《Fantasy: I Receive Critical Chance For Compensation When I Give Away Fateful Encounters》


 Chapter 1

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    The heavenly domain of Jingzhou was the center of Daoism. Paintings covered the walls of the enormous hallway, illuminated by flickering candlelight. The old man sitting at the head of the table exuded an aura of death, as if it were about to take him.


    He was the present master of the Dao Sect.


    In front of him stood a fresh-faced pair: a man and a woman. Only, the woman was a little younger, around fifteen or sixteen.


    ¡°Lingyun, you¡¯re a talented prodigy. By right, this Foundation Establishment Pill should be yours. But talent doesn¡¯t determine everything. Although your senior, Su¡¯en, is not as talented as you, he has been working hard for the Dao Sect all these years. Ten years ago, I agreed to give him this Foundation Establishment Pill. So, I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t give it to you.¡±


    The old man¡¯s gaze shifted slowly to the girl, who looked disappointed. The Foundation Establishment Pill was a sixth-grade medicinal pill. If she could consume it, she could shorten her cultivation time by at least three or four years! But her master had already made a decision, and there was no point arguing.


    She turned to face the young man in the white robe beside her: slender, fair-skinned, and refined in appearance.


    Her senior, Su¡¯en.


    *Ten years before she had joined the Way of Daoism*:


    ¡°Phew!¡±


    Su¡¯en heaved a sigh of relief.


    Being honest, he¡¯d thought that he hadn¡¯t a single chance of obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    After all, his junior, Ye Lingyun, was far more talented than him. She was practically a prodigy. If she just sharpened her abilities, her aptitude would surpass that of most people. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine that she might reach the highest Immortal Ascension Realm in the future! When his junior had joined the Dao Sect, he had resigned himself to being overshadowed and overlooked from then on.


    Who would have thought that his master would gift him this precious Foundation Establishment Pill? It was amazing! He had made the right call in joining this sect all those years ago.


    However, a pair of eyes was burning into him with resentment. Su¡¯en sighed inwardly.


    It was true. On the basis of aptitude, this Foundation Establishment Pill was Ye Lingyun¡¯s by right. But he, who was merely average, needed it more! Without the pill, it would take him at least decades to break through his current realm. And who had that much time in one lifespan?


    While Su¡¯en was lost in thought, the old man took out a jade vase. Although it was covered, he could still smell the medicinal fragrance wafting from it. A simple breath was all it took for Su¡¯en to feel his realm expand.


    ¡°Take it,¡± the old man told Su¡¯en with a smile. Although his disciple wasn¡¯t naturally gifted, he was hardworking and never complained. He just needed a little push to grant his abilities an extra edge. That way, when he died in the future, there would be people in the Dao Sect who could support him, and he wouldn¡¯t be rendered unable to face his ancestors.


    ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Su¡¯en reached out and took the jade vase. It sent a thrill of excitement through him.


    An emotionless, mechanical voice rang out in his mind.


    [Ding!]


    [The Fortuitous Opportunity Compensation System is online!]


    [Commence binding!]


    [Binding successful!]


    ¡°A¡­ system?¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes widened. He had called out to the system many times after arriving in this world, but had never received a response. After countless failed attempts, he had given up.


    Only for it to finally answer his call now!


    Su¡¯en took in a deep, steadying breath and carefully examined the functions of the system. They were written behind the system rules.


    [If the host passes this opportunity to another, they can receive Critical Compensation!]


    Such a simple, straightforward statement.


    ¡°Pass on this opportunity? In exchange for Critical Compensation?¡±


    Su¡¯en was mildly stunned. This system was rather strange! Surely more opportunities only meant greater benefits? Why was the system asking him to pass it on to someone else? The only redeeming factor was the Critical Compensation. However, he didn¡¯t know what this compensation entailed.


    Suddenly, a caption appeared on the system panel.


    [Host, please give the opportunity to someