing more, but he had to leave in 4 days. There wasn't enough time to properly handle a major project. He could only delay them.

He turned towards the stupidly massive spiritual iron sheet. He had checked with the System before the lecture, there was actually a change on it.

[Sheet of Spiritual Iron]

Refined from very low quality spiritual iron ore. 99.17844% pure. Receiving low-frequency spatial resonance from a faraway formation.

The last sentence was new. He looked at the smaller sheet of spiritual iron he got from the cockroach, that last sentence about the faraway formation wasn't there. Then he took out the rocks to check them once again.

[Large Boulder]

Composed of mainly quartz, feldspar, and magnetite.

'According to Yao Qing, these rocks have to be arranged in a certain formation, and even then they only resonate when the formation core is active? Magnetite should be… iron ore?'

Back on Earth, Han De had played many MMOs. In one of them, magnetite was used for summoning demons. A guild member who was a mining engineer would constantly complain about the unrealistic usage of real-world minerals. Han De only had a surface level knowledge of geology, but thanks to his guildmate he knew from the heart that magnetite was just common iron ore.

'The Grand Array limits foreign entities from using the power of space inside the sect. This spatial resonance is most likely something like a low band radio wave that no one pays attention to. Maybe the Silent Silhoutte's formation core has something like a spatial radar?'

Since the Silent Silhouette sect liked to move behind the scenes, a seal that encompassed the world would have to be as sneaky as them. Otherwise, the big sects would immediately take notice.

Han De speculated that these spiritual iron sheets were manufactured at unrelated locations to prevent divination. The anchoring rocks were most likely just boulders that had easily identifiable compositions, they could also be grabbed from random locations to prevent divinations.

'Since everything has to be in a specific arrangement, they probably recorded the characteristics of the pieces. Their arrangement is just a way for the core to distinguish them from the background noise.'

'If that is true, then even knowing about it doesn't make any difference. They can't even be divined since there is no connection between them and the formation until they are activated.'

He stored the stupidly massive spiritual iron sheet back in his storage ring. Although Yao Qing did mention that it was mostly harmless without the anchoring rocks, he didn't like the idea of leaving it out in the open.

He started reflecting on the capabilities of the status check.

'I guess this means the System only shows the current state of an item? It doesn't show the history of it, just what it is right now?'

He remembered that the System had only provided a description of the Crystalized Tenacity without mentioning it being part of the Prayer Beads. He realized that this was something he should've noticed much earlier. Perhaps it was the limitation of the System, or perhaps it just didn't care. It was hard to determine the reason.

'I'll have to be careful about this in the future. I wonder if this is only limited to items...' He sighed and shifted his gaze towards the sky.

Now that he handled most of the emergencies, Han De was free for the time being. But, he couldn't continue his usual routine. Ever since Ning Bi gained that wallhack, he stopped practicing in front of the mirror or coming up with contingency scenarios while lazing around. His free time was suddenly, very free.

Before he started cultivating, he decided to go and find his disciples first. He was their master, after all. He needed to act like one if he didn't want to lose them.

'Especially Jin Shu, I didn't even interact with her since her ceremony, that was nearly 2 weeks ago…'

He had prepared middle-school level education material for Ning Bi. At the time he gave up on giving private lessons and just wanted to give her the scrolls and let her figure things out by herself. But now, he had 3 disciples. A single lecture would yield 3 times the result. The cost-benefit ratio was well within his tolerance levels.

'I prepared a lot of stuff, but still not exactly sure about chemistry and biology. Maybe I should just ignore them altogether?'

The existence of spiritual energy threw most of his knowledge out the window. He wasn't even sure if normal chemistry experiments would work here. Perhaps the spiritual energy might cause a normal chemical reaction to fail inexplicably, perhaps not. His chemistry knowledge was already pitiful, he wouldn't be able to recognize the issue even if it stared right at his face.

Biology was similar too. Souls existed here. How would a soul interact with the brain? Would brain chemistry affect a soul?

Han De abruptly stopped walking.

'If a soul enters another body, would their thoughts get affected by that body's brain chemistry?'

'...'

A soul possessing another body would eventually start eroding the said soul due to incompatibilities. It was considered a demonic method, and its practicers would eventually become insane. Was there a relation?

'My soul was integrated with the System, it shouldn't be eroding, right? Should I try to get a soul cultivation method as well?'

'No, no. That's too risky. If someone finds out they might take a closer look at my soul. That's just asking for trouble even if the System can hide things perfectly.'

'I can't ask around about the body affecting the soul's thoughts either. That would just gather needless suspicion. There is Yao Qing, but she is still in her own body, albeit a younger version of herself. If there are any changes it should be minimal. She also has thousands of years of experience, she can handle the hormonal changes in a teenager's body pretty easily, right?'

After thinking about his experiences for a while, Han De's mood turned sour. Unfortunately, he had no way of confirming or denying his hypothesis. He took a deep breath and decided to start writing a diary. It would help take his mind off this Xianxia world and allow him to track his psychological state at the same time. That was the best idea he could think of at the moment.

Two orange foxes with long furs were on a hill overlooking a mortal salt farm. The spiritual energy of this area was nearly non-existent. A normal cultivator would feel suffocated and instinctively attempt to leave.

But some considered places such as these an opportunity. A place dead with spiritual energy could temper one's mind, body, and soul. These two foxes weren't here for that. For them, this was just a refuge, a single one among many.

The dignified looking fox glanced over the mortal workers. According to her knowledge, this fox princess that was sitting beside her was captured by the Starfall Mountain just a few weeks ago, along with his brother. The Starfall Mountain themselves had even tried to contact the fox tribe for negotiations.

She did not expect her daughter to appear out of the blue. The fox tribe was already on the move to appease the Starfall Mountain. Their previous experience taught them to take action before sitting on the negotiation table with Han Wei or his wife. This development was strange, but not an unwelcome one.

The dignified orange fox listened to her daughter's story without interrupting her. She then asked a single question.

What is your final assessment of this Han De?

The younger fox did not hesitate in her answer. It was likely that she kept thinking about it during her captivity.

Cruel and cunning. Not to be underestimated. Extremely goal-oriented. It makes it difficult to judge his true character.

The dignified fox nodded. A dragon wouldn't beget a dog son. It seems he inherited the cunning of his father Han Wei, and the cruelty of his mother Long Xiu. Perhaps the situation wasn't as tricky as she first thought. The Starfall Mountain was always difficult, but at least they were consistently difficult. In some ways, it was easier to have dealings with them.

Han De chose one of the simpler gardens for his lecture. A small pavilion on the side of a small pond surrounded by common greenery. It was actually quite refreshing after spending so much time in disgustingly picturesque gardens and courtyards.

"Before we begin I'll first evaluate your progress, and look at your arts if you've chosen any from the Archives."

Upon hearing their master, Ning Bi looked troubled, twice she visited the Archives and twice failed to find anything. Jin Shu's expression didn't change, but she quickly admitted that she had taken 9 cultivation methods and 12 spiritual spells, leaving Han De speechless.

"I practiced my family's Blossoming Dream all my life, but after the bloodline removal, my comprehension of it went through a qualitative change. I wanted to cross-reference these new methods to find commonalities...'

Han De understood her intentions. Her comprehension was at 10, which was the max value. Probably. So it wasn't a surprise that she wanted to derive a new method from many others.

After sagely nodding, Han De spoke "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. As long as you don't scatter your cultivation focus, there is no harm in studying other methods. What do you think of them so far?"

Jin Shu lowered her gaze before answering. "Although each of them contains profound mysteries, of them could hold a candle to the Yellow Grove Scripture."

Han De held back his sigh. 'Pity, that one is only extremely weak and not very weak. But her luck is good, probably a better art will come by in the future.'

He checked the 12 spiritual spells that she chose. Every single one of them was attack-oriented. 'Wood is an element that is good at defense, healing, and growth. Why would she completely ignore them and focus on attack? Perhaps she is going to go over all the areas one by one?'

One had to spend points to earn more points. He learned some of the spells on the spot to give her a few pointers. This also enhanced his unfathomable image. That alone could not be measured with profound points anyway. He had already talked it out with the pampered princess too. The coast was clear.

[Profound Points: 504 - 456]

He switched his attention to Ning Bi, who was biting her lips while looking down. Han De didn't suppress his urge to smile. 'This girl is really picky. That 5 extra potential points aren't just for show. She probably wouldn't even spare a glance at the Blazing Sun Scripture if it was available on the first floor.'

"Fate is the most important factor when selecting a method. You don't have to feel down if you haven't found anything that spoke to you. They'll eventually come to you. In the meantime, I'll look for a few supplementary arts myself."

The relief on Ning Bi's face could be read a mile away. Han De shook his head while smiling. "How is the progress on your Cosmic Destruction Scripture?"

Ning Bi's eyes immediately started shining brightly. She didn't notice how Yao Qing flinched at the name of her martial art. She immediately started explaining the new ideas she came up with.

Han De couldn't see the progress on the Cosmic Destruction Scripture. Whenever there was progress with the Breach skill, the System would inform him with a pop-up. Cultivation methods were apparently different, he had to read the written down scripture to determine it's completion rate. They would only display as incomplete on the status screen.

Ning Bi's esoteric explanation went over everyone's head. Perhaps due to having standard scriptures of 86 different weapons in his head, Han De was completely unable to grasp any of her moves and explanations. The conclusion he reached was concerning. 'This is batshit crazy. No one will be able to learn this thing. Impossible without that Breach skill of hers…'

Han De gestured with his hand. "Alright, I'm happy you've made so much progress. You can write down your method during the trip. Remember, if you can't explain it to a six-year-old, you don't understand it yourself!"

"Yes! Master!" Ning Bi nodded enthusiastically and sat down. Although Han De still had some concerns over her Breach skill, he decided to observe a little bit more. There was no need to scare her over nothing. He turned his attention towards the pampered princess, only to see her thousand-yard stare.

Her reaction was understandable. Ning Bi was the future Purifier of Planes. She even destroyed this very planet that they were standing on and Yao Qing watched the entire process.

Han De himself was concerned about teaching Ning Bi. It would only make her more powerful in the end. However, he had no choice. He could only try to positively influence her and hope for the best. Unfortunately, this was a Xianxia world. Even if he could change her character for the better, it probably wouldn't matter in the end. The world was cruel and violent and this girl was way too grudge-happy.

Yao Qing realized everyone was staring at her. She regained her composure and showed her chosen methods. She already had everything she needed, these methods were purely for show.

The Archives of the sect actually impressed her a great deal. She had never seen a big archive before this world was destroyed. Unexpectedly, the methods stored inside were of higher quality than she had expected. Some of them were better than the mantras of the higher realm sects that she had seen before, which caused a significant shift in her view of the sect.

Even the Archive building itself was extravagant to the point of being silly. It was made entirely out of white jade slates that were extracted from the faraway northern regions. Yao Qing remembered she had once stolen a necklace made out of the same white jade. Those were desperate times, and that necklace had helped her tremendously. But here, in the Starfall Mountain sect, it was used as a construction material. Ordinary disciples wouldn't know anything about it, but she knew.

The biggest gain she had from the Archives visit was the standard scripture for the spear. The one in the Archives was completely different than the one she got from her master. Only their rough outline was similar. She was sure that no one could create the ancient concept that she witnessed from that scripture alone.

After listening to Yao Qing's summary of her 'chosen' methods, Han De understood her situation. So he gave her a few generic pointers about the Celestial Storm Scripture and the standard spear scripture instead. He also asked her to write down her Azure Lightning Spear art, which caused Yao Qing to solemnly nod.

'Not bad! In the short term, I only need to find a few spells for Ning Bi, a dodge heavy hand-to-hand martial art for Jin Shu, and my favorite, a whole bunch of nothing for Yao Qing.'

The Grand Master level comprehension cost was too high, he could only make it a long term goal, starting with his own methods first.

Han De looked at the three disciples in front of him. They were living a comfortable life in the sect right now. But that didn't change their MC status. This was a Xianxia world, even if they were MCs, their fate would put them through countless difficulties. He remembered the last moments of the cultivation idiot.

The cultivation idiot had died in the middle of what should've been the safest place in this world. His cultivation couldn't save him, his sect couldn't save him, his family couldn't save him. It was entirely possible for Han De to die at any time just like that idiot.

He started to feel regret. Consciously and subconsciously, he was holding these girls back.

'The least I could do is to help them grow to their full potential. That way, even after I die, they'll have an easier time in the future.'

The new disciples were oblivious, but Ning Bi was able to notice the heavy mood of her master. She subconsciously clenched her fists.

Han De shook his head. He needed to concentrate on the task at hand. He took out 5 scroll cases from his storage ring. There was an odd and heavy air about the cases that he hadn't noticed before. When he opened the scrolls, the text inside was strangely mysterious.

'Right… I remember some natural laws and such would produce effects like this. Didn't think my hazy middle-school science text would invoke these effects, but ok, I'll take it.'

"Until now, I only taught you knowledge about cultivation. That is going to change starting today. I will teach you general knowledge about the structure and the behavior of the natural world."

"Some of these things may not seem immediately practical to you. Although I will be teaching, what you gain out of them will depend on you in the end."

The three disciples were intently listening to him. Although their reasonings varied, all three were surprised.

Han De started the lesson with something easy to understand. He showed the four fundamental states of matter through manipulating water with basic spiritual spells. As he explained why matter changed states at different temperatures, he stared at the illusory black chrysanthemum flower that was blooming in front of him.

'I get the connection between Buddhist speeches and the lotus flowers, but what's the deal with this one? Why is it black?'

This was something Xianxia like, but for some reason, Han De couldn't enjoy this phenomenon. It gave him an ominous and mysterious feeling. He secretly looked at his disciples, Ning Bi was looking at the flower as if it was normal, Jin Shu was intently staring at Han De, and Yao Qing was glancing at the black flower with a dubious expression.

The moment had passed, the illusory flower had disappeared a few seconds after blooming. Han De decided to ignore it. 'I guess the pill affected me more than I realized, everything is giving me ominous feelings…'

He continued the lesson, changed topics as time went by. Magnets, rain, mountains, rivers, clouds, fire, smoke, light, gravity, stars, and more. He tried to cover a wide base of basic but practical knowledge for the first lesson, these girls all had high comprehension, he didn't have to worry about them not understanding anything.

As he explained, black flowers popped up on a few occasions. After the 4th one, flowers started creeping him out. After the 13th one, he found them impossible to ignore anymore. Thankfully the lesson was nearly over, he was just answering his disciples' random questions.

Jin Shu asked after deliberating something. "Master, you said gravity was a fundamental force. Are there others?"

Han De gave his usual profound expert nod. "They are a bit early for you, but there is no harm in knowing them. Not much is known about them, much of our knowledge is hypothetical. We only know that they exist and have effects, we don't know how they produce these effects. There are four fundamental forces in the universe. Gravity, weak force, strong force, and electromagnetism. Gravity is the weakest, but it brings...

Hundreds of illusory black chrysanthemum flowers bloomed around Han De as he spoke.

"...all things..."

Previously clear skies became filled with clouds.

"...that have..."

As Han De spoke they got darker and darker and almost completely blocked out the sunlight.

"...mass or..."

Master Stop!

Rumble*

Han De stopped his explanation. He looked at the dark clouds with a frown.

"Heavenly Tribulation? Seriously? What for?"

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Master! One should not utter knowledge that is forbidden in the lower realms!

Han De looked at Yao Qing with furrowed brows. 'Sure fundamental forces could be considered natural laws, but my entire memory of it is a hazy late-night Wikipedia dive. I wasn't even looking for it, I just clicked on the wrong link instead of the black hole one! How can half a sentence of that summon a Heavenly Tribulation?!'

Rumble*

Yao Qing saw the bafflement in her master's eyes. Even she had no idea of the fundamental forces that her master talked about. This was the irrefutable proof. 'He really has memories of the primordial era! How is that even possible? They were right! They really were right! Primordial freaks really are primordial freaks. Do not expect them to follow common sense.' She pushed aside her excitement and looked at the abnormal Heavenly Tribulation.

Rumble*

Han De re-entered his Profound Expert mode once again and turned his attention towards the tribulation clouds. His back was straight as a stick, an unfathomable light flickered in his eyes.

'Oh god... I wouldn't have opened my mouth if I knew this would happen! This cloud should now disperse, right? No, how could tribulation disperse by itself?!'

Rumble*

The black chrysanthemum flowers started to disappear one by one. The sound of thunder became lower, but the clouds themselves displayed no signs of disappearing.

Suddenly Han De thought of something. When the cultivation idiot faced the tribulation while forming his core, he felt a heavenly pressure weighing down on him before he even started. Today he was only creeped out by the flowers and felt no pressure from the tribulation clouds.

Rumble*

"Young Master!"

Old Peng bowed deeply then started rapidly reporting. Hundreds of experts appeared in the sky and took formation, shielding Han De and his disciples from the Heavenly Tribulation.

"We are currently assuming that this unscheduled Heavenly Tribulation was summoned maliciously. The current target is unknown. Primary, secondary, and tertiary defense formations are intact. The Grand Array is on standby. Tunnels three through six are ready. Emergency supplies for the disciples have been gathered. We are awaiting your orders!"

As the last black flower disappeared into thin air, Heavenly Tribulation clouds seemingly gave up and started scattering on their own. After a minute, the sky was clear, as if everything that happened was only an illusion.

Han De looked at the sky in confusion, then retracted his gaze from the sky. His lackeys were the same. Everyone looked at each other in confusion. For a while, no one talked and just stood there.

Han De gave a profound nod as a reflex. 'Ah, this was one of the crisis drills, right. I nearly forgot…' He cleared his throat and spoke to Old Peng.

"The Heavenly Tribulation wasn't summoned maliciously. You can stand down. Your response was excellent, well done."

"Yes! Young Master!"

Of course, he had no idea if their response was adequate since he was too preoccupied to notice. But he couldn't say that to these guys, not in a million years.

Han De looked at the now clear skies once again. 'This isn't right, why did the tribulation disperse? Not that I'm unhappy that it dispersed, but this is too sketchy.'

This was his third brush with the Heavenly Tribulation, and this time he had even seen the clouds. He lightly coughed to prevent himself from gulping. This wasn't the time to idly think, he was supposed to be a Profound Expert, and one of the defining features of those experts was defying the Heavens. He scrambled to find some appropriate words.

"Ehm. Since someone is throwing a tantrum, I suppose we'll leave this for another time. Well, you'll figure it out anyway, eventually…"

As he talked he warily looked at the sky once again. It wouldn't do well to piss off the Heavenly Tribulation just to get some points from his disciples.

Yao Qing opened her mouth to say something, but she closed it without making a sound. The tribulation she saw this time was too abnormal. Although she never witnessed one that was summoned just by uttering the forbidden laws, the way it acted defied common sense. The way it dispersed was suspect too. She knew many different ways of dispersing or delaying the Heavenly Tribulation, but she never saw a secret method that was this clean. Pity that her senses were too dull to detect anything.

After the initial shock was over, Yao Qing focused on the leaving experts. The preparedness of her master's people was truly commendable. She decided to have a talk with their leader and join in on their planning. As a direct disciple, she could force her way in with her status even if they refused. Besides, this was all for her master's safety, it couldn't even be called an abuse of power.

Jin Shu who had asked the question looked deeply at her teacher. She was the genius of the Jin family. After her parent's death, she was surrounded by the family elders as she grew up. Along with leveraging her bloodline, reading in between the lines became an essential skill for her survival. Otherwise, she would've become a convenient scapegoat for her various relatives or get married off to someone at the first opportunity.

She pondered on the meaning of her teacher's words. It was clear that there was some profound secret, but she didn't have enough pieces to work out what it was. Yao Qing's odd looks at Ning Bi and the voice transmission from Yao Qing to the master also didn't escape Jin Shu's notice. Patience was a virtue that she had plenty of. She could wait for the events to unfold themselves.

No one noticed how Ning Bi faintly smirked while looking at the Heavenly Tribulation clouds. She didn't know why, but she thought it was only natural that the Heavenly Tribulation would bend after meeting her master.

"Alright, we'll continue this tomorrow. Focus on your cultivations for the time being. You can practice your techniques at a later date."

This was a polite way of saying 'Get me some points'. His disciples left after respectfully bowing. Most of his lackeys had also dispersed, but Treebeard and the two Nascent Soul experts were still around. Han De recognized the Nascent Soul experts, they were the same two that he saw at the Misty Mountains.

Since he was encountering them often, he decided to give them nicknames. The somewhat serious-looking one became Merry, and the enthusiastic one became Pippin. Then he sent them both to get some body cultivation resources.

'Something really isn't right with this picture. How can anyone cause Heavenly Tribulation to descend with mere words? I know that this was the original justification for the heavy usage of metaphors in cultivation methods, but it still doesn't seem right.'

'To think that I was planning to expand on the science topics and distribute them to the free schools… Thankfully I wasn't stupid enough to write those things down. Would a tribulation descend if I write them down? Maybe?'

It wasn't worth a test, so Han De decided to keep his curriculum extra simple to avoid any complications down the line.

The matter of heavenly tribulation was something he took as extremely serious. While MCs could defy them and shout 'Bring it on!' and dive into it headfirst, Han De couldn't. He was the expert that died during his tribulation a few pages ago to emphasize the awesomeness of the MCs power.

Han Shan gently placed his unconscious son into the healing formation that he had just made.

The wounds on Han Wei's body weren't too severe due to the sacrifices of his subordinates, but he had used a tremendous amount of spiritual power and that caused the symptoms to worsen significantly. If Han Shan wasn't here he wouldn't have lasted more than a week.

Han Shan had already pieced together what had happened. He didn't ask for a report and concentrated on healing instead. After a few hours, his son finally opened his eyes. The moment he regained some ability, he immediately asked.

De? Xiu?

Safe. Xiu lost half her forces, but found 5 kindlings. She knows, but had no choice but to stay behind to look after little De. He took the pill and made a full recovery. Perhaps even gained some fortune from this misfortune, but that remains to be seen. Rest now. They will be coming here in a month.

Han Wei closed his eyes with relief.

[Seventh Moonlight Scripture requires 91 Profound Points to advance to the Grand Master level]

[Profound Points: 456 - 365]

[Seventh Moonlight Scripture (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Grand Master]

[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]

Han De had already received the necessary items from Merry and Pippin to start cultivating his body. But he realized he was getting cold feet, so he upgraded his comprehension to prevent himself from running away. It was too late to turn away after that.

According to Han De's understanding of this scripture, he needed to complete all the steps from scratch even if he was a Core Formation expert already. Upgrading to the Grand Master level was well worth it, he intuitively could adjust the ratios of the medicine to increase its efficacy while decreasing its side effects. These side effects were the main reason for the pain caused by the body cultivation process.

The first few layers of the body cultivation involved medicinal baths. Han De sat in the middle of the tub and stopped restraining his Luminescent Body. His body glowed with a pure white color while outside of the tub, but inside the water, it gained a bluish hue. Han De immediately started operating the Seventh Moonlight Scripture.

[Body Cultivation Feature Activated]

[Body Cultivation: Qi Condensation 1st Stage (1/50)]

'Surprising that there is a separate section in the System for Body Cultivation, unsurprising that it is so very basic…'

After the brief interruption from the System, he continued absorbing the medicine. In just a few minutes he heard another announcement from that demonic voice.

[Your body has reached the 2nd Stage of Qi Condensation]

'I guess it is easier since I am already at Core Formation level, my body is already strong, just doesn't have the foundation of a body cultivation method. Not to mention my constitution.'

The Seventh Moonlight Scripture worked in the usual way that the body cultivation worked in Xianxia. It had stages where you cultivated different parts of your body, one at a time. Of course, changing only one part of the body was completely nonsensical. A body was an intricate machine that worked together in harmony. Making one part stronger was just a recipe for disaster.

If a person's muscles became extraordinarily strong, but the rest of them stayed normal, they could shatter their own bones with simple movements. Or snap their tendons. Or turn their internal organs into mush. A simple sneeze was probably enough to cause an irreversible tragedy.

[Your body has reached the 3rd Stage of Qi Condensation]

Han De discovered that these stages didn't just modify one part of him without touching the others. The first stage of the Seventh Moonlight Scripture was the skin. Although it did improve the toughness of the skin, it also improved his whole body along with it. The next stage didn't just improve tendons, it just improved the body's overall stamina.

[Your body has reached the 4th Stage of Qi Condensation]

As Han De was thinking about the differences between this world and a typical Xianxia world, he found himself fascinated by the entire process of body cultivation. Most of what he was doing was just guiding the medicine to the necessary area and use his Light Qi to let his body locally digest it.

'This… almost seems like I'm getting fossilized alive. Is the organic matter inside me getting changed or replaced somehow? This black gunk doesn't seem to be just 'impurities' like bacteria. Besides, how the hell can I excrete a bucket load of bacteria from my skin, doesn't make any sense…'

His spiritual sense wasn't strong enough to observe these minute changes in his body. Of course, human anatomy in Xianxia could be different. Unlikely, but possible. Maybe. Probably not.

In just 3 hours, Han De had absorbed all of the medicine. He didn't get out of the tub but continued to cultivate his body with the help of his constitution. Normally, body cultivation of this stage could only be done with external resources, however, he found out that the cleansing effect of his constitution was actually quite beneficial.

He used his spiritual power reserves to stimulate the cleansing effect of his body constitution further and cultivated the Seventh Moonlight Scripture at the same time. The result was obviously considerably slower, but it could be done! After using nearly half of his spiritual power reserves, he finally finished the first layer of the Seventh Moonlight Scripture.

[Your body has reached the 5th Stage of Qi Condensation]

"Hahahaha, this is great!"

Although he didn't notice any difference in strength due to the fact that he was already a Core Formation cultivator, he didn't care. His skin had become noticeably whiter and it was tender to touch. If he wasn't a Grand Master he would've panicked by now, but he knew that this was the correct effect of the precisely measured formula. It was working!

'A little uncomfortable, but not painful at all. It takes time, but it isn't boring, in fact, it is the opposite. Getting distracted won't result in a Qi deviation and potentially cripple me either. The only downside is the copious amounts of resources it requires. Which means literally nothing to me...'

This was as close as one could get to pay 2 win in a Xianxia world. Han De felt regret for not giving it a go before. He was afraid of experiencing the legendary 'unimaginable pain' but the reality couldn't be further from the truth. Whether if it was due to his Grand Master comprehension, or his Luminescent Body, he didn't know.

Han De was suddenly enlightened. He wasn't going through 'Enlightenment', he just experienced a moment of clarity. At this point in time, he knew exactly what he wanted.

'My life's mission from now on will be to become a cockroach…'

sneer* 'You thought you killed me? That was only a clone…'

sneer* 'You thought I had only 10 clones? I have more than you can imagine…'

sneer* 'You thought you could attack my main body after killing all my clones? You'll have to break through my defensive spells first...'

sneer* 'You thought spiritual spells were my only means of defense? You'll have to break through my Portable Grand Array before even touching me...'

sneer* 'You thought you could catch me after shattering my Portable Grand Array? I have millions of escape items…'

sneer* 'You thought you could damage me after I ran out of escape items? My body is at _insert_body_cultivation_realm, you can't even scratch me…'

sneer* 'You thought just cutting me over and over again would work? I can regenerate my limbs with my healing spells...'

sneer* 'You thought totally destroying my main body would do the trick? My soul is still intact…'

sneer* 'You thought you extinguished my soul? That was only a fragment...'

sneer* 'You thought I only had a few hundred soul fragments? I have countless more across the stars…'

Han De could see it. His opponents were puking blood out of sheer anger and frustration, while he was sneering at them. 'Wait, why am I sneering...'

He shook his head to clear his mind of his delusions. After entering the lotus position, he started cultivating right away.

[Cultivation: Core Formation - Mid-Stage ((1080)8876/500000)]

'Not bad for a 3-hour session. I probably should alternate between body cultivation and normal cultivation though, that way I can stomach the normal one for longer.'

His mind inevitably went towards that idiot. What would've happened if the cultivation idiot had also practiced it?

'That idiot still would've died, it absolutely wouldn't have made any difference.'

Han De sighed.

'I should definitely get some soul cultivation methods too...'

He was about to end his session and go to bed, but thinking about the cultivation idiot made him restless. He decided to continue his body cultivation cycle instead.

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[Your body has reached the 7th Stage of Qi Condensation]

[Cultivation: Core Formation - Mid-Stage ((1270)10146/500000)]

Han De was now working on his 'tendons', which were supposed to increase his stamina and reaction speed. He could feel that there was a slightly different sensation coming from his body, but he had no idea if that was actually a placebo or a real effect.

The cultivation idiot had used many expensive medicines over the years and strengthened his body. Even without using any spiritual energy, his body should be at least at the late stages of the Qi Condensation. The 7th stage of Qi Condensation seemed a bit low to have an effect on his body.

Han De was ecstatic. This was the first official 12-hour cultivation session he had. That crazy drug-fueled session from before didn't count.

Throughout the night he absorbed the medicine, then used his Luminescent Body at full power to cleanse his body further. After that, he replenished his depleted spiritual power reserves with normal cultivation and started the process all over again.

'Not a bad rotation. I would still prefer doing body cultivation all the way though. That sweet P2W instant gratification, really can't get enough of it…'

No one would believe him if he said he had absorbed a month's worth of medicine in just one night. The System's 'moderate' increase in body cultivation efficiency was simply out of this world.

It was a new day, and for the first time in a while, Han De was starting early. He wanted to have a talk with his disciples, but he couldn't find any of them. The System clock was at 7:32 AM.

'Wow, they really are hard-working MCs…'

He sighed and retrieved his remarkably average looking sword from his storage ring. Since he couldn't find his disciples, he would test his new spiritual spells instead. The cultivation idiot's unbalanced build frequently gave him headaches in the past. Now that he had some more freedom, he could explore more possibilities.

If anyone asked, he could blame the Seven Luminaries Reminiscence pill. 'I suddenly felt that I should do this… I realized I had fate with this type of spiritual spell… I had a dream about…' He had a valid excuse now.

He reached the Nine Yin Lake in a few seconds. A big empty lake was the perfect spot for testing his Heavenly Gaze spell. Han De was a simple guy. If he saw a laser eye spell, he would take it. And he would use it at every opportunity. He didn't waste time and immediately fired it at the lake.

'...'

Han De facepalmed as he realized two problems.

'Right, light doesn't make any sound. Only in movies and games it would make a sound…'

He looked at the lake, his Heavenly Gaze did hit it, but nothing had happened.

'Yes, light would normally pass through water. Of course there would be no effect...'

This wasn't a movie! It was just an ordinary Xianxia world! Han De was thankful that no one had seen his actions.

Next, he tried the Heavenly Gaze at a nearby shrub. It immediately caught fire, but that was it. The effect was just the shrub catching fire. Han De blankly stared at the burning shrub.

Thankfully this spiritual spell was very simple. It had only cost Han De 1 point to learn and master it completely at the same time. It wasn't a big loss in the grand scheme of things. Still, he didn't want to leave it just like that. After pondering for a moment, he realized he could use the spiritual spell's super simple Qi configuration from other parts of his body.

Eyes were a bad point for emitting Qi unless one had supplementary methods. Obviously Han De did not have that. The best point for him would be his palm, then his fingers, followed by his feet. He gave it a test with a tiny amount of Qi and fired on a bus-sized rock nearby.

Humming Sound Effect* *Explosion SFX*

A very faint beam of light appeared and disappeared from his palm. The boulder immediately exploded into various chunks. A wave of heat brushed against his face. He cleared the dust with a breeze spell to get a clear look at the aftermath.

There were small patches of molten lava on the ground. Apart from a few big chunks at the back, most of the rock had scattered all around. Han De theorized that his Heavenly 'Gaze' had superheated a palm-sized point in the rock and instantly turned that section into rock vapor. Rapidly expanding gas was the basis of traditional explosives, it wasn't surprising to see the rock explode.

Although visually the destruction looked impressive, it was only at the late stages of the Qi Condensation level at best.

'If I can focus the beam more and provide more Light Qi, it might actually leap a realm. My Light Qi is 100% pure after all.'

Han De used his finger this time and fired again at the few car-sized remains of the previous rock. Even though he used much more power, these chunks only cracked and did not explode this time. His pin-sized beam didn't produce enough power for an explosion, but in the end, it did penetrate the entire rock and a few more behind it.

'Well, I guess that is as good as it is going to get. Maybe I can use it for threatening low levels or something. Still, a Foundation Establishment level result isn't that bad…'

He had two more spells, first was the healing spell that he wasn't going to test for obvious reasons. The second was the barrier spell. Just as the description said, a round shield made of light appeared in front of him. He was able to adjust its size and its toughness.

'Not bad, enough to block a few attacks from a Late-Stage Core Formation expert. Qi usage is pretty alright too. I can easily spam it.'

The cultivation idiot's build was focused on DPS to the point that he was basically a glass cannon. Apart from some basic spiritual spells and his Heaven Defying Tyrannical Sword, he didn't have anything else. With yesterday's revelation during the body cultivation session, Han De was determined to switch to a tank/escape heavy build. This barrier spell was a good start for that.

The final test was the Through the Starlight. The System had classified it as a utility method, but it was just a footwork technique. Han De was always fascinated with the idea of traveling vast distances with only a few steps. It was by far his favorite type of technique in any Xianxia novel. Such a technique was the mark of a true expert!

Thankfully, this time Through the Starlight method surpassed his expectations. As he operated the technique not only he traveled around 10 meters per step, his body also flickered like starlight, giving him extra profoundness.

In contrast to the Heavenly Gaze, this was something that was clearly physically impossible. Even though he had master-level comprehension, Han De had no idea why it worked. He just knew that it worked.

'The Heavenly Gaze is a super simple spell that uses my Light Qi only to concentrate light, the rest is just a normal physical reaction. 'Through the Starlight' definitely feels more Xianxia like.'

This round of experimentations was a mixed bag for Han De. As he retrieved his amazingly average looking sword, a concerning idea popped up in his mind. He used the healing spell 'Golden Spark' on himself.

'...'

'You gotta be f#$%$ kidding me…'

One of the effects of his Luminescent Body was to passively absorb all Light Qi that touched him. The Golden Spark was a Light element spell and naturally used his Light Qi. The healing spell was absorbed by his body completely before it could have any effect on him. He tried it a few more times but the spell was completely absorbed every single time. Just to make sure, Han De cast it on a flower. It didn't do anything, but Han De could see that the healing effect worked correctly, it just couldn't 'heal' a flower.

Han De gritted his teeth and used his sword to make a small cut at the back of his left hand, just enough to make himself bleed. He used the Golden Spark without a delay. As expected, the spell couldn't even heal that small cut, it was absorbed by his body just like before.

'... I can't be healed by Light element spells? Seriously?!'

Han De fell into deep thought as he took a basic healing pill. One good thing about the Light element was that its healing effect was more potent compared to the other elements. His body constitution negated this advantage completely.

As he thought things through, he determined that under normal circumstances, the benefits outweighed the negatives. That 'moderate' increase in body cultivation efficiency was truly bullshit. If he increased his body cultivation he wouldn't get injured that often anyway. Even if he did, he could rely on the power of money and use healing pills instead. He already had a sizeable stack sitting in his storage ring.

'Still, this makes things tricky. I thought I could've healed myself during the fourth time…'

Han De was thinking about his recent dealings with the Heavenly Tribulations. He was getting more and more involved with them. The first time it was only a small chance and didn't trigger anything. The second time he lucked out by not having enough Fire Qi around. The third time… he didn't know what happened. But he was sure the if, no, when, the fourth one appeared, it would strike him without fail.

Profound Points were hard to get but easy to spend. He had to be prudent and couldn't just learn anything that came to his mind. Healing was one of the Light element's specialties. It also fits his circumstances pretty well. It was the perfect choice…

'Specializing in healing after this serves no purpose. Thankfully I noticed it early. I can still take some healing spells for the disciples and focus on something else instead. Maybe illusion wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.'

Jin Shu kept reflecting on the contents and the events of yesterday's lesson till early morning. She was at the 9th stage of the Qi Condensation realm, her body still needed sleep and sustenance. But she didn't care, her mind constantly worked throughout the night.

Just as every day for the last two weeks, Ning Bi came along early in the morning with Yao Qing and dragged her away. The three of them would sometimes visit open lectures, sometimes visit the pagoda, and sometimes just walk around the sect while answering Ning Bi's relentless questions about their families, or previous sects. In Jin Shu's case, the main topic would be the lower realm she was from.

In Jin Shu's mind, Ning Bi was an innocent, curious, and smart girl. When the three of them overheard some disciples talking about their master fixing the scoreboard in favor of Ning Bi, Jin Shu just ignored them and tried to steer Ning Bi clear of these low lives. However, she didn't expect Ning Bi to disappear into thin air and start brutally beating them up without any shred of hesitation. The innocent image of Ning Bi was shattered to bits.

5 minutes later, Ning Bi was still one-sidedly beating these disciples up. They were all at the 10th stage of Qi Condensation, yet the 6 of them couldn't beat Ning Bi who was only at the 8th stage. They had many bones broken and had lost some of their teeth. The street they were on was already partially red.

Jin Shu was watching all of this in a daze. She glanced at the Yao Qing on her side. Just as she had expected, Yao Qing was watching the spectacle without any expressions. Her fellow disciple's lack of reaction allowed her to regain her reason. Yao Qing was truly wary of Ning Bi.

Crack*

After hearing the cracking sound of another broken leg, Jin Shu couldn't watch it any longer and sent a voice transmission to both Ning Bi and Yao Qing.

Your actions and behavior directly affect our master's reputation. Do you think our master would beat up random nobodies in the middle of his own sect?

Of course, the three of them were completely oblivious to the arrogant young master past of their master. The cultivation idiot did indeed beat up people in the middle of his own sect. However, no one in their right mind would bring up those past issues, and even if they do, they certainly wouldn't tell them to his disciples.

Ning Bi's fist stopped in mid-air. What her elder sister said made sense. In the past, her master had taken her side before, but now she realized this probably affected him more than she imagined. Reputation in a sect was important. In fact, it was probably critical for the sole heir of the sect. Suddenly, Ning Bi fell into a dilemma. She wanted to teach these trash their place for disrespecting her master, but doing so would hurt her master's position in the sect.

As Ning Bi's face kept changing expressions, Jin Shu understood the gist of it, she sighed and explained.

If you want to teach them a lesson, beating them up is the worst way to do it. Instead, you should try to approach this from another angle. Plant ideas in other disciples' heads. Say little and let them come to a conclusion. Leave these guys oblivious, and slowly erode their social standing. After they become outcasts that no one wants to interact with, then get your revenge. That way, no one will defend them, no one will feel sorry for them, and no one will miss them.

Ning Bi looked at Jin Shu, then lowered her head while nodding. Then she heard Yao Qing's voice transmission.

That can only be done once since it will leave traces. Eventually, anyone with enough patience will be able to connect the dots. Instead of targeting individuals, you should focus on a larger group. It doesn't matter if your targets aren't associated with them, a well-placed rumor can fix that. Work for ostracising that bigger group instead, and no one will be able to know who your real target was.

Jin Shu thought for a while, but it didn't seem that feasible in her mind.

Larger group means more surface area, unrelated individuals may cause it to backfire. Not to mention this would implicate some innocent people.

Yao Qing shrugged, that didn't matter for her.

The more vehemently they disagree, the more implicated they will become. If they are truly innocent and can't steer clear, then that was just the limit of their ability.

Jin Shu frowned, but before she could answer Ning Bi interjected.

Master once said 'There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt.'

Three disciples looked at each other for a while. Then they silently left, leaving the 6 bloody and passed out disciples on the ground.

In Jin Shu's mind, Ning Bi was now an honest, curious, smart and deeply vindictive girl.

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An hour later, at noon, Han De was in the Archives once again. Before, he was reluctant to get close to this place. The cultivation idiot's pride was as high as the heavens, Han De visiting this place would only gather unnecessary attention. However, thanks to his three disciples, and the Seven Luminaries Reminiscence pill, he could now safely visit this place.

Truthfully, his visit wasn't a personal one. He didn't want to look for a new spell in the short term. First, he needed to let other people get used to the idea of him using spells and other techniques. This time he wanted to look for information on alchemy, herbalism, and formations. Basically, anything that would allow Jin Shu to exploit her big brain advantage. And maybe some supplementary methods for her and Ning Bi too.

[Starfall Mountain Standard Herbalism Scripture Volume 1]

[Notes: Contains extremely limited knowledge about herbalism. Includes surface-level knowledge about 9874 species of spiritual herbs. Requires 1 Profound Point(s) to comprehend at Grand Master level.]

'Well now I'm curious about the contents of this scripture since you seem to be dissing it so much. Going as far as offering Grand Master level just for a single point…'

Han De started browsing the scripture. It included tips about raising the plants. The Required characteristics of the soil in each growth period. The optimal spiritual energy density depending on the growth period, the season, and the time of day. The qualities of the water to be used. The quality of the adjacent herbs, how to harmonize their spiritual auras by calculating the best possible distance between them. The...

'Shit, this is so in-depth… Just reading about one plant made me give up…'

Obviously, there was no need for Han De to learn these dry spiritual herb encyclopedias. He would much rather get a copy of these from the Archives and tell Jin Shu to study them on her own. Still, he got curious, just a single point for Grand Master level wasn't too shabby. He comprehended the first volume just to see if he would get any extra knowledge that wouldn't be readily apparent in this volume.

After the process was complete, his eyes lost focus and stared at emptiness for a while. He was reminded of his spiritual herb garden, which was managed by his servants. The placement of the herbs was abysmal, the soil quality was completely off, there was a complete disregard for separation of yin and yang energies of the herbs.

'F#$%... This is like learning to notice bad kerning…'

Han De tried to compare his knowledge to the scripture in his hands, but his mind kept finding more and more problems with his spiritual herb garden. He decided to take a break from herbalism and went for the alchemy section instead.

[Starfall Mountain Standard Alchemy Scripture Volume 1]

[Notes: Contains extremely limited knowledge about primitive spiritual herb arrangements. Includes 314 recipes for primitive spiritual herb arrangements at the Qi Condensation level. Requires 1 Profound Point(s) to comprehend at Master level.]

'Hmmm, this isn't that bad. At least there are clear instructions. Still, in Xianxia's they usually wouldn't put tips and tricks in writings. They'll probably come up with bullshit reasons like 'everyone has to find their own path' or something.'

Han De comprehended the alchemy scripture without even blinking an eye. While concocting pills sounded awesome, he didn't really care about it. He was the sole heir of his family and the sect. He had no shortage of rare pills. Maybe at a later date, he would start concocting pills as a hobby to spice things up.

Comparing his new knowledge of the most basic Qi nourishment pill to the one in the first volume proved him right. The recipe in the scripture was almost designed to fail. Han De realized some of this was due to their intention of not scaring the potential new apprentices. There was some merit to giving them the much simplified and highly-likely to fail version to get them familiar with the ropes.

'Still, this feels more like old guys laughing at the younger generation. You know what, I shouldn't think badly of other people. They survived this far, they have to be doing something right…'

[Starfall Mountain Standard Formation Scripture Volume 1]

[Notes: Contains extremely limited knowledge about primitive formations. Includes 62 specifications of Qi Condensation level formations. Requires 1 Profound Point(s) to comprehend at Master level.]

'Whoever came up with the idea of standardizing these things was a genius ahead of their time. Thank you, ancestor, for making my life so easier.'

Han De gave an unironic bow on the spot, then learned the formation scripture. He didn't have a strong feeling towards formations. This wasn't limited to Xianxia, he also didn't care about magic circles in other genres. Even in RPGs and MMOs he never played trapper or summoner classes. The formations here were obviously far more useful and essential than some limited RPG skills, but he still couldn't make himself care about them at a personal level.

'This thing actually includes a significant amount of math knowledge. Not only that, but it also has some beginner level geology and astronomy too.'

Han De looked at the hundreds of volumes in front of him. What he was seeing right now was only the formation scripture volumes. And these were just standard scriptures, more advanced knowledge was scattered between who knows how many different scriptures. Alchemy was probably even worse since it was more popular than formations.

'Since I don't know which one she'll like to study, there is no need to be hasty. I'll just write the two volumes I learned and give her that annoying herbalism volume directly. Once she selects one I can just write down the next few volumes of that and leave the rest as a challenge for her.'

Writing down hundreds, if not thousands of volumes of information just wasn't feasible for him. Besides, Profound Teachers had the tendency of letting their students figure things out on their own. He just needed to give them a slight push. This manner of teaching was very convenient for Han De.

While going to another section, Han De suddenly stopped. He realized that the Crimson Terror was a mutation Fire Chrysanthemum, which was itself a close but rare variant of the common Red Chrysanthemum. Even if their attributes were only loosely similar to each other, the arrangement of the Crimson Terror on that cave back then was completely unacceptable. It was a miracle that the flower was able to bloom in that dismal environment.

He shook his head to clear out the useless thoughts. For a second, he really wanted to have a serious discussion about basic horticultural practices with that fox snake pair.

The Archives always had many low-level elders working as clerks. Technically, Han De's rank in the sect was also pretty low, but his status was too important to ignore. He instructed one of them to retrieve copies of the entire herbalism, alchemy, and formation standard scriptures. The wide-eyed elder immediately went to work.

Han De's storage ring had a huge capacity, and even thousands of these scriptures wouldn't occupy a significant amount of space. Why would he waste time by coming back here in the future when the solution was so simple?

While waiting, his mind went to his disciples. Those three were completely focused on offense for some reason. Yao Qing was supposedly a really high realm expert and probably found her niche long ago. Ning Bi was a Fire Qi cultivator which was naturally slanted towards offense. Jin Shu was a closed box for now, but her current direction left a lot to be desired. Wood element's specialty was defense combined with growth and healing, but she took out 12 offensive spells instead.

'No, that won't do. I can't let them become glass cannons like the cultivation idiot.'

Originally he wanted to get some supplementary spells for Ning Bi, but the more he thought about, the more he was convinced that supplementary spells wouldn't be enough.

'They are MCs, they can do body cultivation and normal cultivation at the same time...'

Suddenly, Han De audibly gasped. The System was stingy and didn't give him any points when he reached a new stage with his body cultivation, but would that be the case with his disciples? If he could find suitable methods, perhaps he could farm double the points from a single disciple!

Fueled by the promise of Profound Points, Han De immediately started looking up and down for any kind of body cultivation methods that would fit his disciples.

[Congratulations]

[Host's disciple Yao Qing successfully reached Qi Condensation Level 6]

[Issuing 55 Profound Points as a reward.]

Two days later, Han De exited the Archives with a sigh. At first, he wanted to find 3 body cultivation methods for his disciples. But as he searched up and down, he got a bit over-excited and decided to find both normal and body cultivation methods for various elements. He didn't learn any of them, he just selected the most expensive ones.

He had 7 cultivation and 6 body cultivation methods for various different elements in his storage ring. He also included accompanying martial arts for these elements, along with 3 basic spells. With this, Han De had formed a basic starter package for new disciples. If he could scam some low talent MCs in the future, he wouldn't have to worry about finding methods. At least initially.

Of course, shopping for his disciples ignited his inner min-max warrior. He also extensively looked at various illusion arts and spells. Since he was already taking out many methods and spells, he could safely sneak some Light element methods and spells in the mix.

While walking back to his abode, Han De was content. Apart from Yao Qing's breakthrough, he wasn't disturbed at all. He just kept looking at different methods, compared them, ridiculed their flowery language without a worry in the world.

'Maybe I should take over the Archives or something. Looking over different skills wasn't a bad way to spend time…'

Han De sensed Old Peng's spiritual signature attempting to establish contact. His mood immediately soured, but he allowed the connection anyway.

Peng.

Elder De, forgive me for interrupting. We have completed the first round of 'invites' to the anomalies. Of the 26 we invited, 2 refused and 24 accepted. We have already moved 18 of them to the outer training grounds. We are awaiting your orders regarding the ones that refused.

'... Well, you haven't beaten them, so that's progress I guess.'

Do nothing. Keep watching them.

B-But shouldn't we…

Han De sighed and facepalmed.

Those two are most likely the true anomalies of the group. Do you really think an anomaly would accept a random invite for an easy life? Those that agreed are probably just minor anomalies at best. Do not show hostility to those that reject the invite. Open a special file on each and track their movements and history. Only interfere when there is a risk of them or their family getting severely injured. Regarding those that accepted, I'll visit them before leaving and classify them.

...Yes, Elder De. There is also the matter with Han Bai. We have thoroughly investigated but couldn't find any abnormalities. He speaks the truth and there are no signs of his memory or personality being altered.

'What? There should be some part of him that betrayed the family, his profile fits everything…'

Silent Silhouette guys that killed the cultivation idiot knew about Han Bai through his memories. In these two months surely they would've investigated and questioned him. They were searching for the missing beads, asking the person that found the Prayer Beads would be common sense. Han De didn't believe that they could be this sloppy.

Release him but have someone follow him discreetly.

Yes, Elder De!

'These guys are really used to beating anything and everything that moves. Maybe I should find them an outlet…'

Han De started seriously thinking about finding a pressure valve for his lackeys. Their current reeducation was a tentative success, but old habits die hard. These guys might slip and revert to their true nature at an unexpected time. He walked towards his abode while thinking for a solution.

Just a few days ago, Wu Fu's eyes were shining brightly as he talked about the future plans with his emperor. The Sun dynasty was his life's work. He always felt immense pride for what he had achieved over the years. His life as a cultivator was a failure, but his mind was sharper than most. He couldn't break through to the Nascent Soul realm, but at least with his mind he could leave a lasting mark that even Immortal Realm masters would have to look with reverence.

But now, Wu Fu's eyes were empty. The Sun Emperor was assassinated. His heirs died, his royal guards died, his wives died. The entire royal palace was destroyed. The Emperor's father, who was in secluded meditation in a secret cultivation realm for a critical breakthrough had disappeared.

Wu Fu didn't have any children or family to succeed him. With the destruction of the dynasty, he had nothing to show for his efforts. Once he died, he wouldn't be any different than an old farmer. He would be forgotten. No one would know that he had lived.

Wu Fu himself would've preferred to die, but fortunately, or perhaps, unfortunately, his Divinity Formation realm guard was able to send him away at a critical time. Maybe even by the empire's enemies, he was deemed unimportant.

Xin Qiang felt the fluctuating power of space from a nearby location. She was currently working on identifying the characteristics of the last few weak points. Normally she wouldn't really care about spatial fluctuations, but in the last two weeks, the weak points showed concerning peculiarities. Behind the veil, the demons were restless, as if they were roused of something. Unnecessary disturbances could catch their attention.

At the source of the fluctuations, Xin Qiang found a tired old man with white hair and an empty gaze. She narrowed her eyes, his aura was different, his wrinkled face that gave a kind impression before now looked decrepit, but it looked like him.

"Elder Wu Fu?"

Wu Fu looked at the young-looking woman. His mind inevitably went to the numerous plans that he built around her. He couldn't help but give a bitter smile.

Xin Qiang detached herself and considered the situation. An advisor of his level appearing here, through a space gate, with this appearance. While there were many possibilities, in all cases, the course of action that she could take was the same.

She used a spiritual spell to grab the old advisor and decisively started to run. Without any hesitation, she used her full Ancient Realm speed.

"Miss Qiang, you know it as well as I do. You should leave me here. There is no need for you to be involved in this."

Xin Qiang silently watched Wu Fu for a time. "Shouldn't you be angry?"

Wu Fu shook his head. "I know you are far older than me. However, if I may be so bold, even if you are ten times older, you still lack the perspective that comes with growing old. One's thoughts change not with time, but with wrinkles and white hair."

The impression that this man had left on her was deep. This lowly Core Formation expert was like an old fox. She paid no mind to his self-pitying state.

His words admitted the state of the Sun Empire. In her mind, this old man just became a usable asset. As they were moving away with great speed, she started expanding her plan to make amends to Han De and the Starfall Mountain.

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Han De chose the same location for his next lesson. Even if he chose an underground bunker with layers upon layers of formations, it wouldn't really matter in the end. After all, if the tribulation could penetrate the Grand Array, nothing would be able to protect him anyway.

However, he was still deeply concerned about the Heavenly Tribulation, so he decided to keep things very basic while keeping a watchful eye for any of those creepy black flowers.

The lesson started with a basic introduction to mathematics. Han De was a paper salesman on Earth, so even though he wasn't really good at math, he was still somewhat proficient at it. He directly ignored the local numerals and taught them Arabic numerals instead. He already taught it to Tan Renshu, so it didn't matter if his disciples knew about them as well. Thankfully he was able to keep his mouth shut about the Latin alphabet in his drug-fueled discussion with Tan Renshu.

He was a cultivator and had a cultivator's memory. While he could remember anything that happened in this world with amazing clarity, any memories that involved Earth still worked as if he was a normal human. Some things were hazy, sometimes he would remember things he forgot, sometimes he would forget things he should've remembered.

He really had to rack his brains to get some useful math out of it. Thankfully volume 1 of the formation standard scripture had filled in some of the blanks.

The main reason he wanted to teach them math was to teach them about formations and alchemy. Any of these girls could become a legendary alchemist or a legendary formation master. As an MC, not even the sky was the limit.

After he was sure that they understood everything, Han De switched to talking about formations. Then alchemy. And finally, herbalism. He really didn't want to talk about the last one, but somehow he ended up talking about it anyway.

To his surprise, all three were very interested in all three topics. Even Yao Qing kept asking him questions about them. All three were clearly benefiting a lot from this.

"These were just the bare basics. If you want to learn more, just ask, and I will write down their standard scriptures for you." Before Han De could move on, Ning Bi raised her hand.

"Master, could I have a copy of those scriptures? I wish to study all three!"

From the side, Yao Qing and Jin Shu also expressed their desire by nodding. Han De thought about it for a while.

'This shouldn't be a jack of all trades master of situation. They are probably just curious and wish to learn more, rather than trying to master them. Later they can choose which one to focus on at their leisure I guess.'

Han De simply nodded, before he could move on, Jin Shu asked something else.

"Master, is your version of the herbalism scripture based on the standard scripture that can be found inside the Archives?"

Han De answered it "Yes" without thinking, but he immediately regretted it. Jin Shu nodded with enthusiasm. It seemed as if she had a look at the herbalism scripture before. Not surprising considering her Wood element roots.

'Ah shit, I can't refuse now can I.' Han De's face inadvertently turned solemn. The formation and alchemy scriptures weren't that long, but he definitely would have to divide the herbalism into many chunks. He made a quick calculation in his mind. Just with the 9874 herbs of the first volume alone, he would have to write down more than 20000 pages. Even with imprinting it into a spiritual jade slip it would take forever.

He suppressed the urge to sigh and looked at his enthusiastic disciples.

Of course he had no idea, but all three regularly went to the sect lectures at least a few times a week thanks to Ning Bi's insistence.

For Yao Qing this was an opportunity to gauge the sect and adjust her behavior so that she wouldn't display any knowledge that she shouldn't know. Her master's lessons were the only learning opportunity for her. She obviously wouldn't miss the chance to receive scripture modified by a primordial master.

Jin Shu was used to the metaphorical language, and with the boost from the removal of her bloodline, she benefitted the most from open lectures. The more she learned, the more she wanted to learn. She was grateful to her master for removing the parasitic bloodline. However, deep down, she respected him more for his knowledge, and his willingness to share it.

Ning Bi though, still had trouble with the open lectures. Unlike others, she only started cultivating a little over two months ago. Even normal disciples had an advantage over her, they all started learning and cultivating from an early age.

With the appearance of Yao Qing, and Jin Shu, she was very happy. But as time went on, a pressure that even she wasn't aware of was building up. She wanted to be like her elder sisters who seemed to be able to comprehend anything without any trouble. Although whenever she asked a question, they would try their best to answer it, she was still concerned deep down. She wanted to do more! She wanted to do better!

[Calibration Complete]

[No Changes Detected]

[Considering Options...]

[Considering Options...]

[Considering Options...]

[Considering Options...]

[Considering Options...]

[Could not find a suitable option]

[Issuing a Quest]

[Quest: Vigil]

[Difficulty Level: B]

[Status: Issued]

[Summary: Your extremely talented disciple is feeling insecure about her abilities. Although your other disciples were a positive influence on her so far, the difference in their abilities has caused a seed of doubt to form in her heart. As her master, you must carefully nurture her! Help Ning Bi resolve her insecurities.]

[Requirements: For the next 27.2 days, Ning Bi must not be more than 5 meters away from your main body.]

[Time Remaining: 27.2 days]

[Success: 1000000 Profound Points]

[Failure: Ning Bi will no longer be host's disciple]

[Current Distance 4.9541 meters]

A persistent indicator that was pulsating in red color appeared in Han De's field of vision. According to the quest, he was only 5cm away from losing Ning Bi as a disciple. He was just a thumbs distance away from failure. Immediately Han De closed the distance between him and Ning Bi.

[Current Distance 2.4751 meters]

The indicator turned yellow, but it stayed on his vision. He ignored the puzzled look of his disciples and facepalmed.

'System, are you serious about this? Really? Do you really think you can solve her issue like this? In what world would such a method work? And a million points?!'

Naturally, there was no response.

Han De took a deep breath. Various thoughts were going through his mind, all of it boiled down to two options.

'Either there is a bug in the System, or the Syst-'

'A million points for this, that's actually not that bad! I just need to find a valid excuse so that this won't get misinterpreted by everyone else...'

The System was always very concerned about Ning Bi. It even gave a quest for her first bottleneck. The core disciple requirement was only at 32 points, and Ning Bi had 35. Perhaps her talent was so great that even the System was fawning over her.

Han De wasn't about to reject a godsend gift like this. Although the difficulty rating was making him wary, he still had to try. A million points was on the line!

The disciples were certainly oblivious to his concerns. From outside, their master started doing that horizontal eye movement again. They were all familiar with this and were extremely curious, but of course, they couldn't ask.

Han De couldn't think of anything but the million points, but he realized everyone was staring at him. He quickly switched to his Hidden Expert persona. Before Ning Bi and Jin Shu interjected, he was about to talk to them about their builds.

"So far all three of you are focusing on offensive methods. While focusing on one path would eventually lead you to mastery, it must not be at the cost of completely forsaking others."

"Ning Bi, your attack style leaves no room for defense. You completely rely on your Breach skill to outmaneuver your opponents. What would happen if one day you face someone that can outmaneuver you?"

Ning Bi averted her gaze. Han De pushed a little more.

"What would happen if you wanted to protect someone?"

This made Ning Bi fall into deep thought. Han De silently watched for a few seconds and moved on to Jin Shu.

"Wood element excels at defense but is weak at offense. Your decision to study your weakness makes sense. But abandoning your strength does not."

Jin Shu also averted his gaze. This was just a blind shot from Han De, he didn't truly believe she was going on all offense, it was just meant to be a warning. He didn't care how she interpreted it, he was a Profound and Hidden Expert! If she wanted to object, he could just faintly smile and that would put the blame on her interpretation. The less he talked, the more Profound he would become. But the current situation was unexpected.

'She really did want to go all DPS! Isn't your comprehension at max?! What's so bad about defense or healing spells?!'

Han De understood the sweet temptation of DPS, he was an old-school MMO player after all. However, this wasn't an MMO, it was real life. With real Xianxia consequences.

He turned his gaze towards Yao Qing. This girl was tricky. He was sure he couldn't bullshit her, and even if he somehow did, it wouldn't survive long under her scrutiny.

Therefore, he just looked at the Yao Qing's eyes for a few seconds, then he faintly smiled with a tinge of bitterness and regret. He acted as if he swallowed his sigh and addressed all of them at the same time.

"If you are to truly understand, then you will need the contrast, not adherence to a single idea."

After an appropriate amount of silence, he finished the lesson.

"Ning Bi, for the time being, you will stay close to me at all times. You are not to be further away than 4 meters from me for any reason. You will not use your Breach skill either. Especially the one that allows you to stay in the spatial domain. Is that understood?"

"Yes, master." Although Ning Bi didn't understand the reason, she still obeyed.

Yao Qing and Jin Shu couldn't help but look at each other. Then they left, leaving Han De and Ning Bi alone.

The master and the disciple sat and silently started cultivating. Han De alternated between his glowing body cultivation mode and his normal cultivation. Since Ning Bi had to stay close to him, he obviously couldn't cultivate his body using a medicinal bath. His plans for introducing body cultivation to them were also cut short. He probably wouldn't be able to bring it up until they returned to the sect.

[Congratulations]

[Host's disciple Ning Bi successfully reached Qi Condensation Level 9]

[Issuing 85 Profound Points as a reward.]

[Your body has reached the 8th Stage of Qi Condensation]

[Cultivation: Core Formation - Mid-Stage ((1168)11314/500000)]

In the morning, Han De was already screaming inside due to the uninterrupted cultivation session. At least when he was alone he could freely observe the changes in his body, and move at his own pace. But now he had to act like a Profound Expert 24/7. What would Profound Experts do in their free time? Cultivate of course! They love cultivating without moving a finger!

Yao Qing went to Jin Shu's chambers out of habit. Jin Shu herself was ready to leave for the open lectures, purely out of habit. After they met, they smiled at each other while shaking their heads. But they went to the open lectures anyway.

It was noon, and Han De was no longer cultivating. Even his body cultivation was now feeling tiresome after more than 15 hours, but Ning Bi was happily trucking along as usual.

Since the morning, Han De was getting information out of Old Peng through voice transmission. He caught up to the regional news quickly, then he listened to all of the reports about the anomalies, then he listened to the reports about the progress of all defensive measures. He was afraid that the Old Peng would get tired of him, but to his surprise, as time went on the Old Peng became more and more passionate.

Do you have anything else to report?

... No! Elder De! We will all work even harder!

Y-Yes! E-Elder De!

'Oh well, I guess the events are moving more or less like Yao Qing mentioned. I wonder if in her timeline the Ming Emperor also survived the assassination.'

Han De started to look at the System interface. He tried to find anything that he had missed before. Perhaps something was hidden somewhere, or perhaps there was something new in the old menus. Unfortunately, he did not find anything new. He was about to start cultivating again, he noticed Yao Qing and Jin Shu coming towards them. They respectfully asked to join them, Han De had no valid reason to refuse, so he obliged.

'Ah, I forgot to check Jin Shu's fate!'

[Fate: Nameless Horror]

'Yeah, sounds about right. That is totally her!'

Han De was beginning to suspect the accuracy of the System's fate indicator. It was either Cannon Fodder or something completely out of this world. So far he had seen nothing in between. He was looking forward to checking all those fake MCs that accepted his invite.

First Han De, then a few seconds later his disciples opened their eyes one by one after they felt the massive spiritual energy coming their way.

"Little De! Oh how I missed you! Even three days is too long. You should come and visit me sometimes, don't always wait for me to come to you!"

As usual, his mother started hugging him tightly while asking flurry of questions. Han De could only respond with single-word answers. She didn't even pause or wait. After a minute she finally released him.

Han De was keeping an eye on the distance indicator. Ning Bi was very attentive and the gauge never went higher than 4 meters. He gave her an approving nod, then noticed the silhouette behind her mother.

It was a young woman with white hair and pink eyes. Han De's first thought was 'nice cosplay' but then he realized this wasn't Earth. Once he took a closer look at her, he was immediately mesmerized by her beauty. This caused alarm bells to immediately start ringing inside his head. He immediately looked at his mother.

Long Xiu had already seen everything. Her attention was entirely on Han De's reaction. Just seeing him stunned was worth all the losses they had suffered. She nearly started smirking, but she controlled herself.

"This is the immortal chef that I talked to you about. I found her in an abandoned sect. Her skills are truly amazing. She'll be yours from now on. Take care of her."

Han De couldn't check her stats since she was at the Foundation Establishment realm. He was already feeling wary of her, but after listening to his mother he didn't know what to think.

'You 'found' her? In an abandoned sect? Ah, mother, you…'

He knew his mother's disposition. He was afraid to ask. In fact, he decided not to ask and utterly reject.

"Mother, don-"

"Master!"

The woman suddenly kowtowed, surprising both Han De and Long Xiu. The latter knew that a rejection was on its way from the former. Long Xiu had already noticed the slight trembling of the girl, which was slightly concerning considering how calm she was normally, but ultimately it didn't matter. This was the opportunity for her escape.

"It seems she has already acknowledged you. Good! Little De, do take care of her. An immortal chef like her is extremely hard to find. We will be leaving tomorrow morning. The sooner we get going the better. Now your mom has to go, dear, I'll see you in the morning!"

Long Xiu disappeared into thin air without giving Han De a chance to interrupt her. Leaving the trembling woman behind her.

'F#$% me, F#$% my life…'

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Han De opened his eyes and looked at the still trembling woman. Who knows what horrors she went through to get reduced to such a state. Just thinking about it was giving him a headache.

While this situation was in line with his mother's way of doing things, it still seemed too much even for her.

'Perhaps she is getting influenced by the current events. Could it be that the situation is worse than I thought?'

Han De shook his head. Ultimately he had no control over his mother. He had no influence over her either. She might listen for one second and do something else the next.

'...What will happen when she finds out that father is missing?'

He inadvertently looked over Yao Qing. His blood went cold when he thought of the possibility of his mother actually going insane. If that really happened, he had no confidence in containing her.

Previously he didn't think it was a realistic scenario since he was already alive and well. The Zhao rebellion was crushed, and the readily apparent internal issues were dealt with. The only foreseeable danger was Xiao Ping. He was an MC that inexplicably became a prince of the Ming Empire. A time bomb waiting to blow up at random. But that was a Han De sized bomb, not a Han Wei sized bomb.

His mother's instability was potentially a much worse problem than an MC, at least for him. The worst part was that he couldn't do anything about it. Han De took a very deep breath in and gave out a really long sigh.

'One thing at a time…'

He gave instructions to Yao Qing to get the woman with pink-colored eyes to one of the side houses and call servants over to take care of her. This woman that was physically trembling at the sight of him clearly knew who he was. It was better to keep her out of sight so he could be out of her mind.

Next, he needed to make preparations. The appearance of the quest was too sudden, and the possible instability of his mother was giving him a bad feeling.

Peng.

Yes, Elder De.

Prepare at least 5 lifesaving and 2 escape items for everyone. Aside from the ones that are watching over the rejecters and the missing anomaly in the lower realm, recall everyone else.

E-Elder De, that many life saving items...

Get more from the sect if you have to. I don't care. During the trip, everyone will carry them at all times. You will also get 20 and 10 items for each of my disciples.

Han De thought for a while, this wasn't enough.

Get as many defensive and offensive formations as you can. Convert the spiritual boats into mobile bunkers. The new infirmaries inside should have at least two healing formations that aren't based on Light element. Inform my mother and mobilize the sect under my orders. They have until tomorrow morning to complete the preparations.

Y-Yes, Elder De.

Bunkers wouldn't help against 3 or 4 of the highest realms, but Han De wasn't worried about that. His mother was also coming with them. Worrisome part was someone sneaking from behind and attacking them while his mother was busy fighting higher realms. Of course, this was all assuming that they would get attacked.

'Surely no one would be stupid enough to attack us while we're traveling with my mother. This is just a precaution. Yes… A precaution...'

Han De did not raise a flag. He refused to believe it. That wasn't a flag. No one was going to attack them.

Under the puzzled stares of Jin Shu and Ning Bi, he sat down. All of his attention was on regulating his breathing so that he wouldn't start hyperventilating in front of Ning Bi. He tried to calm down but he couldn't. He was too weak and all his efforts felt useless. Memories of the cultivation idiot's final moments started coming back. The helplessness, the regret, the feeling of slowly being eroded into nothingness.

Han De opened his eyes to find something, anything to distract him. Ning Bi and Jin Shu had started cultivating again. Treebeard was keeping a watchful eye from the shadows. Yao Qing was slowly walking towards the courtyard. Merry and Pippin were focused on a spiritual plant. They kept glancing at one another as if deliberating something. Pippin nodded his head as if he was enlightened by something and pulled the spiritual herb from the ground.

Han De frowned, he recognized the herb immediately. Most people considered it a weed, and it was true in some sense. However, in this case, this weed was quite beneficial for the growth of the surrounding spiritual herbs. Han De's face started twitching as he went over the other herbs with his spiritual sense.

'In what world would anyone plant long-rooted filtering species with long-rooted distributers?! The excess spiritual energy is causing them to grow smaller! F#$%! This is just basic herbology 101! Why would you even plant them in close proximity, just calculate the radius from soil's spiritual energy conductivity and- Ah shit, this soil mixture is all wrong. No wonder there is too much Wood Qi in it.'

Han De made a mental note to 'discuss' this with his servants. No, he needed to 'discuss' it right now. He stood up and retrieved his sword from his storage ring.

"Master."

Yao Qing respectfully bowed and subtly looked over her fellow disciples and Treebeard. Han De slightly nodded to make her continue. This wasn't a spiritual herb garden, it was just a courtyard, but that didn't excuse this level of negligence. It was as if they used salt instead of sugar for the desert.

"The immortal chef Meng Xue has settled into her chambers."

Yao Qing looked at everyone else and continued with a voice transmission.

Master, forgive me if I overstep my bounds, but the half-blood stopped trembling once we entered the Green Pavilion. After regaining some composure she immediately asked about master.

'Green Pavilion? Ah, one of the side buildings. I nearly forgot they had names. Wait, half-blood?'

Han De reentered his Profound Expert mode out of reflex. Extracting information out of a regressor was a risky business. Fortunately, Han De had already told Yao Qing about having incomplete memories of a previous life. This setup was his ticket to the human status checker known as Yao Qing.

What are your thoughts about her nature?

Human netherworld-demon hybrid. I can't tell the exact species with my current cultivation. It should be one of the bottom feeders.

'Netherworld hybrid?'

Han De immediately remembered his bloodline.

[Scent of the Progenitor]

[Beings evolved from spiritual animals will pay their respects when they detect the scent. Beings evolved from the netherworld will accept your rule when they detect the scent.]

[Notes: Effects will be extremely limited on lower beings.]

'The effect on her should be minimal, if not non-existent.' Han De sighed. 'Even if it did have an effect, there is no way to tell with her condition.'

Ignore her for now.

Yao Qing nodded and joined her fellow disciples in cultivation. A tiny doubt appeared inside her. Her master sighed after hearing her assessment. Was there something she had missed? Impossible, even with her dull senses she could still recognize the Qi fluctuations of a netherworld demon or their hybrids.

During the second lesson her master had advised Ning Bi and Jin Shu, but he had nearly sighed when it came to her turn. At the time she didn't think much of it. Her fellow disciples didn't have her extensive knowledge and experience. Naturally, they made mistakes and needed frequent guidance.

But now, that tiny doubt made her reevaluate her interpretation. That bitter look wasn't for her fellow disciples, it was for her. She had the experience of tens of thousands of years, but maybe that made her rigid. Her master wasn't a normal person. He had memories of the primordial era. He could tell what scripture she cultivated from just a look. It wasn't surprising that he would consider this a shortcoming of hers.

Yao Qing never trained anything other than her spear. She had forgotten long ago why she had chosen it. It wasn't until she went back in time that she remembered. All the other methods were already taken by other disciples. The Basic Spear method was the one that remained. A martial art method that only she and Geng Shi practiced in the sect. She continued to practice it after regrowing her spiritual roots. Not by choice, she didn't know any other martial art. Whatever the original reason was, she had become a spear cultivator, through and through.

Her mind went back to the immortal chef. The Qi fluctuations, her pale skin, and white hair were all pointing towards a low-level netherworld hybrid. Normally these hybrids would have grey or black eyes. Pink colored eyes were out of the norm, but there were many things that could change the eye color. A technique, a mutation, ancestry, bloodline, body constitutions, poisons, medicines, they could all alter eye color. Perhaps there was more to her than meets the eye. Yao Qing decided to keep an eye on her.

Han De was oblivious to his disciple's thoughts. He wanted to talk to his servants about horticultural practices, but Yao Qing disrupted that train of thought. Now that he calmed down somewhat, he wanted to get his remaining business out of the way so he could concentrate on taking more precautions.

'Right, the fake MCs. I should've done this yesterday when there was no quest, but maybe this is good too.'

Han De informed his disciples of inspection on the outer training grounds. The quest was too finicky, Han De didn't want to risk anything so he decided to rely on Treebeard for flying over. If anything happened on the way, he could still take action without risking a crash landing.

Ning Bi and Yao Qing visibly relaxed once they found out. Jin Shu never flew with her master, but the silence she would get from her fellow disciples whenever she asked about sword flight made her wary. She too was grateful for Senior Treebeard's presence.

Han De took the other disciples because he didn't want to show favoritism. Sticking with only one disciple could start rumors too. Besides, showing these MCs to his disciples now could provide an important excuse down the line.

The outer training ground was simply a large area with hard soil. There were multiple outer training grounds, Han De's fake MCs were staying at a small corner.

Elder De! Awaiting your orders! We have 23 potential anomalies, 3 still on the way! The extra two are new additions, separate from the other 2...

Han De heard the voice transmission as soon as his feet landed on the ground. The benign smile, the calm tone, and the relaxed body language of this person were completely normal, yet Han De felt a strong sense of malice when he talked about the rejectors. He made a mental note to find an outlet for his lackeys as soon as possible.

He nodded and walked over to fake MCs that were neatly standing in line. He gave a mental 1 to his lackeys. This was a nice touch that made his status checking much easier.

[Potential Points (Total: 12)]

--

[Will: 6]

[Talent: 1]

[Comprehension: 5]

[Luck: 0]

[Roots: Earth (22%)]

[Fate]

Cannon Fodder

[Potential Points (Total: 7)]

--

[Will: 0]

[Talent: 3]

[Comprehension: 0]

[Luck: 4]

[Roots: Earth (28%)]

[Fate]

Cannon Fodder

[Potential Points (Total: 4)]

--

[Will: 1]

[Talent: 1]

[Comprehension: 0]

[Luck: 2]

[Roots: Ice (11%)]

[Fate]

-

Their total Potential Points were all over the place. Han De kept checking, 5, 8, 9, 11, 7, 11, 10, 5, 4, 13... As he checked them, he told their numbers to his lackeys who were taking notes. The progress of these fake and/or minor MCs was going to get recorded by his lackeys. Eventually, after enough time he would be able to determine rough power levels of these MCs and more importantly, demystify the Potential Points themselves.

Ning Bi didn't bother using a voice transmission, she didn't care if they heard her.

"Master, who are these people?"

Han De was only keeping an eye on the distance indicator while reading the potential points to his lackeys. He turned his head only to see a deep frown in Ning Bi's face. Over the distance, his lackeys had dark faces as well. Han De tried to look around to see what he was missing.

As soon as he laid eyes on the fake MCs he understood why Ning Bi and the lackeys were acting the way they were. Ten or so of these fake MCs were all frowning at him with clenched fists.

'Now… this is unexpected… I should be seen as a Profound Expert, not as an Arrogant Young Master to these people.'

Han De didn't care about their hostility. They weren't MCs, even calling them minor MCs was debatable. Their highest so far was at 13 points, moreover, they were all at the Qi Condensation realm. They were little more than awkward teenagers in his eyes. At least, that is what he would've thought normally. The deep frown in the future Purifier of Planes' face wasn't something that he could ignore casually.

"I started a program to look for talented individuals that are getting mistreated by their environment. The purpose is to provide them with a safe place to grow, without having to worry about the security of themselves or their families."

A few of the fake MCs' eyes shook. But the one that was closest to Han De clenched his fists further.

Han De tried to look at the scene objectively. These fake MCs should have good characters, otherwise, his lackeys wouldn't have brought them here. They were also the most stupid ones.

'Ah shit. That's right… These are all stupid goody two shoes fake MCs.''

Ning Bi was following him closely, the distance between them was less than a meter. Yao Qing and Jin Shu were the same as well. They didn't have orders to stay close, but they didn't have any orders to stay at a distance either. It was natural for them to stay close to their master. From these fake MCs perspective, Han De had three breathtakingly beautiful disciples following him closely. He was a young master, and his lackeys were the ones that forced them to line up.

Perhaps normal people wouldn't find anything to get offended by in this situation, but the mind of an MC worked differently. Han De could see that some of these idiots were already doing some impressive mental gymnastics to convince themselves. These disciples were their damsels in distress, waiting to be rescued from the evil young master in front of them.

'At least the average ones caught up to my meaning, but this guy with 13 points is probably isn't even listening.'

Han De didn't like loose ends at all. Not one bit. His standard procedure for idiot MCs was to redirect their attention by making them feel special.

You seem to be different than these people. I can sense a strong will emanating from you. I like that.

Actually, Will was his second weakest stat with only 3 points in it. But the fake MC didn't know that. His eyes shook with confusion, then confidence and defiance replaced it. Han De nodded in his Profound Expert mode as if he approved his characters.

'Good, this guy is easy.'

The idiot fake MC took the nod as approval, causing his lips to curl upwards. Han De released a tiny amount of his Luminescent Body glow and the aura from the standard shield scripture. The former made him look like a holy man, while the latter gave an ancient feeling that gave a sense of security.

Not long ago, the Starfall Mountain Sect, no, our sect, was betrayed by those that were seduced by the demonic forces. Most of them were wiped out, but some may still lurk in the shadows. We've lost too many good people, and need more fresh blood with righteous characters. Seeing someone like you here puts my heart at ease.

The matter of the Zhao rebellion wouldn't be known by these low-level characters. It was a good topic to mislead but it had to be used sparingly. In a few years, this fake MC would probably learn about the Zhao family massacre. If Han De embellished the event too much, it was bound to spectacularly backfire. The best method was to keep it as vague as possible. That way even when the truth was right in front of his face, he would resort to his usual mental gymnastics and prove his sect was completely innocent.

This might be unfair for you, but among these people, only you are strong enough. There is a great calamity coming to this world. We need to be prepared. We need to stay strong. Look at the people around you. They are your brothers and sisters. Protect them, don't let petty grievances cloud their judgment. United we stand, divided we fall.

The fake MC's blank look slowly changed into one of determination. Han De didn't mind it. This guy's will was only at 3. He fully expected the fake MC to forget about this conversation in a few months and find something else to focus on. As long as he could defuse, or at least stunt the Ning Bi's resentment right now, it was all fine.

The fake MC bowed to Han De with all his sincerity. This act seemed to alleviate some of the lackeys' anger, but Ning Bi was still frowning. Han De didn't want to waste his time anymore. The sooner he got away from here the better. He quickly finished his check of the remaining fake MCs without even realizing he forgot to retract his aura.

The lowest was at 4, the highest was at 13, and that was the stupid one. Once he was sure the lackeys recorded the numbers correctly, he gave them additional orders.

Regardless of their numbers or their performance, all of them will receive core disciple level resources. Supply them from the Han family. Do not let anyone else take them away. Do not let them hoard the medicines. Meticulously record their progress. Do not let them get influenced by others. Especially the one with the 13 points. They are just previously misguided, don't treat them badly.

The man with the constant benign smile bowed. For a second it seemed as if his eyes shone, but perhaps that was only an illusion. Han De wasn't sure if he should clarify it further, but he was already busy with many things.

Treebeard was getting ready to bring them back, but Han De received a voice transmission request from Old Peng.

Peng.

Elder De, forgive me for intruding. The fox tribe representatives have arrived and wish to offer their sincerest apologies. They have also brought gifts that they say will satisfy Elder De greatly.

'Even if they gave me 2000 sects worth of items I still wouldn't care. But this is the fox tribe we are talking about. They wouldn't make bogus claims inside the sect borders. The problem is, I can't act like an Arrogant Young Master in front of Ning Bi and others. But I can't appear weak or too different in front of the fox tribe either...'

After thinking for a few moments, Han De decided to get this thing over with as soon as possible. He just needed to appear a little unreasonable. There wasn't any real need to make an actual effort for the fox tribe.

Bring them to the dungeon that is holding the fox and his pet snake.

Yes! Elder De!

Han De chose the dungeon because it was the easiest way to appear uncooperative. The normal procedure for something like this was quite tedious. The location of the negotiation, the time delay before it started, the service provided to the guests during their stay, all had different cultural meanings. Obviously, Han De had no patience for all of that. He wanted this to be over in 10 minutes, not in 10 days.

Han De's group passed numerous dark corridors and finally arrived at the large cavern-like opening. The snake-like dragon was still in his true form at the back, and the fox was at the left side of the cave. Due to Han De's previous assignments, apart from the jailed, the dungeon was empty.

The fox didn't have a cultivation base and even if he had one, the powerful seals on the ground would restrict him anyway. However, he was a fox, and his sense of smell was superb in his true form. Hence he was the first one to notice the group a few minutes ago. The scent he detected made his skin crawl. A primal instinct was awoken inside of him, warning him of the danger ahead. As the group got closer, the scent got stronger. A sense of wrongness overwhelmed him.

The snake-like dragon had a powerful body. He was a true dragon in every sense of the word. He first detected the group through the disturbances in the air. Then, came the scent. A foul scent that was evoking emotions of disharmony and oppression inside him.

Neither the fox nor the dragon could make a peep as Han De and his group arrived at the center of the large cavern. Under the wary attention of both, they sat on chairs that Han De specifically ordered Merry and Pippin to bring.

Ning Bi was already familiar with the two. She looked at them in satisfaction after noticing their behavior. Yao Qing and Jin Shu though, had no idea who they were and why they were here. The dragon and the fox couldn't even look at the direction of their master. While their master completely ignored their presence as if they were insignificant insects.

The fox tribe representatives came to the Starfall Mountain to negotiate the release of their prince and his servant. From outside, these fox demons didn't seem to put much stock in their family or their tribe. But the reality was the opposite. They were elusive for others, but fiercely loyal to their own. This little misconception served them well over the years. Naturally, they wouldn't do anything to correct it.

Although they called him a prince, the title itself didn't have any value. Foxes were a meritocratic tribe. Calling someone a prince or princess was purely out of tradition. If these princesses or princesses wanted power, they would have to work for it themselves.

Currently, the matriarch of the tribe and the five other representatives were entering a dungeon being led by Han De's people. They were surprised when their request was immediately accepted instead of a weeklong delay. They were even more surprised when they heard that the location was inside the abode of Han De.

The representatives that nodded to each other with knowing smiles 10 minutes ago now had deep frowns in their faces when they realized the venue was inside a dungeon. Despite that, the matriarch herself wasn't objecting to any of it. They knew their place and swallowed their frustrations for now.

However, as they entered the dungeon, the fox tribe representatives got tenser. A faint sense of danger came out of nowhere and caused them to pause their steps. The air inside the dungeon had a touch of wrongness in it. They looked at each other, then shook their heads and followed their matriarch, who had walked in without hesitating.

The Starfall Mountain elders behind them were puzzled. They were carrying the 'gifts' of the fox tribe. They narrowed their eyes and followed Elder De's people along with the fox tribe representatives.

This was all within the matriarch, Mao Tao's expectations. She had listened to her daughter's story about Han De's character. Under normal circumstances, Mao Tao would be glad for a situation like this.

Choosing a dungeon as the location for discussions was an insult, but it was also a telltale sign of short negotiations. The other party had already come to a conclusion and just wanted to accept whatever offer they would get while preserving their face at the same time. A simple-minded solution that could only come from the unsophisticated.

Mao Tao didn't even consider the possibility. The underlying purpose was clearly something else.

'Does he want the cooperation of the fox tribe?'

She knew about the strange movements of the Brass Stallion city and Tan Renshu. She also knew about the close relationship between the Starfall Mountain and Brass Stallion.

The sense of wrongness that she was ignoring grew as they got further into the dungeon. Concentrating on something else became harder as her instincts were warning her of danger.

Finally, they reached an opening and saw them. She ignored the two young girls and the young woman. She ignored the Nascent Soul and the Immortal Realm experts behind them. She ignored her idiot son and his servant. Her entire being was forcing her to focus on the expressionless young man sitting in a chair.

That young man was Han De, the heir of the Starfall Mountain and the Han family. Mao Tao and the representatives of the fox tribe behind her had stopped. A few of them secretly gulped. While they were calculating their chances of escape, Mao Tao moved forward and sat on the single empty chair facing Han De.

'This scent, this sense of wrongness, where is it coming from? It almost feels sacrilegious.'

Mao Tao's mind was working on overdrive. A part of her was in deep thought on what Han De represented, and the other part was going through the probable scenarios regarding the negotiations.

The fox tribe representatives took their place behind Mao Tao, and the Starfall Mountain elders with the 'gifts' were at the side, between Han De and them.

For a while, no one talked. Mao Tao wanted to observe the situation, but the pressure she felt from Han De wasn't dissipating in the least. She broke the silence first.

"Elder Han De of the Starfall Mountain sect, and the Han family. On behalf of my foolish son and his foolish servant, please allow me to apologize. The Fox tribe always had a peaceful relationship with the Starfall Mountain. We naturally wish to protect that relationship and came with gifts to prove our sincerity."

Mao Tao pointed towards the 24 sealed experts that were harmlessly floating on the side. These were the experts of the Silent Silhouette Sect. The conflict between them and the Starfall Mountain inside the Brass Stallion didn't escape the notice of the foxes. These high cultivation elders from the Silent Silhouette were their preliminary offer.

Han De glanced at the sealed elders, then ignored them and continued staring at Mao Tao.

All of the fox tribe representatives were on edge. One of them, in particular, was finding it difficult to restrain his emotions. He was a genius of his generation, the tribe valued him greatly, and his cultivation was high. In this life, he rarely felt fear. Concern, anxiety, nervousness sure. But not fear. Not like the one he was feeling right now.

He should've been an expert in control of his emotions, but his mind was too chaotic. In his desire to regain self-control he blurted out his thoughts before Mao Tao could restrain him.

"We ask that you release Mao Ju and his servant, and return the spiritual herb Crimson Terror in exchange for these Silent Silhouette elders."

Silence ensued. Mao Tao immediately felt regret. Her lack of focus caused her to miss the obvious. She instructed her subordinates to stay silent through voice transmission, but it was already too late. In front of her, Han De looked at the expert with furrowed brows, but he turned his attention to Mao Tao once again after a moment.

"Elder Han De, I will personally severely punish him for this incident. His words do not represent the tribe. We only wish for an opportunity to negotiate a separate deal for the spiritual herb since it is a crucial factor in restoring my son's cultivation base."

Han De raised one eyebrow and spoke for the first time.

"Crucial factor... Red Chrysanthemum and its cousin Fire Chrysanthemum require a rich Fire Qi environment to grow. They cannot grow with Qi gathered by a formation either. The impurities in the Fire Qi they collect becomes nutrition for their base. After all, it is a spiritual herb, not an elemental rock. The correct ratio of Earth Qi and the Fire Qi inside the soil depends on many factors."

Han De paused for a moment. From his expression, Mao Tao could tell he was deeply annoyed.

"A mutant Fire Chrysanthemum is still a Fire Chrysanthemum. When I stumbled upon the herb, it was inside a damp, dark cavern, surrounded by a Qi gathering formation. It was a miracle it could stay alive in that environment, let alone fully bloom."

Han De continued with a strange glow in his eyes.

"That location was directly in the middle of the route between the Starfall Mountain sect and the Brass Stallion city. I wonder... Of the people that the Crimson Terror absorbed, how many of it came from my sect?"

Mao Tao already expected Han De to know about the properties of the herb. He was the son of Han Wei and Long Xiu, of course he would look into the matter. She was also confident that they would be able to reach a deal even if hundreds of disciples were fed to the flower. Her daughter's assessment of Han De also supported her conclusion.

'Perhaps it was a mistake coming here. He seems genuinely furious. No, this must be a precursor to something. But wha-...'

'Of course... Why else would he release my daughter first, why else would he choose the dungeon, why else would he mention the disciples? They are about to move out.'

As an old Transcendent Realm master, it was impossible for Mao Tao to not know about the spiritual energy decline. As the matriarch of the fox tribe, it was impossible for her to not receive intelligence about the recent strangeness of the weak points. This effort that Han De was going through couldn't be just for simple extortion or revenge. Not even a child would believe that.

'Something must've happened. My daughter's release coincides with the events of the weak points. The timing cannot be accidental. Their senior sect elders seem to be busy with something as well.'

As Mao Tao was trying to analyze the situation, silence reigned inside the dungeon. Han De did not even look at anyone other than Mao Tao, but the fox tribe representatives still felt enormous pressure after his words. Their instincts were screaming at them. This tyrant was going to be the end of the tribe.

If anyone paid any attention to the youngest girl in the dungeon, they would've seen her clenching her fists. But no one did. Everyone was too focused on Han De.

Mao Tao realized she didn't have enough information. Everything went in an unexpected direction. She wanted to take her son and leave, but she knew that was impossible at this point. Still, even if it was futile, she had to try.

"Elder Han De, my worthless son has made mistakes. My fox tribe will do everything it can to compensate you and the Starfall Mountain sect and will take full responsibility. I hope we can continue our harmonious relationship in the future."

Her son may act like an idiot at times, but he still would know better than to lure Starfall Mountain disciples en masse. She just wanted to leave the discussions open since it was obvious that an agreement couldn't be reached anytime soon.

Han De narrowed his eyes and looked at her for a while before answering.

"Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment."

"Do you really think a few dogs of the Silent Silhouette means anything to me when I can charge into the Red Stone Basin anytime I wanted? Do you really think a few trinkets are enough to forgive the sins of your offspring?"

No one could breathe. Han De's expressionless face and dead eyes seemed to imprison the fox tribe representatives. They felt they had to do something, but the fear was too overwhelming. This man, this tyrant, this devil, seemed hell bent on revenge. Han De slowly continued.

"Fortunately Miss Tao, I am not ready to start a hunt. Today."

"You will leave whatever it is you brought here to buy the life of your kin. I will show you magnanimity this once and release them. In the future, make your choices carefully."

Han De and his people stood up. He gave instructions to his people to handle the rest and left along with his disciples.

Even after he left, Mao Tao felt that the pressure still lingered in the air. She carefully examined what had transpired.

'Him releasing the prisoners was showing goodwill. Rejecting the current balance was the threat. He really wants us to submit.'

She wasn't the only one that came to that conclusion. Behind her, all of the representatives had unsightly faces. The thought of submitting was an insult at best. But submitting to him? Submitting to that... abomination?

They did not know why they felt a strong repulsion and fear toward Han De. It was coming somewhere deep inside them. Warning them. Mao Tao felt it too, but she also felt the unspoken implications behind Han De's words and actions.

In his favorite courtyard inside his abode, Han De breathed out a sigh of relief. Throughout the entire ordeal, the way they stared at him made him inexplicably nervous. Especially that Mao-whatever woman, she just kept staring at his eyes.

'I should name this one Arrogant Profound Expert. A good balance between Arrogant Young Master and Profound Expert. The strengths of both and the weaknesses of neither!'

The negotiations satisfied Han De in the end. He got the goods, the elders were a nice bonus. He acted within his character while still taking a step toward his Hidden Expert dream.

It would've been better if he could determine if his bloodline had any effect on them, but he didn't expect much to begin with. Those were old foxes, even if his bloodline did have an effect, he was sure they wouldn't show it.

'Maybe I should get some spiritual beasts and do some experiments on them. I suppose I could hire some intelligent spiritual beasts and do covert experiments too.'

Han De made a mental note to follow this through once he got back to the sect from the northern continent voyage. His bloodline was considered 'Extremely Powerful' by the system. He needed to make an accurate assessment of its abilities.

His spiritual sense detected eight servants walking towards his abode. They were all carrying something too. Han De realized they were carrying ornate trays that were thick with spiritual energy. He raised an eyebrow, but then he remembered the trembling woman.

'... Is she really an immortal chef? I thought that was just something mother made up? Wait, wouldn't she poison the food in a case like this?'

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The System had a status check function, but as Han De found out, it had its limitations. He believed the System would be able to find a normal poison 100% of the time, but if the poison was something sneaky, he had no confidence.

'What if the combinations of these dishes turn into a poison inside my stomach? I can't status check my stomach, can I?'

While his mother probably made sure that this woman wouldn't do something like that, he was still wary. The cultivation idiot had died inside his abode, in the middle of the sect, under the protection of its Grand Array without anyone noticing.

'Maybe I should learn divination? A disassembled poison could be detected that way, right? Hmmm. But if it is a long term effort it might still slip away from divinations.'

Han De had many antidotes and panaceas in his storage ring. He was well prepared, but that wasn't enough. There were still some poisons that would kill even a Transcendent Realm expert within seconds. His first and foremost defense was not exposing himself to these situations in the first place.

Servants arrived while Han De was inside his own world. They were suspiciously quick and efficient in setting up a table and did not allow Han De a chance to interrupt them. Once their work was done, they left equally quickly and efficiently. Their well-practiced movements caused Han De to narrow his eyes. For a moment, he wanted to call the one remaining servant that was waiting some distance away, but he shook his head instead

Three disciples looked at their master. They couldn't sit before their master, obviously.

Just a few moments ago Han De adamantly refused to even try for the fear of poison. But now that the numerous dishes were on the table, his will started to waver. He was a Core Formation expert, and he could smell the dishes even with the lids on them.

'You know what, this woman was brought over by mother. There is no way she could put in poison, where would she get it in the first place? The servants probably checked it too. Their smooth movements can only be a result of my mother's involvement. Besides, I have many antidotes and panaceas. Anything that would render them ineffective would be caught by the system. Yes, it would be a waste to reject this food. Besides, what would mother do to this woman if I reject the food she prepared. Yes, definitely. It is the right thing to do. I have a moral obligation here.'

Justification came at the speed of light. Han De entered the Profound Expert mode, but his movements were faster than usual if one looked carefully.

Aside from the crepes and the one 'steak' he made, the only decent meal he had was at the Brass Stallion city. Ning Bi had made dumplings for him once, but that was only 4 dumplings, not even enough for a mortal.

An hour later, Han De and his disciples were finished with their meal. Han De didn't show it, but he was deeply impressed. Perhaps it was because of the amount of time that had passed, but he thought this woman's cooking was as good as the Phoenix' Beak Pavillion in the Brass Stallion city, if not better. He would've directly thanked her if she wasn't afraid of him.

In about 10 hours they were going to board the spiritual boat and start flying toward the northern continent. Everyone was working around the clock to convert the boats into mobile bunkers. His lackeys were scrambling for life saving and escape items. He received a report of all his resources and items. It was time for his final preparations.

'976 life saving items. Not bad. Most of them could be hidden underneath my robes. I can carry around 5 at all times and increase the number to 12 or 13 depending on the nature of the items. Of the 976, 34 of them can withstand hits from Immortal Realm experts, 14 from Ancient Realm, 3 from Divinity Formation, and 1 from Transcendent Realm. I can make a good mixture depending on the situation.'

'3664 escape items. 327 of them are spatial treasures. The rest of them are flight speed items. There is 67 that allows me to phase into solid matter. Probably best not to use them unless necessary. Who would want to materialize in solid rock...'

'411 high-quality healing pills. 1213 antidotes, 37 panaceas. Their spread is pretty good, but really high-quality healing pills are less than I'd like.'

Han De immediately ordered Peng to gather more high-quality healing pills. His bottom line was 1000. This wasn't just for him, but for his disciples as well. Although they would receive some along with the life saving and escape items, that would be only a few dozen at best.

'A thousand high-quality healing pills that can even regrow missing limbs. Yes, I shouldn't leave the sect without that.'

'46 defensive formations, 30 offensive formations, 12 healing formations, but unfortunately all of them are light element...'

Old Peng received another order for at least 20 non-Light element healing formations.

'Better keep the 12 Light element ones as well. Could be useful for my disciples, or lackeys.'

Formations required time to set up. Even though these were 'ready-made' formations, they still required time to set up properly. But at least they didn't require an expert to set them up.

'25 offensive spiritual items. The highest rank is at the Immortal Realm. I can't even use it, but at least Treebeard can. 140 one-time attack items, the highest realm is still at the Immortal Realm. A shame, but 20 Immortal Realm consumable attack items are better than nothing I suppose.'

These consumable attack items were a rarity. Not because of their value, but because of the lacking demand. Apparently, cultivators didn't like to rely on such items. Han De basically swept the entire inventory of the Han family of these items and ordered them to buy every single one they encounter.

'1000 defensive and 1000 offensive talismans. Neatly divided into different realms 100 by 100. Highest is at Unity Realm, which is basically the limit of what I can use.'

Talismans were consumable spells. They were much weaker than the spiritual items, but more flexible than them due to their high availability. One of the reasons why the Han family didn't collect consumable spiritual items was the existence of talismans. They were good enough for most purposes.

'The raw resources I have at the abode and the Han family is useless for now. Still, it is nice to know that I have 499.78 tons of Star Iron remaining. 500 tons of Gold Essence isn't too shabby either.'

Han De had no idea how much these things were actually worth. These were just his personal storage. He had no idea how much his family had. Money was meaningless in the truest sense of the word. This fact was already known by him, but seeing the evidence of it in the form a report was still baffling.

'The fox tribe's ransom is useless too. Just a bunch of useless spiritual stones and raw materials...'

Han De thought about it. Was this enough? No, it probably wasn't. He needed more. Much more. He almost contacted Old Peng for yet another unreasonable order, but spotted something on the records sheet in front of him.

'Hmm? What is this, 28 dresses? 149 ornamental weapons? 34 folding fans? Under Ning Bi?'

When he went to the Brass Stallion city, Ning Bi wanted to wander around the city, and Han De had instructed his lackeys to buy anything that she showed interest, even if it was a rag, or a brick. At the time he got drugged at the Brass Stallion Auction and forgot about it. But thankfully, it seems his lackeys didn't.

Han De looked at the unassuming storage ring without delay. Any of these items could be ancient treasures! He didn't take anything out for the fear of Ning Bi recognizing them, he just sent his spiritual sense inside the ring.

'These...'

'...'

'These look totally ordinary... What the hell?!'

There were many things inside, it wasn't just dresses, weapons, and folding fans. There were also tea sets, spool like things that Han De didn't know about, but they were most likely used for making dresses. There were also many pipes, a few fancy-looking musical instruments, some bundles of cloth. There were some black rocks too, his lackeys were really thorough.

Han De held back his sigh. He didn't even need to status check these items.

'This girl spent her entire time looking for gifts for her parents huh. I guess that shouldn't be surprising. She is only 13 and at the time she cultivated for what, one and a half months?'

In one corner of the storage ring, he saw the neatly lined ornamental swords. Han De didn't have the cultivation idiot's instincts, but he did pay attention to the physical properties of the swords because they had an effect on their speed. These ornamental swords all had very similar dimensions to his old one.

He had ruined his old sword while running from the fox and the snake-dragon. A few times while he was in the Brass Stallion city, Ning Bi had seen the ruined sword and frowned.

Han De couldn't resist taking a look at Ning Bi, who was deep in cultivation along with her fellow disciples. The spiritual energy in the immortal dishes was quite beneficial for them as long as they took the time to digest through cultivation.

'The coolness factor would be important for a 13-year-old chuuni girl like her...'

The feeling of regret came back. In the end, she really was just a 13-year-old girl. What would happen to her once he died? Even if her luck was good, she was still a Qi Condensation disciple in the end. The cockroach was destined to rule 13 worlds, but now he was nothing. Who could say that the same thing couldn't happen to Ning Bi when he was gone? What about Yao Qing? What about Jin Shu?

A voice transmission from Ning Bi interrupted his thoughts.

Han De raised his head and looked at Ning Bi, whose eyes were still closed.

"Open your eyes quickly."

Not only Ning Bi, but Yao Qing and Jin Shu also opened their eyes in confusion. Their master's face was whiter than usual, and he seemed concerned about Ning Bi.

Han De was always skeptical about the 'spatial domain' that the System mentioned on the Breach skill description. He became even more suspicious after realizing the System would only describe the current condition of something.

Suspicions were only suspicions. He didn't want to scare Ning Bi based on suspicion alone. Especially when the skill was so integral to her Cosmic Destruction Scripture. But that didn't mean he ignored it either. He was always on high alert when it came to the Breach skill.

"Describe what you saw."

Ning Bi needed the support of her elder sisters if he wasn't around in the future. It was better to let them know about it now. Perhaps Yao Qing might have some insight on the skill as well. Keeping it secret served no purpose anymore. They probably already saw Ning Bi use it anyway and were just waiting for her to explain.

"They are really far away, I am not sure how I am 'seeing' them from this distance. They are like flickering lights, but I get the sense that they are getting closer."

Ning Bi obediently talked out loud. Yao Qing and Jin Shu had no idea what she was talking about, and no idea why their master's expression was so serious.

"Which direction are they coming from?"

Ning Bi blinked. She looked at her master, only after she got permission she closed her eyes and 'looked'.

"West. North. East. South. Even below, but they are too far away. I wouldn't have noticed them if I wasn't looking for them."

Han De thought for a while. There wasn't enough information and he wanted to keep it that way. In situations like these, knowing more didn't mean anything. The safe approach was to separate oneself from the issue altogether.

"Can you turn off your Breach skill?"

Yao Qing and Jin Shu were surprised at the name of this skill.

"I-I can't... It always works even when I'm just blinking, or cultivating, or trying to sleep."

For a while, Han De stared at Ning Bi in complete bafflement. He had always assumed this was something she consciously chose to use. How could she cultivate otherwise? How could she fall asleep otherwise? He frowned and looked at the skill description.

[Breach (Mortal)]

[Progress: 22%]

[Notes: By blocking the visual senses, the user can perceive and interact with a spatial domain. Greatly increases passive relational action processing and prediction speed while active. Further effects are unknown.]

'It didn't change, the description is still the same. Should I just directly go to the natural conclusion? Should I just seal her unconscious and start carrying her around with me? But there is no evidence that would even protect her. Losing consciousness might not turn off the skill.'

There wasn't even a shred of single evidence that this was something harmful to Ning Bi. It was only Han De's gut feeling combined with the super-ominous 1 million points quest.

Han De facepalmed and tried to collect his thoughts. He didn't like passively waiting. He needed to do something. If he couldn't affect Ning Bi's skill, maybe he could still strengthen her somehow.

'I never thought I would regret my mother's offer to put Ning Bi on a cultivation realm...'

Unfortunately, he couldn't use a cultivation realm right now. There had to be preparations before someone entered, and that alone would usually take half a day. They were supposed to leave in less than 7 hours already.

Normally Han De would've preferred not leaving at all, but his mother was going as well. If there was a danger at 1 million points level, it was better to stick to his mother rather than staying at the sect and waiting for their death.

'There is no use in crying over spilled milk. Circumstances were different back then anyway. What can I do right now?'

[Inventory]

Martial Arts Method Fragment x200

Derive Cultivation Method Token x 5

Spiritual Roots Cleansing Token x4

Spiritual Roots Seed Token x5

Random Constitution Token x4

Random Bloodline Token x4

Potential Point Upgrade Token x1

Bloodline Removal Token x4

'Ning Bi's luck is good. The System probably would try to steer things to her favor too. Jin Shu has 8 points in luck so she'll probably be fine as well. But Yao Qing only has 6. She would be tricky.'

Han De shook his head.

'I should've used the cleansing token on them at the first chance I got. Who knows how long will it take. Will I be offline during their upgrade as well? Maybe? Maybe not?'

Million points quest with its B level difficulty was a massive flag looming over his head. Even an idiot could tell that there was more to this quest than meets the eye. Greater the pain, the greater the reward. That was Xianxia 101. And this pain was worth 1 million. Ning Bi's news about her skill gave him a really bad taste when he thought about it in this context.

[Profound Points: 502]

'These points aren't worth anything if I'm dead.'

While Han De was thinking, Ning Bi was describing her Breach skill and how she got it to her elder sisters. Both Jin Shu's and Yao Qing's mouths were agape after hearing their little sister's nonchalant explanation.

Yao Qing had never heard a skill like this before. She hadn't heard of anyone going through three enlightenments either, let alone in under 3 months. Jin Shu seemed to take everything reasonably well under the circumstances, but Yao Qing was different. Her real age was unknown even to her. The countless years she spent cultivating once gave her a firm grasp on its workings. But that was no more. Her world view was shattered to bits.

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Yao Qing was still trying to sort through her emotions and thoughts. Jin Shu was wondering if there was any connection with Ning Bi's Breach skill and the breaches she heard about. Ning Bi was calmly looking at her master

'I was planning to use these random bloodline tokens as a trump card, but there is no point in hoarding them anymore. Random body constitution tokens are too risky without the removal tokens so there is no point in using them, even if Ning Bi's luck is at max.'

'Points wise, the best bang for the buck by far is grand-mastering their scriptures. Writing them down will become complicated but I can directly guide them for now instead.'

'The next priority would be spells and other generic methods to cover their bases. Then I should upgrade my Heaven Defying Tyrannical Scripture to Grand Master. It has the potential to increase my speed even further. Maybe.'

Han De didn't realize it, but he was deeply concerned about the wellbeing of his disciples. Ever since coming to this world he tried to distance himself from others to prevent the exposure of his transmigrator nature. Treating people as tools and putting on an act was the easiest and the safest way in this Xianxia world. But now, between fear of death, fear of not leaving anything behind, and the fear of losing his disciples, those once crisp lines became blurry.

"Ning Bi. You will report any changes immediately. Try not to use your Breach skill for perceiving your surroundings. Check-in on the flickering lights every few hours, but do not focus on them for long periods of time."

Han De sighed and nodded to himself.

"If I am not available, inform your elder sisters. You two try to help her as much as you can. Learn to rely on each other."

The disciples nodded with varying expressions. Han De ignored them. He was too busy thinking about how to scam these girls into accepting his Random Bloodline Tokens without damaging his Profound Expert image.

"The voyage that we are about to embark on may have unforeseen difficulties. I didn't want to mention this before you were ready, but fate does not wait for anyone."

"Human body holds many mysteries. When used, it grows stronger. When left alone, it wastes away. When wounded, it can repair itself. Simple healing pills and spells cannot heal your body by themselves. They can only help it, nurture it."

Han De had no idea how spells or pills actually worked. He had only learned one low-level healing touch spell, and that wasn't even at Grand Master level.

"A single drop of your blood holds enough information to reconstruct your entire body. A basic, yet practical function. But that is just the beginning. All life is connected, whether it be humans, animals, or even plants. We share more than you realize, we are more similar than you know."

"Some call it 'impurities', others call it an opportunity."

This was a big gamble on Han De's part. He was banking on his hazy knowledge of the science headlines he read back on Earth. He knew that humans had large amounts of leftover genes. He even remembered a few headlines that said humans shared some percentage of their DNA with bananas. Perhaps these things were the impurities cleansed by cultivators, perhaps not. It was best to keep things vague to not alert Yao Qing.

"I have been able to recover some of my power and can stimulate some of your dormant potentials and awaken you to a bloodline. The results will depend on your fate, will, and luck. If anything goes wrong, I will remove the bloodline and ensure it will not cause any damage to you."

"Nevertheless, this isn't something that I can force on anyone. You need to decide for yourselves."

Yao Qing's previously dull eyes started shining. A chance to unlock a bloodline from a primordial master? She would be an idiot to refuse an offer like this. There was no need for hesitation.

Jin Shu already fully trusted her master's abilities when it came to bloodlines. Her 6th stage parasitic bloodline was removed by him. She had no doubts in her mind.

Ning Bi didn't need to think about it. She trusted her master completely.

Seeing the eager and determined expressions of his disciples, Han De was gratified and concerned at the same time. This was a Xianxia world. There was no such thing as free lunch here. He made a mental note to educate them on not trusting people so easily.

'They all have high INT, but their WIS is too low!'

Han De nodded with a stoic expression. He needed to exert maximum effort to make this work.

"Very well. I have enough power to make 4 attempts and 4 removals. Ning Bi, you will be first."

Ning Bi was already very close. Han De dramatically closed his eyes and tried to appear as if he was concentrating. Consciously using a specific aura would cheapen the overall effect. These were his disciples, not some strangers unfamiliar with his arts, and Yao Qing was a regressor that could identify cheap tricks from miles away.

Instead, he slowly stopped restraining his powers. As if what he was doing was so complex, he couldn't even spare one moment on something so trivial. The auras of different martial arts started mixing with each other. His Luminescent Body started glowing. He patiently waited. A good performance couldn't be rushed. Finally, once his auras reached their passive peaks, he used the token.

[...]

[Activating Random Bloodline Token on disciple Ning Bi]

[5]

[4]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[...]

[Congratulations!]

[Your disciple Ning Bi received Divine Phoenix bloodline!]

[Bloodlines]

--

[Divine Phoenix (Unawakened)]

[Concentration: 0.01%]

[Power: Extremely High]

[Effects]

[Ruler of Flames]

[Cannot be hurt by flames of any kind.]

[Devourer of Flames]

[Can absorb elemental beings that cultivate Fire Qi.]

[Further effects are locked.]

[Additional awakening requirements: Flames of the previous cycle]

'...'

'System, not that I'm complaining, but are you sure this token is actually random? Isn't this the exact same bloodline that you keep recommending on her status screen?'

Naturally, there was no response. Han De was used to being ignored.

He opened his eyes and gave a satisfied nod at Ning Bi. The latter didn't understand anything, she didn't feel any different.

"Jin Shu, come here, we need to seize the moment."

Han De dramatically closed his eyes once again and relaxed his body. This caused some of his aura to retract, but since he wasn't restraining himself, it continued leaking.

[...]

[Activating Random Bloodline Token on disciple Jin Shu]

[5]

[4]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[...]

[Congratulations!]

[Your disciple Jin Shu received Lifebringer bloodline!]

[Bloodlines]

--

[Lifebringer (Unawakened)]

[Concentration: 0.01%]

[Power: Extremely High]

[Effects]

[Touch of Life]

[Can cause random mutations on spiritual plants through touch.]

[Further effects are locked.]

[Additional awakening requirements: A seed of the previous cycle]

'That's... third in a row? Well her luck is at 8...'

Although this bloodline didn't offer direct benefits and had the same ambiguous awakening requirements, Han De didn't want to remove it. An extremely powerful bloodline was something difficult to come across... Probably? This was the 3rd time, but these could be just biased samples due to their luck.

'Let's not get complacent. Besides, it can be removed later if I get more bloodline tokens... No wait, I forgot about the tribulation triggering chance...'

Han De released his breath slowly. He faintly smiled and faintly nodded at Jin Shu. Like before, Jin Shu herself didn't feel any different, but she expected that.

With great difficulty, Han De looked at Yao Qing. This pampered princess had a worried expression, but Han De was determined. Yao Qing reluctantly came closer. The act started anew once again.

[...]

[Activating Random Bloodline Token on disciple Yao Qing]

[5]

[4]

[3]

[2]

[1]

[...]

[Congratulations!]

[Your disciple Yao Qing received Indomitable Tyrant bloodline!]

[Bloodlines]

--

[Indomitable Tyrant (Unawakened)]

[Concentration: 0.01%]

[Power: Extremely High]

[Effects]

[Direct Control]

[All lightning will bend to the Tyrant's will.]

[Further effects are locked.]

[Additional awakening requirements: Absorption of a very powerful Heavenly Tribulation lightning strike.]

'...'

'...System... This isn-'

[...]

'An MC's luck isn't something to be trifled with. All three hit the bullseye on the first try...'

Han De took a deep breath. For a while, he just continued his deep breaths. Once he opened his eyes after 2 minutes, they had their usual energy once more.

The disciples that saw his condition also breathed sighs of relief. Their master did say he had enough energy for 4, but they knew he would always push himself more than he should. All three came to an unspoken agreement that they shouldn't let him exhaust himself like this. They decided to contact Long Xiu at the first opportunity.

The entire ordeal had lasted only 20 minutes. Han De knew it was a lackluster performance. But he couldn't do anything about it. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

At dawn, the senior elders of the Starfall Mountain sect were still working at fortifying the formations of the sect's spiritual flagship. Tens of thousands of disciples stayed up all night under Elder De's orders.

The flagship would usually stay at a distance from the sect and wouldn't enter inside the Grand Array. But Elder De's order was forcing them to move it directly above the sect due to time constraints. Any disciples that looked up would see a giant spiritual boat in the skies.

The order itself was controversial. Han De was only a low ranking elder. Even if he was destined to rule the sect, he was still a lowly Core Formation expert at that moment. Some higher-ranked elders protested the order, refused to comply, and even tried to stop everything altogether.

When Long Xiu learned of this, she visited the Starfall Mountain Palace. An hour later when she left, the interior of the palace was painted in red with the flesh and blood of the uncooperative and the undecided. Everything proceeded smoothly afterward. The missing elders were scrubbed from the records.

The disciples themselves didn't notice anything was amiss, they just kept watching the operation. The number of people that could work on formations of this level was limited. Lower ranked elders and the disciples were only used for menial tasks. Still, the number of people that cultivated that night was staggeringly low. Seeing the lofty elders working like bees was an eye-opening experience.

"I didn't know Elder De could order even the ancient monsters... I feel lucky to be alive...'

If Han De was here, he would recognize this disciple as the one that escorted him to the Disciple Acceptance Ceremony on his first day.

"Elder De is the heir of the sect, you idiot!"

"What did you expect?"

"You are but a frog in a well!"

"Elder De dominance is famous in the Brass Stallion city too!"

"Yes, he is as dominant as he is insatiable!"

The Tan family had started working for the Starfall Mountain some time ago. The quintuplets of the family enjoyed a status boost inside the sect thanks to that. Their mouths grew in proportion as well.

Geng Shi who was silently watching the enormous spiritual boat flinched after hearing the last part. He hadn't seen Yao Qing ever since they arrived at this sect. While he was getting a nearly endless amount of resources, he couldn't help but wonder about his childhood friend. A frown appeared on his face as he kept thinking.

Xin Qiang and the white-haired Wu Fu kept traveling at great speed. They were finally nearing the Ming Empire border. It was exactly as Wu Fu thought, they were going to the Starfall Mountain.

During their travel, Xin Qiang and Wu Fu didn't talk at all. Both of them were trying to calculate all the variables. Even though his entire life's work was destroyed, Wu Fu couldn't stop his mind from going through the motions.

Xin Qiang heard a faint scream from far away. She was about to ignore it, but she detected a heavy stench of death. They stopped in mid-air. Xin Qiang gazed at the landscape below them. Her spiritual sense could detect dozens of Immortal Realm experts and one Nascent Soul that they surrounded.

Her intuition was telling her there was something wrong here. She moved closer without hesitation. These people were 2 whole realms lower, they couldn't even scratch her. Xin Qiang and Wu Fu saw the Nascent Soul cultivator that was absorbing the blood essence of a yellow-robed woman.

Wu Fu immediately identified the two. Ming Ping, the prince of the Ming Empire that was found and delivered to the Ming Emperor by Han De. The unfortunate woman looked like the one that slapped the boy during the conference. After Ming Ping left with the Emperor, she had broken through on the spot and was recruited to the sect as an elder by the orders of Han Wei, the sect master.

Xin Qiang had no idea about the contents of the deal and who they were supposed to be. Wu Fu didn't say anything either. He didn't have anything left to live for. He wanted to see if his initial suspicion was correct.

"Lan... You... You shouldn't have left me, you b*tch! So what if I absorbed Guoliang? In this world, only the strong can survive!"

Ming Ping was crying and growling incoherently. He absorbed, mourned, cursed, and laughed.

"Han De... This is all your fault!! You will pay!! I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO XIAO LAN!!"

Xin Qiang was desperately trying to curry favor with the Starfall Mountain and Han De. She looked at the pitiful woman and the yellow robes she wore. They were the robes of the Starfall Mountain elders.

Miss, this is a Ming Empire affair. If you know what is good for you, leave. Otherwise, don't blame us for being merciless.

One of the lurking Immortal Realm experts finally contacted Xin Qiang. Naturally, they would rather ignore an Ancient Realm expert that wasn't even trying to hide their aura, but their mission was too important.

"Curse you!! You will suffer the same thing a thousand fold!! Everyone you love will suffer as Xiao Lan suffered!! Your family!! Your disciple!!! If not, then my name is not Xiao Ping!!"

Xin Qiang released her aura fully. She landed near the raving young man. The Immortal Realm experts were suppressed, they sent an emergency message but that was all they could do. Surprisingly, Xiao Ping wasn't affected by her aura.

The shriveled corpse of the yellow-robed woman was a difficult sight to look at. The pain she suffered could be clearly seen in her dried face even after death. Xin Qiang wrapped her body with some cloth and stored it inside her storage ring.

Ming Ping stared at Xin Qiang during the entire process. For a moment, sanity returned to his eyes. He could fully understand what he had done, what he was forced to do, but it was only a fleeting moment.

Xin Qiang knew she could not touch this person, but she could still bring this elder back to the sect with the news of the Ming Empire's involvement. The Starfall Mountain was a quality over quantity sect. They would never leave the death of an elder alone.

Once they hurriedly left the scene, Wu Fu smirked. He didn't hide his enjoyment of the events. He was right. She, or perhaps the entire Xin family had a falling out with the Starfall Mountain. They were trying to ingratiate themselves.

They reached the Starfall Mountain borders quickly and saw the massive spiritual boat flying towards the north.

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Aboard the spiritual flagship of the Starfall Mountain sect, Han De was feeling intense delight and intense worry at the same time. He was delighted because the steamed buns he was eating right now were the best things he had ever eaten, ever. And he was deeply worried, because the person who made these buns was the woman his mother brought him.

The immortal chef with white hair and pink eyes was named Meng Xue. Han De's mother had put her aboard the flagship even before Han De and his disciples. Long Xiu was one step ahead of her son and didn't give him a chance to respond.

'I can't believe it, this is just a normal steamed bun, how can it taste so good? Yesterday's dishes can't even come close to these simple-looking buns.'

'Shit, this woman 100% has some siblings or love interests that will ask for revenge down the line.'

Han De was afraid to dig deeper into this woman's background. It was an affair that involved his mother, which meant that the best-case scenario for his sanity was getting stonewalled by her.

[Steamed Bun]

[A Steamed Bun made with extremely low-quality spiritual ingredients.]

'Yes, yes, you are the best, everything else is the worst. I get it you chuuni demon.'

The Systems description was exactly as Han De had expected. He couldn't even roll his eyes at it anymore.

Peng.

Yes, Elder De.

Make sure everyone shows proper respect to… Meng something-whatever. The immortal chef. Don't disturb her, don't get in her way. Give her all the resources she needs except for anything poisonous. Her starter pay will be ten times higher than an exceptional immortal chef would get. Oh, if some unruly types bother her, handle it.

... Y-Yes, Elder De!

'This way, when someone comes for her, I can alleviate some of the problems by pointing towards the good treatment she received. Mother will also be ecstatic with me taking care of her, and will leave the issue alone for the time being. Two birds with one stone.'

Han De took another small bite out of his steamed bun. Not because he was minding his table manners, but because he genuinely wanted to savor them for as long as possible. Across the table, his disciples were also doing the same thing, but for a different reason. All three were eating the buns with exceptionally refined movements.

Yesterday, it was hard for Han De to enjoy the meal to the fullest. His three disciples seemed to have entered an unspoken contest of table manners. Ning Bi was the youngest, but it seems her parents had drilled court etiquette deep into her soul. Once she saw the effortless elegance of Jin Shu, she became incredibly graceful as if someone flipped a switch inside her.

At first, Han De thought Yao Qing would be beyond such matters, but he realized how foolish that thought was after a single glance. Next to her, Ning Bi and Jin Shu looked like children playing house. Thankfully, Han De was aiming to become a Hidden Expert, he could ignore these matters entirely. Despite that, he ended up eating yesterday's red braised 'meat' incredibly slowly due to status checking every bite.

Right now, Yao Qing was barely paying attention to the steamed buns. Her movements were on autopilot while she was thinking about yesterday's events. She thought she was going insane back then, but after many hours the initial shock wore off. She was still a mess inside, but at least now she was a functioning mess.

'How can anyone still have the Divine Phoenix bloodline?! Didn't 'they' say the last Divine Phoenix died along with the primordial era?! Even a speck of its blood would be impossible to hide! And why is that horrifying bloodline called Lifebringer?!'

Upon hearing the description of her power, Jin Shu, with the permission of her master, immediately tried it on the spot. The blade of grass she touched suddenly bloomed a purple flower with 32 uneven petals and started secreting drops of pink fluid. According to their master, those drops of pink and viscous liquid were mostly made of sugar.

Another blade of grass Jin Shu touched started emitting a chiming sound along with a faint white glow. Their master immediately sealed the newly created spiritual herb into a box with a strange expression.

'If the initial power is this potent, what would happen if she awakens it...'

Yao Qing didn't want to think about it. She steered her thoughts to her own bloodline. The Indomitable Tyrant. Its ability allowed her to bend all lightning to her will. When she asked what type of lightning she could control, her master only repeated himself. "All Lightning."

She tentatively asked her master again about the meaning of 'All Lightning', but her master looked her right in the eye, and slowly repeated himself. "All. Lightning."

'None of it makes any sense. Even the awakening requirements don't make any sense. Flames of the previous cycle? A seed of the previous cycle? What could they even be?!'

Maybe these things had different names in the current era, but she couldn't go to the Grand Path Library and do some in-depth research with her current cultivation. She suspected that even if she had her previous cultivation, the librarians would just laugh at her face. She couldn't alert 'them' either.

Her own requirement also had her stumped. She had to absorb a Heavenly Tribulation lightning strike that was beyond her wildest imaginations. She had seen a lot and lived through a lot, her imagination was rather strong compared to others, but her master reiterated before she could even ask for clarification. "Far, far beyond your wildest imaginations or dreams. Far beyond anything in written history. Far beyond the pitiful confines of the 'immortal' minds." When she stared blankly, her master chuckled. "When you are ready, I will help you."

Yao Qing returned to reality. She looked at her oblivious sisters, she looked at her master who was leisurely eating the simple steamed bun with great delight. This was her life now. This was the new normal. Her pride in her previous 'life' was meaningless. It was only holding her back in this one. Yao Qing felt her mind instantly became lighter. She knew that this was the beginning of her new path.

Han De finished the last bite. He wished he could just order a few thousand of these steamed buns and store them. Some Hidden Experts would excessively drink and become Drunk Experts. Their alcoholic behavior would become an integral part of their image. Perhaps Han De could become a Steamed Bun Expert. He could take out a steamed bun at random and eat it.

'...'

Han De decided not to become a Fat Expert. He didn't have any childhood MC friends, so his survival rate would be way too low if he suddenly became fat.

A spiritual sense interrupted his thoughts. He accepted the conversation request.

Peng.

Elder De, I apologize for the interruption. There is someone named Xin Qiang asking for an audience. She even preemptively sealed her cultivation, it involved news about Xiao Lan and some other information that is for your ears only, or so she claims. The head cleared her and she is brin-

"Little De! Look what I found while walking around!"

Han De cut off the conversation with Old Peng after hearing his mother's voice. He had a deep impression of Xiao Lan, the lady that kept talking and talking and talking once she was stressed. She had caused him a lot of trouble, but the cultivation idiot had hurt her previously, so he decided that they were fair and square. Hearing and remembering her name was an annoyance to Han De.

'Who the hell is Xin Qiang?'

While he was thinking that, a stupidly gorgeous woman that was previously behind his mother, took a step to the side and revealed herself. It was impossible to forget this woman that once eyed his disciple. A frown immediately appeared on Han De's face. He had once specifically threatened her to not get close to Ning Bi.

'Damn, did you think those Transcendent freaks were just for show? F#$%! What the hell is wrong with this Blazing Sun family?!'

The frown in Han De's face was getting deeper. Xin Qiang averted her gaze by looking down. Long Xiu interrupted before anyone could say anything.

"I see you remember her well. That's good! It seems she had an interesting time. You should take the time and listen to her! I arranged some nearby quarters for her to stay. Little ladies, come, let's leave your master and his guests alone!"

Long Xiu gestured to Ning Bi and others to follow her with a smile. Han De immediately interrupted her in panic.

"Wait! They will not go anywhere, especially Ning Bi!"

Mother, for reasons I can't explain, Ning Bi has to stay close to me at all times. This is vital!

His mother looked at Han De and his disciples in confusion. Han De interrupted her once he realized gears had started turning in her head. It wasn't good to let her get carried away in a situation like this.

Besides, it is better if you can stay here too.

Seeing Han De look at Xin Qiang with a corner of his eye, his mother thought about it for a while. Then she nodded. Han De suppressed his sigh of relief.

Xin Qiang watched the mother and son come into an agreement. She decided this was the best time for her and deeply bowed.

"Elder Han De, please allow me to apologize for my previous behavior. I was foolish, and deserve punishment. Please accept my humble gifts. I hope the Xin family and the Starfall Mountain sect can continue their partnership."

Upon hearing Xin Qiang's words, Long Xiu stared at her son. Didn't her son once adamantly denied making a deal with the Blazing Sun family? She had asked him over and over again but he refused to admit it! Back then, she had questioned Ning Bi and determined she wasn't a member of the Blazing Sun family. Was there someone else? Did her son really lie to her?!

Han De could feel the gaze of his mother at his back. Xin Qiang claiming that they had a previous partnership was beyond his expectations. This damn Blazing Sun family was way too troublesome. What kind of person would lie about something like that?!

"What partnership? As I recall, my only dealing with your family was warning you not to get close to my disciple. A warning that you have spectacularly ignored…"

Long Xiu's gaze turned odd. Xin Qiang looked at Han De blankly. Wu Fu, the white-haired walking encyclopedia that everyone ignored, had an odd look. After a moment his eyes started shining brightly as he was thinking about the strange turn of events.

'So that was the case. This isn't a denial of the previous efforts, Long Xiu wouldn't be surprised otherwise. His disciple's reaction is also consistent. Their relationship wasn't just damaged, but they had no relationship at all.'

Xin Qiang already knew her objective wouldn't be achieved so easily. She grabbed the scroll case she hid under her robes before she sealed her cultivation.

"Elder Han De, these are the locations and the properties of the weak points, before and after the disturbance. The validity of these weak points can be confirmed by Elder Wu Fu, the chief advisor of the Sun Empire."

She glanced at Wu Fu that was smiling at her and continued by taking out a jade-slip case.

"I also acquired a scripture that I'm sure you would be very interested in."

Treebeard appeared out of nowhere and prevented Xin Qiang from getting close to Han De. He took the scroll case and the jade-slip case and brought them to his young master.

Han De could barely keep his face from reflecting the immense joy he was feeling. This was a moment that he has been looking forward to for a long time! A genuine face slapping opportunity! As soon as his hands touched the jade-slip case, he checked it with the system.

[Immortal Sentinel Scripture (incomplete)]

--

[Power: Very Weak]

[Accuracy: Very Low]

[Defense: Very Weak]

[Medium: Stars]

[Stage: Qi Condensation (71%), Nascent Soul (99%)]

[Roots: 67% Light]

[Notes: Divination scripture. Requires 39 Profound Point(s) to learn.]

'Shit, 39? I was going to look for the standard divination scripture but kept forgetting about it. This is pretty good timing!'

The sect's standard divination scripture was probably 'Extremely Weak' and probably cost around 1 or 2 points according to his estimates. This was the second most expensive method he had seen, the first one being the Cosmic Destruction Scripture of Ning Bi.

Han De learned it without hesitation. It wasn't every day he would see a 'Very Weak' method. Aside from the Blazing Sun Scripture, he hadn't seen a single one in the sect Archives. At this point, Han De would even learn a bottom cleansing scripture if the System deemed it 'Very Weak'.

[Immortal Sentinel Scripture requires 12 Utility Method Fragments to fully complete it. Partial completion not possible]

[Immortal Sentinel Scripture (Mortal)]

--

[Power: Very Weak]

[Accuracy: Very Low]

[Defense: Very Weak]

[Medium: Stars]

[Mastery: Beginner (0/48)]

[Profound Points: 502 - 451 ]

Now, it was face slapping time. In a moment, he was going to sneer and throw the jade-slip case away and claim that he already knew the method. Once she denied the possibility, he was going to demonstrate his knowledge by citing the most obscure parts of the scripture in an incredibly dry fashion. It was two birds with one stone!

Xin Qiang spoke with confidence while Han De was calculating the precise timing.

"I found this scripture in an ancient tomb. It is a very rare light element divination scripture."

Crack*

The jade-slip case in Han De's hands cracked, then it turned to dust, then into nothingness. If he had blinked, he would've missed it.

Long Xiu's aura started leaking. Han De looked up and saw the fury in his mother's eyes. His mother's mind moved in mysterious ways. Just from that one sentence alone, there could've been dozens of things that might've pissed her off. Han De went through his mental checklist to quickly figure out the reason.

There were several hits, but the most likely culprit was divination, which was why he thought his assessment was wrong. How could it be something simple like that?

The cultivation idiot never paid attention to divination, and considered it a parlor trick at best. His mother, father, and even grandfather never cared for it as well. In fact, there was not a single person that practiced divination in the entire Han family. There was even a memory of his father almost killing a master of another sect for trying to divine the cultivation idiot's fate. That was the only memory of his father almost losing control. The cultivation idiot never saw or heard of that sect again.

'Wait, hold up. This is a bit too much of a coincidence. Sh*t! Why didn't I notice this before?!'

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His mother's aura was getting stronger by the second. This Xin Qiang was done for. Han De didn't like her, but obviously that didn't mean he wanted her dead. He wouldn't want to watch her die either. Out of panic, he sent a voice transmission to distract his mother.

Why does my family always try to keep me in the dark about divination?

Long Xiu stopped. Her aura wasn't getting stronger anymore, but it wasn't getting weaker either. She was still intensely staring at Xin Qiang. Han De tried to push a little bit more.

She doesn't have anything to do with this. I was going to check the archives for a standard divination scripture anyway. Did you really think I didn't notice how odd everyone was behaving?

While Han De was trying to stop the gruesome affair that was about to happen in front of him, he was also thinking about the reason for his family's odd behavior.

'They probably did a divination check on the cultivation idiot when he was born. With that idiot's luck, his results would be devastating for any parent. No one would want to be reminded of such a fate. No one would want their child to learn of it either. It explains a lot, actually. No wonder they are so doting all the time...'

Long Xiu sighed. She didn't retract her aura, but she looked at her son.

The standard divination scripture of the sect was forbidden and long ago. It eventually was destroyed by your grandfather, along with every other method related to divination.

This unexpected statement caused Han De to blink in surprise.

'That's… a bit excessive... How could a sect function without divinations? What if your son goes missing, are you not even going to perform a divination?'

Han De had many memories of the cultivation idiot scoffing at low-level sects for relying on divinations. If a disciple went missing, they would try to divine their whereabouts first. They would also regularly try to divine the future of the sect to get information about potential calamities in advance.

Long Xiu thought for a while and scattered her aura. She stared at Han De's eyes.

Your grandfather already told you about spiritual energy decline. Divination is a matter… adjacent to it. Those that practice divination will irreparably damage their fate. Even knowing how to perform a divination is dangerous.

None of the remaining ancient sects would tolerate the practice of divination within their ranks. If they do, that means they will soon face a calamity and disappear as if they never existed in the first place.

Never share what I've told you to anyone, not even to your disciples. The less they know the better. The less YOU know the better as well. Never let anyone read your fate, never let anyone read your disciples' fate.

Long Xiu switched her gaze to Xin Qiang. It was evident that she was 'conversing' with her through voice transmission. Han De was speechless due to his mother's comments. He didn't notice how Xin Qiang's face was rapidly turning white.

'Is she making that up because of the cultivation idiot's fate? Or is that really a thing? How can someone's 'fate' be damaged by divination? It doesn't make any sense...'

Han De had already learned the Immortal Sentinel Scripture. The System hadn't stopped him. If it was really that harmful it would've shown a warning. In fact, the System seemed to favor the divination scriptures a great deal. It had displayed more stats, accuracy, medium, defense. The last one was probably anti-divination. Probably.

'So far, the System has been squeaky clean. It didn't do anything to damage me or did anything against my will. Apart from some limitations coming from its programming, there isn't anything to complain about really.'

While he trusted his family, he trusted the System more when it came to cultivation. As far as Han De was concerned, no one in this world could rival the System on that subject.

'Maybe this is like Qi deviation. The System increases my understanding of the methods, but it doesn't do anything against Qi deviations. There is probably something going on with fate and divinations, but maybe it could be circumvented through careful practice. Yes, that should be it. Nothing there to be worried about! Probably.'

Han De decided not to use the scripture during the voyage. Since he wasn't burning with a passion to perform divinations, it didn't affect him that much. However, having paid 51 Profound Points for a virtual paperweight caused great pain to his liver. But Han De endured. This wasn't over. Sooner or later he would have a chance to practice it at Grand Master level!

'If divination is a taboo, why would this Xin Qiang bring it to me? Is she that clueless or was this something deliberate?'

Once he returned to the real world, Han De saw the white as a sheet Xin Qiang silently looking down. His mother finally released Xin Qiang from her gaze and gently smiled at him. Just that one look was enough to make his hair stand up on the back of his neck. The context of that look was too frightening to think about.

"I have also brought news of the Starfall Mountain elder Xiao Lan. I found her body while traveling through the Ming Empire."

Long Xiu narrowed her eyes at Xin Qiang, and slightly nodded. She liked smart girls like this one.

Meanwhile, Han De was successfully distracted.

'Starfall Mountain Elder? Xiao Lan? Is there another Xiao Lan? Is that a different pronunciation?'

Xin Qiang removed her storage ring and gave it to Treebeard that appeared out of nowhere once again. The silent lackey took out the corpse of Xiao Lan. He didn't need to unseal the ring, perhaps due to her previous experience, Xin Qiang unsealed it herself before coming aboard.

The brown, leathery, and horribly twisted face of the corpse caused Han De to flinch. He immediately averted his gaze and waved his hand at Treebeard to remove it from his sight. This sight was too much even when he was at his best, but he had only eaten 5 minutes ago. His stomach was adequately full. While he tried to calm himself down, his thoughts inevitably went to Xiao Lan.

She had lived a terrible life all things considered. The cultivation idiot crippled her step-brother turned lover. She left her family and her sect for him, but that only gave her a life of quiet suffering.

Han De inadvertently sighed. He felt a vague sense of guilt towards her due to the memories of the cultivation idiot. She was a stranger, and she caused Han De a lot of trouble, but that didn't mean he wanted to see her dead. Truly, this Xiao Lan was as unlucky as him!

'Right, she said Elder Xiao Lan. When did she become a Starfall Mountain elder? Didn't I send her away with resources and tons of money?'

Han De looked around to find Old Peng. Treebeard realized who his young master was looking for, and used the power of space to bring Old Peng into the room. Han De gave a mental 1 to this ent.

"Peng. 'Elder' Xiao Lan died... Talk."

Old Peng subconsciously gulped and gave Han De a scroll. This was Xiao Ping's anomaly file that he readied once he got the news about Xin Qiang. Han De started reading the section about Love Interest A.

'Reached Core Formation after the duel? Invited to the sect by my father? Left to visit her relatives 16 days ago?'

"Who was the one in charge of her? What is their status?"

"T-The last report came 3 days ago. Since he is a Unity Realm expert, he has a soul light and it is still intact…"

The standard procedure for watching love interests was sending an expert at least 3 realms higher than them. Xiao Lan was no exception. That distorted face was Xiao Lan's, there was no question. This meant that the expert in charge of keeping an eye on her was still alive. But he was most likely captured or crippled.

The prime suspects were obviously her family and the Celestial River sect. Even in the worst-case scenario, they should've reported her disappearance, along with his lackey's.

Han De narrowed his eyes. He looked at Xin Qiang and waited for her to continue her news.

"S-She was killed by a man that called himself Xiao Ping. A late-stage Nascent Soul realm cultivator, protected by nearly 50 Immortal Realm experts from the Ming Empire. He was still absorbing her remnant life force when we arrived."

Han De raised an eyebrow.

'He is an MC, why would he do that to his Love Interest A? The cultivation difference is so huge too, he was only at the mid-stage of the Core Formation realm, just like me.'

Han De shook his head.

'It fits if he is transitioning into a demonic MC. This might actually be a part of his background tragedy. A prelude to a super-power up.'

"T-This person blamed you for what happened to Elder Xiao Lan, and vowed revenge against you, your family, and your disciples…"

When the name Xiao Ping appeared, Han De was expecting some sort of revenge development. But he didn't expect it to come with full force. So far he had kept his calm, mostly. But that was changing by the second.

'50 Immortal Realm experts mean he has the support of the Ming Empire. They killed her even though she became a Starfall Mountain elder. They even imprisoned or crippled one of my lackeys too…'

'I shouldn't have considered my 'image' back then. I should've just told my lackeys to kill him on the battlegrounds after he appeared. All of this could've been avoided if I hadn't hesitated.'

Han De began pacing the room out of habit. His mind filtered everyone in the room. The frowning disciples, the mother with dead eyes, the lackeys with dark faces, he ignored them all.

'Shit… Shit, shit, shit. This is pretty much the worst-case scenario. Late-stage Nascent soul in 2 months. Probably will breakthrough into Spirit Origin soon…'

Every cultivation realm was a qualitative change. Unless one was an MC, it was impossible to exchange blows with an expert of a higher realm. Right now Xiao Ping could kill Han De with a flick of his sleeve. Of course, he'd have to go through Han De's life-saving items first, and once Han De is aware of a sneak attack the escape items will come into play as well. But those were just delaying tactics. What if the reinforcements never arrive?

'I can't even order someone to kill him. His father is the frickin' emperor! What the hell am I gonna say?'

' "Sorry, your highness. I accidentally sent 10 Transcendent Masters on an accidental assassination mission and they accidentally burned the soul of the son you favored. Truly my bad! But don't worry, it won't happen again!" '

Han De took a deep breath. Panicking wasn't going to help him.

'I can't kill him without cause. Xiao Lan's and the lackey's status are too low for a revenge kill. Let's not start a war just yet.'

'Xiao Ping attacking me is actually my best choice. That'll give me the justification. I only need to stay alive during his attack.'

The thought made him shake his head. Ning Bi had to stay close to him at all times. Even shockwaves from a Nascent Soul attack could easily kill a Qi Condensation disciple. Han De couldn't put her in the line of fire, therefore he couldn't put himself as well.

Suddenly he stopped. There was a strange pressure in the air. Only after looking around, he spotted his mother and her unfocused and dead-looking eyes.

'F#$%...'

When Han De first gave the order to kill Xiao Ping, it was out of panic. Later, he justified it by calling him an MC. Surely an MC wouldn't get caught by an arrogant young master's lackeys. And in the end, he was right.

Later he almost dueled him but was interrupted by the Ming Emperor. At that point, he couldn't issue a kill order. He was both relieved and concerned at the same time. Perhaps he was hoping that the issue would get solved over time, perhaps this Xiao Ping could move beyond revenge, and go to higher realms without ever bothering him.

Of course, he knew that wasn't the case anymore. Now, he had no qualms about giving an order to burn his soul. Back in the Brass Stallion city, the cockroach was a threat to his very existence. Although the violence of the cockroach's death gave him quite a few sleepless nights, he didn't regret it. As far as Han De was concerned, Xiao Ping was now at the same level of threat.

But. That didn't mean Han De was OK with his mother's way of handling things. He just wanted Xiao Ping dead, not the whole Ming Empire and its inhabitants.

"M-Mother, let's calm d-down…"

Long Xiu's gaze turned to her son. She gave a smile that wasn't a smile. Many things were going through her mind, but when she looked at her son, her decision was already made. Her smile grew wider, but it still failed to reach her eyes.

"M-Mother, it's just an empty threat from an ant, there is no need to be concerne-"

"My little De. I know you are soft, but this is something mommy has to do."

Han De watched his mother stand up. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. That wide smile was still present on her face.

"I tolerated that Ming trash for your sake, but no more."

Long Xiu disappeared into thin air. Everyone in the room focused on the window. The bright sunlight that was coming from it disappeared. After a muffled whoosh sound, the cloudless sky changed into a hazy smoke, followed by a heavy stench of ash.

Han De gestured towards Ning Bi and went over to the deck with her. The disciples, the lackeys, and the Han family members all saw the scorched ground. With the intelligence network of the Han family, they could immediately tell where they were. This was the Ming Empire capital, or more accurately, what remained of it. The only standing structure was the Ming Palace in the distance. Long Xiu was standing in mid-air between the flagship and the palace.

"Ming Zian. You should've known better. I will give you a minute. If you cripple all your descendants and tear off all your limbs, I will allow your suffering to end after your lifespan…"

Long Xiu didn't shout, but her voice was heard by everyone. Her tone didn't have a hint of anger or any other emotions. It was as if she was reading an instruction manual out loud.

Han De felt tremendous regret for having his mother listen in on their conversation. The news would eventually go to her ears, but at least he would have time to prepare and calm her down. But now, they skipped directly to the worst-case scenario. Just thinking about it was enough to turn his stomach upside down.

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For nearly half a minute, they could only hear the sound of the wind.

[Breach (Mortal)]

[Progress: (2) 24%]

Han De felt Ning Bi's hands tugging on his clothes. Her eyes were closed.

Master, there is a strange sound coming from all around when I close my eyes. I never heard a sound before...

Open your eyes, ignore it for now.

Ning Bi looked at him and nodded. Han De could tell she was disturbed, originally he wanted to talk to his mother or grandfather about it, but at this moment he could do neither.

A small figure flew from the Ming Palace and came near Long Xiu. They couldn't tell this person's cultivation, but from the regal movements and the exaggerated dress he was wearing, it was obvious that he was the emperor.

"Long Xiu, what is the meaning of this?"

Ming Emperor was a well-informed man. He knew never to cross Long Xiu, more so than the Starfall Mountain sect or the Han family. His deal with Han De was made in front of Han Wei. They knew about his cultivation and the purpose of his descendants. This tacit understanding was why he tolerated making a deal with a junior in the first place.

Ming Emperor looked at the flagship far behind the Long Xiu. He immediately spotted Han De and the people around him. One of them, in particular, caught his eye. This woman with her Ancient Realm cultivation could fool others, but not the emperor. Her brown looking eyes were actually red, just like the Han De's disciple near him.

A bitter smile appeared on Ming Emperor's face. He knew about his son's encounter with an Ancient Realm expert. Connecting the dots was easy. This expert grabbed the body of his son's previous lover and reported it to the Han family. The red eyes meant that she was part of the Blazing Sun family. He started chuckling.

"I see… So this was your plan all along… You think I will idly stand by when someone tries to cut my path? Even if that is you, I still have enough strength to take everyone else with me. Including your son…"

Han De slapped his forehead with his palm. There was no turning back from this.

Far away to the west, Yuan Zemin and the sect leaders he had gathered felt the disturbance in the fabric of space. They were in a meeting to discuss their best options for a decisive strike. The sect masters looked toward the direction of the disturbance with weird faces.

"The Ming capital… They started already…"

Yuan Zemin's whisper caused everyone to solemnly nod. They all had different reasons for being there, but even those that wouldn't mind another intersection, wouldn't want another Breach that came along with it.

Transcendent experts inside the flagship took formation in a panic. Cultivators of the lower realms were steering the flagship away. Han De's lackeys took action and forcibly moved him and his disciples to the center of the top deck.

Formations installed on the flagship were many times stronger than simple walls, and they required space to set up. The center of the top deck was the only suitable place on the flagship. All of the lower decks had layers upon layers of supplementary formations that supplied the main formation with more spiritual power. It was by far the safest place on the flagship.

The space twisted around Long Xiu as she continued to release her aura. Ming Emperor's words had broken the last bit of hesitation inside her.

"Every second will turn into a thousand years. You won't even be able to lose your sanity. I will make sure of it."

Ming Emperor's face was ashen, he knew words had no meaning anymore. During the assassination attempt, he couldn't use his full power. But Long Xiu was different. There was no chance of him escaping, there was no chance of him winning. There was no need to restrain himself anymore. Why would he care if the world was devoured?

Once their clash started, the people on the flagship could only see the aftershocks. No one had the cultivation base to actually see their movements or techniques. The ripples around the space clashed with each other. Sound waves from their attacks hit the flagship and caused it to gain speed. Even under the formation, the banging was deafening. Han De knew that even from this distance if he was outside the spiritual boat, he would be long dead.

The ripples continued to crash against each other. Finally, a tear was formed. The Transcendent expert's faces turned solemn. As the ripples increased in intensity, the tear started to expand.

Crack*

Crack* *Crack*

Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack* *Crack*

Among the deafening bangs from the explosion waves that were hitting, clear cracking sounds could be heard. After less than a minute of fighting, the fabric of space was torn to pieces. Countless netherworld demons started to pour from the cracks. But as they entered, they were disintegrated from the aftershocks. After all, basic netherworld demons would only be at the Core Formation stage.

Unfortunately, the cracks started to expand, Han De and others could see the black, starless sky behind the cracks. As they got bigger, they started coalescing. Cracking sound disappeared, but they were replaced with a loud shrieking sound.

The flagship was retreating at full speed to the west. Tens of thousands of experts with hostile auras suddenly appeared on the distance and started closing in. Everyone's attention was still on the Long Xiu and Ming Emperor battle, but Transcendent Experts and Han De were extremely alert and noticed them immediately.

Han De's chin dropped. Behind them was his crazy mother fighting the emperor and opening a Breach in the process. Countless shrieking sounds accompanied their explosion waves. While in front of them thousands of high realm experts were emitting killing intent against them.

'This day couldn't get any worse. Am I going to die like this?!'

He couldn't get a voice transmission to his mother, even if he could, the Ming Emperor was on her tail and wouldn't allow her to leave.

Han De's escape items were useless for the experts they were facing. They could only make a stand.

"Activate all offensive formations!! Reduce the intensity of the defense formations at the back!! Send a message to the sect!! Continue at full speed and don't steer away!!"

With Han De's shout, everyone moved rapidly. While this flagship was from the Starfall Mountain sect, after the incident with Han De's orders, Long Xiu removed all of the sect elders and disciples and replaced them with the Han family members. To these people, Han De's word was the law.

Yuan Zemin looked at the scene in front of him and clenched his fists. He never wanted to see another sight like this ever again, but fate seemed to disagree with him. The sect masters near him also had unsightly faces. The memory of the last Breach was still fresh in their minds.

They were expecting the entire Starfall Mountain sect, or perhaps the Han family, but seeing the flagship puzzled them. Obviously, this wasn't an attempt at escaping, otherwise, they wouldn't have this few experts on the ship. The intensity of the fight was alarming as well. Even a permanent Breach didn't need this level of power.

The sect masters looked at Yuan Zemin. This Ancient Realm expert had mentioned the possibility of a new intersection, but no one really took it seriously. But it seemed they were wrong.

The Alliance experts stopped moving forward and stood their ground. As the flagship of the Starfall Mountain got closer, their faces got weirder. This was a flagship, so it was natural for it to have strong formations. But this was…

Senior brother Zhu… Isn't this...

The one called senior brother Zhu was also baffled. This spiritual boat seemed to be filled with offensive and defensive formations to the brim. It looked normal a few moments ago, but now that the formations were at full power, everyone could see it and sense it.

The abnormal sight caused the alliance experts to drop their mouths, but they were quickly brought back to reality. Only 20 seconds after the activation, the flagship started firing at them from long range, while still moving towards them.

The few Nascent Soul experts that couldn't dodge turned to dust. Yuan Zemin gritted his teeth and finally brought out a spiritual jade communicator from his storage ring. After a few seconds of contemplation, he infused then crushed it. His message was sent. He could only hope that his instincts were right, and his old sect master was on his side.

The lackeys were calm and determined. This was a calamity scenario that their young master had mentioned before. Old Peng communicated the plan with the Han family expert that was in charge, including all of its variants. The experts agreed that this 'shock and awe' tactic invented by their young master was their best choice. If they ran away, their formations would continually lose power by the shockwaves from behind and they would have to eventually fight the enemy anyway. If they had to fight, it would be better to fight at their peak condition.

Han De looked calm and collected from the outside, but of course, he was actually deeply panicking. Ning Bi at this side had entered a stupor ever since the cracks coalesced.

Yao Qing and Jin Shu were also inside the formation with him. The latter was concerned, but the former strangely looked mesmerized.

After shaking his head, Han De tried to concentrate. Going through his options was unfortunately not only unhelpful, but it was also strengthening his sense of despair. None of the items on him or the tokens provided by the System could do anything. He realized he couldn't even use a teleportation item.

The space around them was unstable and there was a hole behind them. Using a teleportation item now would only cause them to fall into this hole. A death sentence.

He could summon a heavenly tribulation. He had two very reliable methods. Perhaps Yao Qing could control the lightning strikes, but the extent of it was unknown. She was only at the Qi Condensation realm anyway. Logically speaking, she probably wouldn't be able to stop a tribulation completely. Another death sentence.

The hostiles were finally in range, they started attacking the flagship without delay. Different from the increasingly dull but still very strong shock waves coming from far behind them, the attacks of the hostiles in front of them could only make muffled ding sounds.

Transcendent Experts immediately moved outside the formation. They ignored the smaller realm experts below and focused on the sect masters that were closing in fast. Lower realm Han family experts, along with Han De's lackeys engaged the closer enemies.

Although their realms were much lower than Long Xiu and the Ming Emperor, the space around them was already unstable. The attacks of the Transcendent caliber started creating tiny ripples too.

"Activate the secondary attack formations!!"

Han De's bunker design was based on 3 layered attack formations along with unlimited defense formations. The flagship followed this design to the letter. It had long, medium, and short-range offensive formations while the rest of the space was used entirely by the defense formations. Once the mid-range attack formations were active, the air on the deck turned oppressive.

The formations targeted the Immortal Realm experts first. Anyone that couldn't dodge started burning and dropped to the ground. Their screams joined the increasing shrieks coming from the now fully formed Breach.

The number of Transcendent experts on the Han family side was lower than the enemy, but due to their incredible skill, they were evenly matched even when outnumbered. Sadly, the difference in the numbers between the mid-realm and low-realm experts were too much. Once the flagship finally hit the center of the group, these experts freely attacked the defensive formations. The attacks were blocked, but just the light from the hits was enough to block all vision.

"Activate the short-range attacks, now!"

The final layer of the offensive formations caused the entire ship to vibrate as they activated. Han De was watching everything with a concerned expression.

As the wounded experts were healing, others were taking their place in the rotation. Han De saw everything was working like clockwork and started gaining a faint hope.

'So far so good, maybe we can actually break through. We might have a chance once the sect elders are here. Yes, they should be arriving any minute now…'

CRACK *

A new crack spanning from the center of the battle to the current location the flagship appeared. The sky went dark and the outlandish stars could be seen from the cracks. The countless shrieks caused the battle around the flagship to stop. Han De instinctively looked behind and his face went white.

His lackeys were already on it even before the voice transmission, but they failed to increase the power of the rear formations in time. The shockwave hit the flagship and caused it to tilt first, but the force was too much and a crack formed in the middle of the ship and caused it to split in two at the formation lines. The spiritual boat was just too big, and the original material was just too brittle against the power of the shockwaves.

At the time Han De didn't realize it, but if the defensive formation was at full power, not only wouldn't it do anything against it, but the core of formation would explode as well.

The flagship started to crash, the formations were deeply connected to each other and the majority of them couldn't work without the delicate arrangements. The core defensive formation was intact, but Han De realized it couldn't stand the impact of the fall. He quickly removed his speed-focused Core Formation sword from his storage ring and moved his disciples.

[Heaven Defying Tyrannical Scripture requires 114 Profound Points to advance from Master level to the Grand Master level]

[Heaven Defying Tyrannical Scripture (Heaven II)]

Power: Very Weak

Comprehension: Grand Master

Stage: Core Formation (Mid-Stage)

[Upgrade Complete! Congratulations! Your self-created martial arts has reached Grand Master comprehension level!]

[Issuing Bonus 200 Profound Points]

[Immortal Sentinel Scripture requires 393 Profound Points to advance from Beginner level to the Grand Master level]

[Immortal Sentinel Scripture (Mortal)]

--

[Power: Very Weak]

[Accuracy: Very Low]

[Defense: Very Weak]

[Medium: Stars]

[Mastery: Grand Master]

[Profound Points: 451 - 144 ]

Massive amounts of information entered Han De's brain. For a few seconds, he couldn't even move while trying to sort out his thoughts. The flagship was still falling while Han De and his disciples stood in mid-air on his sword and were visible for all to see. Before Han De could start a divination he heard a scream.

"HAN DEE!!!! YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO XIAO LANN!!!!"

The scream came from far away, the experts that were locked in combat couldn't even spare a glance. Anyone under the Unity Realm that wasn't inside the flagship died from the shockwave alone. The Immortal Realm and higher could shake the effects and continued to fight in the sky, but there was a new problem. Netherworld demons that were pouring out of the newly formed crack.

'F#$%, this guy really has MC timing. F#$% me…'

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Without delay, Han De started his first divination. He used the stars visible from the cracks to find the correct timing and the direction to flee at full speed. A few seconds later he was baffled.

"F#$%, are you kidding me?!"

His divination result was negative. All directions would result in certain death if he started dashing right now. In the background, the flagship finally crashed to the ground and released a huge dust cloud. The remaining core defensive formation couldn't withstand the weight of the flagship, and half of it directly exploded.

Han De used his Heavenly Gaze through his index finger to shoot the debris that were coming toward them.

"HAN DEE!!!"

Xiao Ping wasn't alone, he had nearly 50 Immortal Realm guards. Han De also spotted other experts coming in fast from behind Xiao Ping, most likely the remnant forces of the Ming Emperor.

Low Hum*

Shrieks from the netherworld demons stopped and they instinctively cowered. Cultivators took advantage of the situation and cut the ones they were fighting.

"Attack the Han family and the demons at the same time!!"

When Han De heard the voice, his body turned stiff. This was the same voice that killed the cultivation idiot.

"YOU WILL SUFFER A MILLION FOLD!!!"

Han De flinched with the closer shout of the Xiao Ping. He gritted his teeth and did another divination.

'F#$%# useless!!'

Treebeard was the only one remaining with him. Lackeys below Immortal Realm regrouped below him. From the distance, the Transcendent experts of the Han family seemed to have gained the advantage, but the situation was unstable and a reversal could occur at any second. The netherworld demons were still cowering and waiting.

Han De gave all of his high realm attack items to Treebeard. Distributed a few hundred life-saving items to his lackeys around him. He gave extra lifesaving and escape items to Yao Qing and Jin Shu as well. He was about to give a few to Ning Bi too, but he realized the girl was completely concentrated on keeping her eyes open.

Or, more accurately, she was concentrating on not closing her eyes at the same time. She kept opening and closing one after the other in rhythm.

Han De thought of something. Her ability was named Breach after all, and her symptoms worsened immediately after a crack had appeared. He didn't want to endanger her, but if he didn't do anything they would all die in a few minutes at most.

Ning Bi, close your eyes and tell me which direction has the least amount of netherworld demons.

Ning Bi looked at her master. She could barely think at the moment, she just obeyed without thinking.

The music… It is so beautiful...

"Concentrate!"

Han De gently shook Ning Bi. A moment later he forcefully opened her eyes with his hand. The startled Ning Bi could only point toward the north after seeing the concerned expression in her master's face.

'North?! That side is too close to the expanding cracks. But the killer of the cultivation idiot is at east, mother is at west, Xiao Ping is coming from south-east…'

"DIEEE!!!!"

Han De's lackeys in the outer circle around him engaged with Xiao Ping. They were all at the Nascent Soul realm, but they couldn't do anything to an MC of the same realm. Treebeard engaged without saying anything, but he was stopped by the two remaining Immortal Realm guards of Xiao Ping. The rest of the royal guards were fending against Yuan Zemin and the Han family guards.

"Ahhh, there you are…"

Han De looked up and saw a red-dressed woman standing in mid-air. She was looking intently at Ning Bi with her shining red eyes.

"Matriarch!"

Han De cursed inside, the voice was from Xin Qiang, the woman from the Blazing Sun family. This new one should be the matriarch of her hidden family.

[Time Remaining: 25.1 days.]

Once he realized the identity and the cultivation of the new woman, Han De knew that he would fail the quest.

'This quest was at B level difficulty with a million point reward. How could I delude myself into completing it… The failure penalty was the loss of Ning Bi's disciple status, probably this woman is going to take her and lea-'

Shriek*

Everyone around him covered their ears and fell to the ground. Han De held his disciples tightly. He could see countless tentacles coming from the cracks instead of netherworld demons.

Another blinding flash came from the direction of his mother. Han De realized once this shockwave hit them, they would instantly die, with or without life-saving items. The shockwave was very fast and Han De knew he couldn't outrun it. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.

"..."

"..."

'Did I die again?'

Han De tentatively opened his eyes. His disciples were still hanging on to him, and he was still alive. His doubts were solved once he saw the rapidly healing tentacles.

'If I don't take this chance, I might hand myself in a platter to my enemies.'

Even Transcendent experts were affected. In fact, from just a cursory look, it seemed as if they were the ones that got hurt the most. His disciples were barely able to hold onto their consciousness at least.

"So beautiful…"

Han De touched the eyelid of Ning Bi and opened it. At the same time, he did a final divination.

'F#$%$# waste of points!!!'

It was a failure once again. It wasn't a failure of divination, he just wasn't getting the result he wanted. In times of crisis, who would want to see a result that indicated their death over and over again?

Han De operated his Heaven Defying Tyrannical Scripture at full power and poured as much spiritual energy as his speed-focused sword could handle. He decided to trust Ning Bi and dashed towards the north with all his might.

'I got 3 MCs on me! They should count for something right?! They couldn't just die here right?! One of them even has max luck for f#$%s sake!'

Yuan Zemin was able to shake off the initial effects of the mental attack. He was only at the Ancient Realm and the attack's strength was limited. Transcendent experts around him were much worse off. Blood was coming from their ears and their eyes, and their bodies were convulsing with some strange rhythm. He wasn't as deeply hurt as them, but he still couldn't use spiritual energy freely, otherwise there was a big risk of damaging his soul.

A strange but potent aura caught his attention. He couldn't tell if it was in the Nascent Soul, or Spirit Origin realm. If it wasn't in the latter, it was still infinitely close. He was surprised at first, but then realized he was mistaken. This was probably a peak Spirit Origin expert, but could only exert this level of power after the mental attack. The panic probably caused the person to pick the wrong direction as well. Why else would they fly directly into the mass of spatial disturbances?

An idea came to his mind, was this person holding a spatial artifact? He looked in the direction, but he couldn't see anything. His mind was still blurry and right now he could only use late-stage Qi Condensation level spiritual power at best.

Han De and his disciples flew towards the north, but they didn't account for the spatial disturbances, nor could they feel them with their level of cultivation. As a result, they kept entering and exiting from different points in space. The countless tentacles that blocked his mother's shockwave seemed to be looking at them. These disgusting, dark, and slimy tentacles were convulsing at random. Han De's face turned sour.

He was reminded of his bloodline, but the effects of it were non-existent in beings evolved from spiritual animals. What were the odds of having an effect on a netherworld demon? Han De didn't want to test the odds, not while his disciples were with him.

Yuan Zemin was recovering rapidly, he could already use Foundation Realm level of power. He estimated he needed a few minutes to return to his peak. The time was short, he jumped into a spatial disturbance and tried to follow the Spirit Origin expert by relying on his superior perception. He couldn't use his spiritual power, but at least he could use his Ancient Realm senses to navigate and reach that expert before it was too late.

Xiao Ping shook his head. All the experts near him were down. He directly killed the one in front of him and put his soul into the amulet for later consumption. His eyes searched for Han De, he couldn't see him anywhere. His reasoning was already compromised, so he thought the best way was to move forward while everyone was down.

As he left, the few Core Formation experts were able to recover. Among them, a few were Han De's lackeys, they immediately went to find other members to help, meanwhile the alliance members started to run away. No one could blame them, if another powerful aftershock were to appear, they would simply perish without a higher realm expert's protection.

Han De flew for a full minute, but the unexpected spatial disturbances that made it hard to go anywhere. After a while he had realized he couldn't just fly at full speed, and had to navigate carefully, but it seemed as every time he entered a disturbance, he would end up getting closer to the crashed flagship. The tentacles around the expanding cracks creeped him out as well.

At this point, Han De was suspecting that these tentacles were some sort of foliage. He had watched many sci-fi shows and was familiar with the concept of interdimensional parasites as well. These Tentacles seemed rather weird.

'Ok, let's relax, this isn't working. Maybe I should try to divine step by step?'

"HAN DEE!!!"

Han De's face dropped and he started cursing from inside. This guy was persistent. He deeply, deeply regretted not abusing his power and burning Xiao Ping's soul when he could. He swore to himself that if he survived this, no more half measures. You are an MC and you are looking at me funny? Say goodbye to your soul!

A few shrieking sounds started to appear from a distance. Intermittent battle sounds started to become regular again. It seemed as if most of the experts were up. Han De felt a pain in his liver, he went north because of Ning Bi's advice, but he couldn't escape. Had he chosen another direction he would be miles away already.

He tried to divine the exit point of the cracks in front of him. After the first one he frowned, then the next one caused him to frown more. All of them seemed to lead him toward the crashed flagship as if that location was the epicenter. Unfortunately for Han De, Xiao Ping was coming from that direction.

"These spatial disturbances are getting annoyin-"

Since Han De and his disciples were standing still for a moment, the tentacles started coming closer inch by inch from below. Han De only noticed them after they started touching his sword. Unfortunately, the mass of energy behind him was rapidly getting closer as well.

'Shit! How is this guy just flying in a straight line without running into a single disturbance? F#$%! His MC cheat is too disgusting!'

Han De used one of the Late-Stage Nascent Soul consumable items without delay. As he expected Xiao Ping dodged it easily, but it was just a test shot anyway. He still had 139 more.

One after the other, Han De fired one-time attack items. He lost the count after 25.

'Most of the lower realm versions are gone. I still have 20 Immortal Realm level items, but I could only use 3 or 4 at best.'

Xiao Ping realized the realm of Han De's attacks were increasing. He gritted his teeth and became more defensive and reduced his speed. It was all fine anyway, he was already less than 100 meters away from him. His disciples were unconscious and he had nowhere to run. Xiao Ping could enjoy torturing him this way.

Unexpectedly, an attack came out of nowhere and hit Han De from behind. He immediately collapsed on the sword and started coughing blood out. His lungs were punctured by someone's powerful Sword Qi and Han De was barely holding the sword afloat. He felt all of the life-saving items he was wearing disappear into dust under his clothes, just like that.

A deafening shriek was released and netherworld demons started pouring out from the cracks once again. The ones that were already in seemed to regain their vigor and started attacking everyone in frenzy. It seemed as if the previous attack was just a casual spar, and now things got personal.

Han De couldn't heal himself with his healing spell, thanks to his stupid body constitution. He swallowed a high-grade healing pill without thinking and tried to look behind. The only thing he could see was a wall of tentacles.

Yuan Zemin's eyes shook when he saw the tentacles protect Han De from his second attack. His mind went blank for a second, then he started running at full speed. He felt bloodlust from all directions. It wasn't even killing intent, it was a pure impulse for blood, for violence. He used all of his spiritual power without minding the damage it would cause to his soul. Everything would be meaningless if he was dead.

Xiao Ping was surprised at the sneak attack, but a moment later he sneered. The wall of tentacles coming to protect Han De from a second attack seemingly woke him up. He needed to finish this and rip his soul apart now, otherwise he might never have a second chance! He growled and flew towards him without delay.

Han De heard the growl, but his reaction time was lacking due to the puncture wound on his right side. The pill was effective, but he actually needed to guide it to get the full effect. Just swallowing and not meditating would slow the healing effect significantly.

When he finally managed to turn his head, that turn was accompanied by a sickening bulging sound. Hundreds of tentacles impaled Xiao Ping, and a moment later they crazily started trashing him around. In only a few seconds, Xiao Ping turned into a meat paste in mid-air. This meat paste that was once an MC, harmlessly dripped from the tentacles.

[Scent of the Progenitor]

[Beings evolved from spiritual animals will pay their respects when they detect the scent. Beings evolved from the netherworld will accept your rule when they detect the scent.]

[Notes: Effects will be extremely limited on lower beings.]

'Is this thing a higher being? If so, it should've been respectful, but maybe this is how it shows its respect?'

Han De decided not to leave things to chance.

[Redeeming Bloodline Awakening Token for 100 Profound Points]

[Bloodline Awakening Process Invoked]

[Gathering statistics]

[Checking awakening requirements]

[1. Privilege Level not met]

[2. Bloodline concentration requirement not met]

[3. Incompatible spiritual roots found]

[4. Incompatible body constitution found]

[5. Incompatible race found]

[6. Compatible soul type found]

[7. Catalysts 1 through 6 not found]

[8. Cultivation requirements not met]

[Process Aborted]

[Privilege level not met for alternative options]

[Cultivation level not met for alternative options]

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Han De was speechless. He inferred that due to his bloodline not showing any awakening requirements, he could just awaken in when he needed it. How could he know that it was such an involved process?! The bloodline was applied in an instant! Why does it have so many strict requirements?!

He looked at the tentacles that were clearly fawning over him. Han De immediately got a bad feeling. If this thing had accepted him as its ruler, then what would happen next? He realized he needed to think something fast before this thing decides to take him home.

Long Xiu and Ming Emperor fought for nearly 30 minutes. Long Xiu looked completely fine, even her clothes were spotless. Ming Emperor however, was in his last steps. He attempted to increase the size of the Breach and distract Long Xiu, but that was a futile effort. Perhaps her confidence in her subordinates was simply that high. Or perhaps she didn't care about her son at all. Either way, she didn't show any emotions toward his attempts.

Finally, Long Xiu caught him by the throat. Her face looked absolutely expressionless. It was as if she wasn't the one to fight him for the past half an hour.

Han De looked at the fawning tentacles in silent disgust. The only thing that came to his mind, was to bullshit his way through. He really didn't want to end up as a concubine to this… thing…

'If they are supposed to accept my rule, then I need to act like a ruler. I can't show any weaknesses. How would a ruler act anyway? It should be close to an arrogant young master I guess? I got plenty of experience in that regard…'

Han De ignored his slowly healing wound. He fixed his posture and looked straight at the flagship crash site. A few thousand survivors seemed to have managed to restore half of a formation somehow and were using it for their last stance. Transcendent experts had stopped fighting each other and were trying to hold back the netherworld behemoths. Each of the behemoths was the size of a 2 story building.

"Enough."

While ignoring the tentacles, Han De slowly steered his sword toward the battle. Tentacles shivered and all netherworlds demons stopped attacking. Cultivators had previously taken advantage of this behavior and cut them down, but now they could only step back to take a moment's rest.

The eyes, or the things that served as sensory organs turned towards Han De. He was far away, his chest was bleeding, and it spurted out some blood whenever he talked.

"You exist because I allow it, and you will end when I demand it."

The demons started retreating. Han De thought the tentacles were now more respectful somehow. Unfortunately, he also realized the number of them was rapidly increasing. He was afraid he would break his character if he tried to confirm, so he could only ignore it.

The eyes of the Xin Meili, the matriarch of the Xin family shook when she looked at the distant figure. Xin Qiang, her personal disciple told her this man was Han De, the heir of the Starfall Mountain. Xin Meili had no idea what was happening, she only felt a strong sense of fear. She couldn't detect the cultivation of the monster behind Han De. It was as if the tentacles were there, but not there at the same time.

The sect masters of the alliance also felt the same thing. Pure fear, terror, and dread. The demons they were fighting just a second ago retreated at the same time. Some of them even seemed happy! These sect masters were all based on the south-eastern side of the continent, it was impossible for them not to recognize Han De.

Everyone watched as Han De slowly flew towards the remains of the crashed spiritual boat. Han De himself was unsure of what to do. He had a really bad feeling about the tentacle monster thing behind him. His only hope at this point was his mother, perhaps she might have a way of dealing with it, but it was doubtful whether he would survive the process.

'Actually, my mother coming here might be the worst thing that might happen. At least things are under control for the time being. I just need to bullsh-'

A rapidly approaching mass of spiritual energy interrupted Han De's thoughts. Before he could even start swearing inside, his mother arrived.

"Little De, what is going on? What is… doing here?"

His mother's face was full of worry. Han De was sure she almost said the name of this thing. He didn't even know if he wanted to learn the species of it. Getting rid of it was his highest priority.

"Just a little helper…"

Tentacles convulsed with respect after Han De's statement.

'Wait, was that respect? How am I so sure it was respect?!'

"I-I see. Why don't you come here then? I've missed you so much!...'

Long Xiu started approaching Han De, slowly. As she was getting closer the tentacles and the demons got tense.

"Enough, she is my mother. Disrespecting her is disrespecting me!"

Tentacles bowed with respect and begged for his forgiveness. Han De nodded dismissively, tentacles immediately turned joyful.

'F#$%! I need to get away from this thing, quickly!'

He didn't even dare to send a voice transmission. Things could turn very ugly very quickly. Now that they were already jubilant, Han De tried to make his ultimate move. Flattery.

"This limited plane isn't well suited for you, but you have done satisfactorily regardless. One day, I will allow you to take your rightful place, but before that day comes, I am giving you an important mission. Watch! Watch over this pitiful plane. Once your day comes, I will allow you to surpass the cycle. Now. Go. And carry out my will."

Tentacles froze. Han De didn't know if his gamble was going to work, but this was his best shot. As seconds passed by, he felt unsure. Nearly a half a minute later, he was starting to regret it. After a minute, if he wasn't a body cultivator, he would've started sweating profusely. But on the outside, he looked just fine.

Long Xiu was completely frozen. She had no idea what her son was talking about. She wanted to take him away but even leaking a tiny amount of power was risky. How old was that thing? Where did it come from? Why did it come here? It shouldn't even be able to exist at this side? How?!

Tentacles finally convulsed, once. Han De understood it. He just nodded. Tentacles left with great speed and demons returned to the other side and the Breach started closing. However, Han De couldn't relax.

'What the F#$% do you mean by stopping the false ruler that is coming?! F#$%!!! Be more descriptive!!'

Of course, Han De couldn't ask what this 'false ruler' really was. It would just break his facade. He needed to communicate less and let people… or entities… come to their own conclusions. This was a double-edged sword, but there was no alternative.

Long Xiu woke up from her stupor and flew directly to Han De.

"My little De! Who dared to hurt you?! I will make sure the- No! Later!"

Long Xiu ripped a high realm talisman to heal her son. She didn't have any healing techniques, but one good thing about the Han family was their healing talismans. The light element really shined when it came to healing.

"Alright, now, tell me, who did thi-"

Long Xiu looked at the still bleeding wound in confusion. Was it a poison? Was it a curse?! Unacceptable!! She checked out the wound with her spiritual sense but couldn't find anything wrong with it. Perhaps it was…

Han De saw his mother's face go through a variety of emotions. Before she could jump to some insane conclusion, he told her the truth about his body constitution. His mother looked at him with undisguised bafflement. Han De could only weakly smile. He took out another high-quality healing pill and swallowed it. This time, he could meditate and guide the medicine.

Under Long Xiu's weird gaze, the wound closed up with great speed. This was something inconceivable. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. While she was considering the implications, she detected some movement with her spiritual sense. This area came under her spiritual sense the moment she arrived. She only gave one look at the alliance leaders and those that tried to escape stopped at once.

Surviving Han family experts started sealing the survivors of the alliance. Long Xiu spotted Xin Meili and Xin Qiang. They were both heavily wounded. Long Xiu nodded. They were mother and daughter. She sent a voice transmission to both.

Han De opened his eyes. The healing process only took 10 seconds. The wound was completely healed. If it wasn't for the entry and exit holes on his clothes, it would be impossible to tell he was wounded in the first place. This pill was truly a miracle pill. He was reminded of his earlier bullshit about the human body. At the time that was just a convenient excuse, but perhaps these pills truly worked that way.

Yao Qing and Jin Shu woke up. They were trapped in some kind of trance, but they were finally able to slip away from that state. They greeted their master, only to see a hole in his clothes.

Unfortunately, Ning Bi was still unconscious. Han De had no idea what happened to her after the ship crashed. He could only keep her close and run away. Frankly, it was a miracle that she didn't die from the sneak attack. All 24 life-saving items on his body were disintegrated with a single strike. If that thing had even grazed her, she probably would've died on the spot, even with life-saving items!

Long Xiu was completely baffled as the last of the Breach closed from the other side. She looked at her son, hoping for an explanation.

Han De gave her an explanation but omitted the bloodline stuff on purpose.

Mother, is the Breach really closed now?

Yes… It can still be opened from this side, but… No. Maybe… No. It can't be opened from the other side. No, it can't.

Han De dubiously looked at his mother. He nodded and immediately used a removal token.

[Bloodline Removal Process Invoked]

[Gathering statistics]

[Calibrating...]

[Process failed]

[Privilege level insufficient]

'... What?! What do you mean insufficient?! F#$%!! Didn't you remove the bloodline on Jin Shu?!'

For the first time in a while, Han De was truly angry at the System. Removal of this bloodline was imperative to his continued survival! If that thing one day realizes it was duped and comes back for revenge, finding him through the bloodline was super easy! That's how these things worked in Xianxia! A bloodline is both a blessing and a curse. If the curse part turned unmanageable, it was better to remove the thing altogether!

Han De took a deep breath. There was no way of doing it now, but that was only the case for right now.

'Temporary, yes. This is temporary. I just need to dupe some stupid MCs and increase my privilege. That's how it works right? I just need to fill up the quota. I won't end up as a concubine to a tentacle monster. Nope, there is no chance for that. Absolutely no chance…'

Han De's face darkened. Nope, that wasn't a flag at all.

Old Peng approached Han De and gave a report after a respectful bow.

Young Master! Of the 1987 experts that came with us, 1279 remains. Losses were mainly on the lower realm sides.

From the look of the battlefield, Han De thought these numbers shouldn't be that surprising, but he was still shocked theless.

Weren't our people carrying life-saving items?

Y-Yes, most of the survivors are alive because of them, y-young master...

Han De didn't expect a loss of life this great. Once again, he was made aware that this was a Xianxia world. 2 people died for every 5 he brought.

Cultivation of the 34 survivors are crippled. 5 of them have destroyed their roots during the fight, s-senior Treebeard is included. Meridians of the 29 were completely destroyed.

This hurt Han De more than he thought it would. Treebeard was his highest cultivation lackey, but also he was the one most trustworthy. Even more so than the fighting maniac Old Peng.

'Perhaps I can use a Spiritual Roots Healing Token on him? I never tried activating tokens on another person. Would it even work on non-disciples?'

Han De gestured to Old Peng to indicate he wanted to visit the survivors. He and his disciples followed Old Peng. Lackeys' faces were solemn. They went through a lot and lost a lot of colleagues. Han De thought at least they were all in one piece. While he was worried about the chances of tokens working on outsiders, he was completely oblivious to the lackey's thoughts upon seeing him.

Treebeard was sitting in the lotus position. His cultivation was ruined, so it was just meditation for peace of mind. When he opened his eyes and saw Han De, he immediately stood up and bowed.

"Young Master. It is good to see that you are well. I apologize, my useless self was unable to follow you and protect you. And in the process I even became invalid. My onl-"

"Enough."

Han De disrupted Treebeard before he demanded something stupid. Cultivation was everything for these people, and losing it was worse than death. Treebeard's spiritual roots were destroyed completely. Han De could sense that its destruction was complete. He tried to activate a random bloodline token just to see if it was possible to use a token on an outsider.

[Tokens can only be activated on the host's disciples, or on the host itself]

Han De sighed.

'I figured as much…'

'The roots are destroyed, but the spiritual energy is still there. He just can't add or hold on to any more spiritual energy. It will slowly dissipate and can never be replaced.'

Han De glanced at Yao Qing. This girl had mentioned many times that she had regrown her roots.

Yao Qing felt the gaze of her master, and she understood his intentions.

The blood sacrifice chamber under the Brass Stallion city could be used for defying the heavens. However, the price is high. It needs the blood and soul of twenty Transcendent experts to satisfy the chambers. Regrowing my roots was only a side effect. I was at the right place at the right time. I am not sure of the true purpose of those chambers. They were destroyed by the Heavenly Tribulation, along with the city.

Han De thought about it. Twenty Transcendent experts. Fortunately, his mother had a lot of those at the moment. Han De wasn't going to care about the lives of the enemies that hurt his people. Not to mention the fact that the killer of the cultivation idiot was also among them, and he was giving orders. There was no need for mercy.

Convincing the Brass Stallion city however, was a different affair. Those chambers seemed pretty important to Tan Renshu, the patriarch of the Tan family. Plus, its real purpose was also a mystery. But Han De felt he had to try. These people gave up their lives and their futures because of him. A city or some chambers could always be rebuilt. It was just money in the end. Besides, he had Yao Qing with her OP anti heavenly tribulation bloodline. Perhaps the damage wouldn't be as great as before.

[Name: Treebeard]

[Race: Human (100%)]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: 1171]

[Cultivation: - ]

[Constitution: None]

[Bloodline: None]

[Roots: Wood (Destroyed - 34%) - Earth (Destroyed - 31%) - Metal (Destroyed - 33%)]

[Potential Points (Total: 28)]

--

[Will: 8]

[Talent: 5]

[Comprehension: 8]

[Luck: 7]

[Cultivation Methods]

--

[Still Mind Scripture (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Advanced (41/48)]

[Stage: - ]

[Martial Arts Methods]

--

[Serene Debate (Mortal)]

[Power: Extremely Weak]

[Mastery: Advanced (38/46)]

[Expand to view more...]

[Fate]

[Virtuous Sage]

[Notes]

[Good Potential. Would be an exemplary elder of a sect.]

When Han De saw that Treebeard reached the late-stage Immortal Realm at the age of 1171, he knew his talent was pretty good. Normal people would require 2000 at least. Of course, even the normal of Immortal Realm was once a genius among geniuses during the Qi Condensation realm.

Although he was nurtured by the Han family from the ground up, the talent factor should still be there. Han De was truly baffled to see a talent score of 5. Was this caused by his roots being destroyed? Han De doubted that.

When parasitic bloodline was reducing Jin Shu's potential, there was a separate indicator by the System that showed her true stats. In the cockroach's notes section, there was a mention of talent attribute increase upon gaining high-quality roots. There was no such thing in Treebeard's status.

'Just with a talent value of 5, you become a monster of this level? With just 5?!'

While he was deeply thinking about the true value of Potential Points, he realized something.

'If I accept him, then restore his spiritual roots, will I get an Immortal Realm disciple?!?!'

While Han De was thinking about the possibilities with a stupid smile, he spotted a trembling figure with the corner of his eye. This was the immortal chef his mother brought him. She was walking towards him with great difficulty.

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The immortal chef stopped far away from Han De and kowtowed.

'You don't really need to be that respectful, really, I don't really care about manners…'

"M-Master, I-I have f-f-failed to prepare…"

Han De took a deep breath. The flagship that she was on crashed and burned, netherworld demons poured from the cracks and started killing everyone, a tentacle monster appeared from god knows where, and yet, this woman was trembling only because she didn't want to disappoint him.

'Shouldn't she be more concerned about her own well being? Did my mother really go that far? Is she brainwashed?!'

"You don't need to apologize. You should take care of your well being first!"

The woman started trembling even more. Han De recognized this was… Joy? Excitement?...

'...'

In front of his eyes, the woman's emotions kept changing. She was enthusiastic to serve him. Her passion for cooking was rekindled. She was thrilled to be able to serve a master like him. She didn't feel she deserved the incredible treatment she received so far, and she vowed to serve with her whole being.

Han De blinked a few times and observed her once more. She was still kowtowing and trembling, yet Han De was able to understand a certain intent from that alone.

"You may leave, remember, take care of yourself."

He wanted to get rid of her as soon as possible, so he just threw some casual words. The woman stood up immediately. She was determined to do whatever it takes to follow his orders.

'Where is this weird thing coming from?! When did I start being so good at reading body language?'

Looking at the lackeys around, Han De couldn't sense anything extraordinary like when he looked at the immortal chef, or the tentacles from before. According to Yao Qing, this woman should be half netherworld demon, and a low-level one at that.

'Oh, she is definitely not some low-level demon hybrid. Her vibe is definitely similar to the tentacle monster. Is she some sort of higher being that was taking an incognito walk?'

It was definitely possible. In Xianxia, it was better to give face to any odd creatures you encountered. Even a dog might end up being a peerless god. Needless pestering could lead to death by paw.

Han De broke into a cold sweat. Even his body cultivation couldn't prevent this physical response from his body. Just a few minutes ago, he had tried to remove his bloodline and failed due to System bullshit. What would've happened if he succeeded? Would this 'immortal chef' go berserk?

'No, no, no. I don't know if she really is a higher being in hiding. The only evidence I have is her shared 'language' with the tentacle monster and her extreme enthusiasm, just like the tentacle monster...'

'...'

'... Ok that is a pretty good indicator I have to admit…'

Han De facepalmed and made a mental note to make some experimentations with beings evolved from spiritual animals as soon as possible. The effect of this bloodline was something he couldn't ignore. The sooner he understood it the better. His life, his chastity, and his everything else depended on it.

After taking a deep breath, Han De considered his options. The quest with Ning Bi was still ongoing. It still showed 25 days remaining. Things weren't over yet. He nearly made a divination out of habit, but stopped himself at the last second. His mother was nearby, and was actively monitoring the entire area. If she felt the effects of the divination, it would be extremely hard to calm her down, if not impossible.

'Let's focus on the matter in front of me first. Right, Treebeard. I didn't expect him to be an MC material. I should still have 4 slots for 28 points...'

[Disciples Panel]

[Core Disciples: 1/1]

[Requirements: 32 Points Minimum]

--

[Ning Bi (35)]

[Inner Disciples: 2/2]

[Requirements: 30 Points Minimum]

--

[Yao Qing (30)]

[Jin Shu (30)]

[Outer Disciples: 0/4]

[Requirements: 28 Points Minimum]

--

-

'Treebeard is actually perfect, his talent is low… Compared to Ning Bi at least… His comprehension is on the high side but that is OK. He is my lackey originally, so he is unlikely to leave for higher realms once he gets higher cultivation. If I can make him my disciple, my quote problems would be solved for good.'

'His age might be a problem, he probably wouldn't want to become a disciple of a Core Formation cultivator, young master or not. But thankfully I don't need him to be sincere. Just the ceremony alone should be enough.'

Although his disciples did truly become his disciples in the end, Han De was sure that wasn't the case from the beginning. At the very least, Yao Qing should've joined with dubious intentions at the beginning, and stayed for her awe toward the System provided benefits.

'If I can dupe 3 idiot MCs I can get one more privilege level. The next privilege level requires an offline update according to the System, it should have some good stuff at least…'

Han De was looking forward to an increase in his disciple capacity. The first update allowed him to get disciples as low as 28 points. Another level might introduce a level with further reduced requirements.

'If I could complete Ning Bi's quest, I wouldn't need an MC farm, but if the first 2 days are like this, it'll probably fail somewhere down the line.'

Han De looked at the still unconscious girl at his side. Her vitals were good and she wasn't injured. She was just in a deep sleep. At first, Han De didn't want to force a high-grade awakening pill on her because he wanted her to wake up on her own. Usually, MCs would gain some sort of power-up in situations like these. But thinking about it, he decided not to risk anything.

"M-Master…?"

Han De immediately checked her with his spiritual sense and asked her if there were any weird effects of the Breach skill. Thankfully, it seemed as if the music she heard from before had disappeared. There were still many lights all around her in the distance, but they seemed to be moving away now. Han De breathed a sigh of relief.

Rest, everything is over for now. Try not to use your skill if you can.

This wasn't the time and the place to do an in-depth check-up, he couldn't only delay it. Han De shifted his focus to the people around him.

The lackeys were still looking at Han De with deep respect. Unfortunately, this display only served to strengthen his guilt. This whole situation was caused by his mother, but the true culprit was actually himself. If he hadn't left Xiao Ping alive that day, of this would've happened. 708 lackeys wouldn't have died, 34 lackeys wouldn't have lost their cultivation. That was just his lackeys, the Han family lost many people too. Just with one half-hearted decision from him, many people died.

'There is no reason to be merciful to my enemies, these people are all F#$%#$ psychos anyway. No more half-measures. No more half-measures…'

While Han De was giving himself a dubious pep-talk, he was reminded of the meat paste's last moments. This guy had a unique amulet, it was highly likely that item was the source of his power. Han De immediately gave the order to search for it to the surviving lackeys.

""YES! YOUNG MASTER!!!""

Han De ignored the overwhelming enthusiasm as much as he could and looked toward the crippled lackeys.

"What you have lost, can be regained. There are many ways to restore one's spiritual roots, or meridians. You are my own, so naturally I will take good care of you. It may take some time, but you will be able to cultivate again! Do not lose faith!"

The eyes of the lackeys' shook. Even Treebeard looked moved. Cultivation was everything to these people, naturally this promise resonated with them greatly. Han De was part glad, part concerned due to their newfound enthusiasm.

Before he left to find his mother, he took the time to talk with them individually. The ones that destroyed their spiritual roots did so voluntarily to take out their enemies. But the ones with destroyed meridians were actually victims of the enemy. Han De made a mental note to follow up on this later and looked at their potentials.

'...'

'Mom is really consistent. Pretty much everyone is near at 20s. 19, 18, 18, 17, 18, 19. It feels like there is a dividing line at 20. Treebeard is the only outlier.'

[Age: 1244]

[Roots: Water (Destroyed - 29%)]

[Potential Points (Total: 18)]

--

[Will: 4]

[Talent: 3]

[Comprehension: 6]

[Luck: 5]

[Fate]

[Cannon Fodder]

[Notes]

[Cannot be accepted as a disciple.]

'This guy was at the late-stage Unity Realm and probably needed another hundred years to breakthrough. He is older than Treebeard but still a full realm behind him.'

Han De nodded to himself, talent score probably had the most effect on the speed of cultivation, but other points probably had a tremendous influence on the person as well.

He didn't say any more encouraging words, just nodded and left with his disciples. His mother was near the mass of the Transcendent realm waiting area. While flying he was concerned about the lack of reinforcements from the sect. His lackeys had sent a distress signal nearly an hour ago. The battle was short, sure, but they should've arrived after all this time.

Han De and his disciples landed near his mother, who was getting briefed by the Han family Transcendent expert. She gestured to Han De to come over with a gentle smile.

"Final count is 17 sects. Grand Array should hold for 5 weeks."

"Good. Leave."

The Transcendent expert bowed and hurried back to somewhere.

"Little De, how are you feeling? Did your wound heal completely? Are there any after-effects?"

Long Xiu hugged and then looked at her son from head to toe.

"I'm fine, mom. Are they attacking the sect?"

"Some minor matter…"

Long Xiu just waved her hand at the question. His mother never had much respect for the Starfall Mountain. The sect was always something she tolerated, rather than something she supported.

"So, are we going to become their reinforcements?"

"Hahahaha. No. We have more important work to do. These sects need to be taught a lesson..."

The wide smile of his mother sent a shiver down Han De's spine. Experiences of that half-hour battle were enough to last him a lifetime!

"Alright, have fun. Save me 20 of these Transcendent experts, I need them to restore the cultivation of my people. Also, don't touch Brass Stallion city. I need the chambers beneath it. Good luck! Mother!"

Long Xiu stopped Han De and his disciples while still smiling.

"Where do you think you are going? You were just wounded! I can't let you go on your own, what if someone tries to harm you further? Don't worry! This won't take long, I'll just level their cities and take the important ones to the Han family secret realm. Then we just need…"

Han De's face dropped, participating in his mother's 'happy cleansing and torture trip' was the last thing he needed.

Mother, you do realize I nearly died, don't you?

Words became stuck in Long Xiu's throat. She shifted her eyes, but Han De continued.

Just the shockwaves of the battle was enough to kill me if it wasn't for the ship:

Ehm. I knew the formations you've ordered would hold, it wasn't such a-

The flagship already crashed and burned, and if it wasn't for the tentacle thing's protection, your shockwaves would've already killed me. I'm not even going to talk about the 708 people that I lost.

Long Xiu's face turned ashen and her head dropped. Han De had no idea what was going through her head right now. She was a devoted mother, but she was also someone that could slaughter cities without even a blink.

Mom, I know you care about me, but that was incredibly… dangerous… for anyone else but you.

Han De restrained himself from using stronger language. Barely. She didn't answer, but Han De saw she was clenching her fists.

Han De sighed. He couldn't put too much pressure on her now, otherwise he might end up getting dragged into one of her adventures later.

Alright, as long as you know, that is enough...

He didn't care about an apology, he just wanted to make sure that something like this wouldn't happen ever again. Since she was seemingly at her limit, Han De decided to change the subjects.

"What was that thing anyway?"

Long Xiu opened and closed her mouth a few times, she looked around and tried to find the appropriate words for a while. Han De patiently waited. His mother seemed to be aware of the eldritch horror thing to some extent. Not only that, but she seemed to be wary of it.

"It's not good to talk about higher void entities behind their back."

Han De wanted to inform his disciples as well as himself. This was also a good distraction to prevent his mother's overprotective instincts going into overdrive.

"That tentacle thing was a void entity? It wasn't from the netherworld?"

Yao Qing's mouth was dropped at the mention of higher void entities, but hearing 'tentacle thing' nearly short-circuited her brain. After the ship crashed she was mostly unconscious, and the most she remembered was the shrieks of netherworld demons.

The term 'higher void entity' was very specific. It wasn't something that could be used for classification. Yao Qing would've been impressed with Long Xiu's knowledge, if it wasn't for her master's mention of tentacles. After the initial shock, she refused the possibility. The fact that this planet still remained proved that they weren't really talking about a higher void entity.

"N-No. Of course not. Let's not talk about it anymore."

This impressive reluctance from his mother caused Han De's desire to get rid of the bloodline to increase. Unfortunately, there was a chance that his immortal chef was also a higher entity.

The bloodline had saved his skin once, and that was enough. The more Han De thought about the tentacle monster the more anxious he became. He didn't know anything about void entities, but he knew enough about netherworld demons to know that nothing good would come from making deals with them.

'Well, there is nothing I can do about it right now. Once I get away from my mother I should carefully test its effects on my fellow lower beings. Hopefully, the chef was just a low-level hybrid just like Yao Qing said.'

"L-Let's check out the prisoners! Their commander was caught trying to run away, he was only an Ancient Realm expert! Can you believe it?! I am tempted to increase his cultivation to Transcendent Realm just so he could live longer!"

Long Xiu moved everyone next to prisoners with her power of space. Han De's face twitched at her liberal use of teleportation just after a Breach, but he ignored it. He was in a dilemma, the commander was definitely the person that killed the cultivation idiot. Seeing him could lead to unforeseen consequences. Unfortunately, he couldn't do a divination while his mother was near!

'Hmmm?'

Seeing the fierce look of his mother, Han De thought there was something wrong. The guy she was staring at was clearly someone else. He was pretty sure that he would never be able to forget the face and the voice of that guy that killed the cultivation idiot.

Han De looked around and saw a bunch of sect masters all sealed up and waiting for their inevitable fate.

'Wow, even these mighty Transcendent masters look… scared?'

The guy with the beady eyes and a receding hairline, he even still had that plum-colored horsetail whisk with him. The Plum Seed sect master. For some reason, he was looking at Han De with terror. It wasn't his mother that was causing that, it was himself. With that revelation, Han De took in the view once again and noticed that these Transcendent masters were indeed afraid of him, more so than his mother.

'Right, they saw me with the tentacles. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing, but these guys will never see the light of day ever again anyway.'

Han De ignored that awful feeling about the eldritch horror. He still had the bloodline, as long as he didn't make contact with it would be fine. Surely. There was no need to fear, there wasn't any need to worry about the panicky promise he had made too. That was a problem for future Han De, let that guy handle it! Let's move on!

"Mother, that isn't the commander. He is probably covering for the real guy."

Long Xiu frowned and looked at the Han family Transcendent experts nearby.

"They were fighting, so it isn't their fault. If an Ancient Realm guy really dares to enter a Transcendent Realm fight, then he probably has some insurance to get away."

With a dark face, Long Xiu pointed to the same Transcendent expert to start a search.

"Actually, make that 30 Transcendent experts. This guy might expect someone to be on his tail, better be safe than sorry."

The Transcendent expert looked at Long Xiu, this decision was better left for the Han family head. Long Xiu blinked for a while, but nodded. There was no need to reject the request even if it was excessive. Then, with a bright smile, she turned towards her son.

"Let's pay these sects a visit and teach them their place!"

"No! If you want to do that fine, but I'll go back to the family estate. There was no need for me to join a conference anyway. Say hi to dad and grandfather too!"

Han De was still sane enough to recognize the risks of traveling with his mother. Before leaving the sect he thought the quest would be safer if they traveled together, but now he just wanted to bunker up for the rest of the 25 days, away, far far away from his mother and her crazy temper.

"Now now, little De. How can I leave you by yourself? You were already injured! Besides, you are needed at the conference, you can't be absent. So be good and stay with me while I handle some matters..."

"Mother, if another Breach appears, what do you think is going to happen?"

Long Xiu's smile froze and her eyes started darting around. She tried to fix her hair, but her hair was already neatly arranged behind her back. This gesture felt familiar to Han De, he had a few memories of her doing the same thing many years ago. The mere mention of the eldritch horror was enough to resurface her nervous tic. Han De coughed and tried to distract her and himself.

"Ehm. Why would I be needed at the conference? What is it about?"

His mother took the bait without complaints.

"You are my son! Of course you are needed! There will be special guests attending it. The conference the Starfall Mountain had a few months back was just local powers. This is different. It will be the last conference the Han family will attend."

'This isn't answering my question at all. You are only saying it is super-duper important without mentioning why…'

From the way she acted, Han De realized there were some plans that were set in motion, and his mother would do everything she could to achieve her goal. The best way to approach a situation like this was to face it head-on with a firm refusal in the end. He couldn't run, so he could only reject it. Giving consideration to whatever she was concocting didn't even occur to him. His default policy was to auto-reject everything.

"If that is the case and I am needed, let's go. No need to be bothered with some local sects."

Long Xiu looked at her son from head to toe with a kind smile, then hugged him.

"You are so very young... Caring about strangers is normal at your age. It will pass in time. But I understand, you don't want to cross imaginary lines or don't want to bother with what others think. That is such a little De thing to do!"

Han De couldn't move a muscle as his mother pinched his nose while talking.

"Tell you what, why don't I give you some escort and you slowly make your way up to the northern continent. When you reach the endless shores you can wait for me! How does that sound?"

Han De thought he was looking at an alien for a second. The cultivation idiot never bothered thinking about crossing imaginary lines, he was just too obsessed with cultivation to come across those lines! He couldn't understand how his mother could misinterpret that idiot's character to this degree.

"Sure..."

"Good! Take little Bai with you. The rest will follow you from a distance as usual!"

Long Xiu hugged, released, then hugged Han De again.

Wait, Bai was the one that gave me the Prayer Beads. His involv-

It's fine. Your cousin is innocent. He was sent to that lower world by me and had guards with him. Of course they couldn't go after him. You can trust him!

After half a minute she finally released him for good and waved her hand while sending him away through the power of space.

Oh, that… the thing about… you know… Don't ever tell anyone anything. Especially never talk about it to your father or grandfather. Keep it a secret.

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Han De wanted to ask about Ning Bi's issues, but on second thought, he decided not to say anything for now. It was possible that his mother already knew about it but refused to say anything. And in case she didn't, it was best not to associate Ning Bi with the Breaches at this time. His mother's reactions to the eldritch horror were too suspicious.

After a sigh, he looked at his disciples. It was too dangerous to drag them along a journey like this. In fact, it was too dangerous for himself too!

'If I was a nobody, I could've started working on a rice farm by now. I might've even married someone. The most dangerous thing I would have to look out for would've been insects.'

'Right, since I have Transcendent guards under my command, better utilize them while I wait for the meat paste's amulet.'

"How many of you are there?"

Not even a second later, he received a voice transmission.

241 Transcendent Experts, all ready to follow your orders young master.

'...'

'That's pretty much all the Transcendent experts on the spiritual boat. Aah, shit…'

There was a distinct possibility of his mother going berserk after sending this many experts away. Han De didn't want to think about it.

Traveling with this many Transcendent experts was also a risk. In Earth's terms, this was like traveling around with 200 armed nuclear warheads.

' "Hey, yes, I know there are hundreds of armed nuclear warheads behind me, ready to go off at a moment's notice, but really, those are just for my protection. No, I can't leave them behind, sorry, my mother wouldn't allow it. Nice country, by the way, I really like those gently rolling hills!" '

'Peaceful thoughts… Yes, peaceful thoughts…'

Han De sent one of them to the Brass Stallion city, to ask Tan Renshu about the sacrifice chambers. Using it blindly without knowing its original function was out of the question.

Old Peng, being a loyal lackey, was waiting just inside the hearing distance. He quickly came as if he sensed that his young master needed him.

"Peng, get that Blazing Sun family here."

That almost sneak attack during the battle almost caused him to fail the quest. While he did have 240 something Transcendent experts with him now, it was still possible for her to grab Ning Bi and run away. She didn't have to go that far, just 5 meters was enough for him to fail the quest. It was better to tie this loose end now.

A minute later, Xin Meili and Xin Qiang followed Old Peng and copied the same respectful bow from him. Han De was tired of dealing with this family, so he ignored all courtesy.

"I gave you a warning but you ignored it. Then the second one of you appeared and still looked at my disciple with dubious intent. Once again. Your behavior is clearly suspect. But just to clarify, I ask you. What is it that you want? Think carefully before you answer!"

Both of them fell into deep thought. Han De scrutinized their looks while waiting. It was clear that they were related, but one called the other 'matriarch' during the battle. Of course, due to cultivation, one's appearance wouldn't reflect their age. A man that looked like he was in his mid-30s might be a few hundred years old, but he might be younger than someone else that looked in their 20s while being a few thousand years old.

The existence of cultivation screwed things a lot. There were also special cultivation methods for those that wanted to maintain their youthful looks. Most of them were practiced by female cultivators, but there weren't any gender limitations behind their principle according to the cultivation idiot's analysis.

Even though they physically looked the same age, the one on the left carried herself more maturely.

'I suppose she is the elder sister. The younger one asked for her help, the mature onee-sama obliged. Their comprehension of the Blazing Sun is pretty good, but the one they practice is clearly at the Mortal level. Ning Bi's is at Earth level. I guess I could give them a nerfed version of the scripture and make a deal. As long as they don't ask for Ning Bi, it should be fine.'

The leverage he got this time was pretty big. He was also dealing with the top-level decision-maker. The younger sister also tried to appease him before, so it was obvious that they could be reasoned with. Maybe some miscommunication between them caused the sneak attack? Han De was willing to give them the benefit of doubt for now.

Actually, now that he thought about it, this whole situation was started by the younger sister. If she hadn't revealed the meat paste's stupid revenge storyline he would've been sitting comfortably inside his cabin right now. Instead, he was in the middle of a crash site.

Xin Qiang who was looking at her feet felt Han De's gaze and saw his deep frown. From the side, Ning Bi was slightly frowning as well. Xin Meili, the matriarch of the family interrupted Han De's intense displeasure gaze.

"Elder Han De. Our Xin family practiced the Blazing Sun Scripture for generations. Countless years ago, there was a sect calle-"

Han De interrupted the onee-sama looking woman by slowly shaking his head. Xin Meili continued after a brief pause.

"The legacy of the Void Flame Sect is a matter of utmost impor-"

She was interrupted again. By a shaking head. Han De didn't want to continue this charade, he wanted a fast solution.

"I asked you what you wanted. I didn't ask you to reveal your backstory. Here, I'll make it simple. The Blazing Sun Scripture was found during the last Breach. Starfall Mountain had an incomplete version of it, but now it is complete and slightly improved. Now, do you want it or not?"

Jaws of the two sisters dropped, they subconsciously looked at each other.

Previously Han De didn't want to share the scripture, but it was apparent that this family had obsessive-compulsive tendencies. It was better to throw them a bone before things became irreconcilable. A hidden family owing him a debt of gratitude wasn't a bad thing either. In his time of need, they could provide him with a secret hiding spot.

Besides, not many could practice the Blazing Sun Scripture anyway. Even the complete version required at least 75% roots. Jin Shu only had 63% roots, and that was a common wood element root!

Their matriarch being at the Transcendent level also alleviated some of Han De's worries. Their power was manageable! Of course, there was a possibility that this was some sort of play, but that was an acceptable risk.

"W-We did wish to negotiate for that version of the scripture before, but now we just wish to establish friendly communications with the Starfall Mountain..."

Han De's face didn't betray his thoughts. He looked absolutely composed from outside.

'Are you frickin' serious? Then why did you make all that fuss-... Ah, I guess this is due to mom. Well, I don't blame them.'

He alternated his gaze between the sisters. Although the situation made some sense somehow, he still didn't want to leave anything to chance. Not solving this issue right now might bite him in the ass down the line. He shook his head.

"You got caught in an unrelated battle. Although this was your doing, the other one's cultivation was sealed to demonstrate her good intentions, yet she still got injured during the process."

Han De nodded to the pale-faced younger sister.

"I'll give you the improved Blazing Sun Scripture at a later date. The exchange will be made with Fire, Lighting, or Wood element resources. I will not take advantage of you."

He paused for effect and continued.

"With this, we shall put the previous matters behind us. I hope we will be able to cooperate in the future. I assume there won't be any more of your family members looking for my disciple?"

The onee-sama's baffled look turned confused and bitter. She shook her head.

"Our hidden realm won't be able to send or receive anyone for hundreds of years. Although I am no longer the matriarch, I can still guarantee that no one from the Xin family will have ill intentions toward you, your disciples, or your family and sect!"

'Wait, come again, you are no longer the matriarch? No one can enter or leave your home?'

'...'

'You are vagrants?!'

Suddenly, Han De regretted not listening to her exposition.

'Well, it doesn't matter. Her cultivation should be fairly high if not the highest. Otherwise, how could she have become their matriarch in the first place? Having good relations with their former leader is the next best thing.'

If his mother hadn't cleared them, he wouldn't be able to talk to them right now. He didn't have a reason to doubt the hidden realm entry issue. There were too many Transcendent experts around for her to make up a ridiculous lie like that.

Silence reigned while Han De thought about his mother's intentions. Finally, he just gave up and started looking around.

Young master. Your will?

What are my mother's orders about these two?

...They are to follow all your orders, young master...

'I see, mom already showed them the stick. Me offering the carrot was overall a good thing still. Not surprising but still annoying. Whatever. This way pressure won't build up and they won't have to resort to some desperate attempt to get the scripture and Ning Bi.'

Keep an eye on them when they are near Ning Bi.

By your will, young master.

Han De dismissed the sisters.

He had used his Hidden Expert persona throughout the conversation. Their cultivations were still many times higher than his, showing an Arrogant Young Master act would only needlessly piss them off. He was well aware that the respect he commanded came through his family.

'Hmmm. Unlike the sect masters, these two didn't show any signs of fear even though they saw me talking with the tentacles. Maybe I am overblowing this eldritch horror thing. The sect masters' fear could be easily explained through mother. Maybe she said something because I was hurt? Possible...'

Jumping to conclusions would only serve him well if he quickly followed up with unbiased verifications.

Where is the closest place with a high concentration of beings evolved from spiritual animals?

... If young master means demons that awakened from animals, the nearest would be the White Forest city of the former Ming Empire east of here. It is a gathering city for the spiritual beast hunters employed by the former Ming Empire.

'Oh, I didn't know there was such an isekai like city here…'

We'll leave for the White Forest city once the amulet is found.

By your will, young master.

After 5 days inside the healing formation, Han Wei finally opened his eyes. The recovery effect of a light element healing formation was truly a sight to behold. Most of his injuries were healed completely, and those that remained only gave him slight discomfort at worst.

"Good, this is enough for now."

Han Shan, father of Han Wei nodded with satisfaction. Upon seeing his son's gaze he gently smiled. It was impossible for Han Wei not to feel the disturbance even when healing.

"A clone of mine is near his soul light. Nothing happened. The sect is under siege, but it is manageable. Little Xiu will probably do a clean up before coming to this continent."

Han Wei was baffled.

"The situation is that bad? Netherworld demons are already sieging the sect?!"

Han Shan cleared his throat and fixed his long mustache.

"The Breach was closed. The siege is from the sects you have suspected."

Han Wei kept staring at his father without blinking. Finally, the old man sighed and explained.

"I don't know either. From the size of the initial waves, it was an enormous Breach that should've been impossible to close. Long Xiu is keeping a tight lid on this. We'll have to be patient until she arrives. However, if the current trend continues… We will have to go with little Xiu's plan…"

Han Wei and Han Shan looked at the weak point that was far in the distance. Their cultivations were beyond the limits of this world, sensing minute changes around a weak point was easy for them, even if it was dozens of miles away.

Han Wei narrowed his eyes. A tear in space would naturally heal and close by itself. Then it would become a weak point, and continue that long healing process over thousands of years, depending on the initial size of the tear.

This particular weak point wasn't even a tear, it used to be a mid-sized stable Breach. It was forcefully closed unknown years ago, and its healing process should've been nearly undetectable. Yet Han Wei could sense that the space all around him was slowly, but surely, getting strengthened.

"I can't sense anything beyond, what happened? Weren't the demons restless?"

Han Shan explained with a flat voice, but he kept fixing his mustache.

"An hour ago they suddenly went into a frenzy but recovered a few minutes later. If it went on, they would've reopened the Breach after a few hours. Luckily, they turned meek and now all of them are keeping their distance…"

Han Wei facepalmed, and stayed silent for a while.

"Maybe we can use some of the points Han De got from the Ming Emperor. There is no need to involve the Long family…"

Han Shan cleared his throat.

"That won't be possible. The disturbance was caused by little Xiu's and Ming brat's fight, apparently. I am afraid Han De will have to take this one for the family..."

Han Shan gave an uncertain smile.

Han De was staring at the Old Peng with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean you can't find the amulet anywhere? I saw that idiot turn into a meat paste, the amulet should be around, even if the spatial disturbances sent it away, the distance shouldn't be too far."

"Young master, we have made 4 sweeps in the last few hours, we have also recruited some of the Transcendent experts. Their opinion is that either someone took the amulet away, or it slipped into the cracks and fell into the netherworld…"

Han De started into the horizon. This Xiao whatever's luck was truly out of this world.

'This amulet restored his cultivation before, odds are it probably has the ability to store his soul. It might even construct some sort of body for him.'

After a sigh, Han De was full of regret. He really didn't want to hear that lunatic's shouts ever again.

'Maybe it won't be so bad this time, maybe he just died, and the amulet is harmlessly sitting inside the netherworld. No human will ever touch it ever again. The end.'

Han De dismissed Old Peng. Some of the Transcendent experts were nearly done with engraving the formations on the Ming Empire spiritual boat commandeered from a nearby city. With the remaining formations in his storage ring, he could still convert another mid-sized spiritual boat into a standard bunker design.

The spectacular crash of the flagship was a predicted, but still a highly unexpected scenario.

'Maybe I should carry a few disassembled spiritual boats. At the very least I should also quintuple the number of formations that I carry. The original amount was fine, but if I want to bunker up then it obviously isn't enough.'

Han De looked around, he was ready to go but realized he hadn't heard from the guy he sent to Brass Stallion city. He asked the Han family experts.

... There seems to be a problem with the catacomb's origin and purpose. The Brass Stallion claims that they do not know. The Transcendent expert we sent is trying to determine its purpose, but no progress was made so far.

According to the analysis, the catacombs operate on 9-year cycles. There are approximately 2 years before it reaches its highest point.

'2 years? Not a long time for a cultivator, but a long time for a crippled cultivator.'

Han De was surprised at his own willingness to sacrifice 20 people. 2 year wait time was a bigger issue than the lives of those Transcendent sect masters. He felt a tiny bit of reluctance, but in his mind this event was already set in stone.

'They killed 708 and crippled 34 of my lackeys, maybe it would be weirder if I felt compassion for them.'

Han De shook his head. He wouldn't sacrifice innocent mortals, but his enemies were different. There was no need to doubt himself on that.

Peng.

Yes, young master.

Everyone except you, Treebeard, and those that are below Unity Realm will circle back to the family estate. Instruct everyone not to get close to the sect until the siege is over. If the family estate is also attacked, everyone will disperse. Tell them to use the appropriate crisis plan for the situation.

...Yes! Young master!

Han De was about to stand up, but Old Peng didn't terminate the voice transmission.

Young master, what should we do about senior Wu Fu?

Who is that?

... Chief advisor of the Sun Empire, he was brought here by miss Xin Qiang… The member of the Blazing Sun hidden family...

'... I see, wasn't that really old looking Core Formation guy at the back?'

What was his true cultivation?

...He is a Core Formation expert, young master.

For a second, Han De's mind blanked out. But Old Peng continued after a brief moment of silence. As a diligent lackey, he understood his young master's thought process.

He failed to advance to the Nascent Soul realm, and he is at the end of his natural lifespan.

'Right… These guys also exist. Everyone I meet is at high cultivation, but most people can't even reach the Core Formation realm if we go by the statistics… Right…'

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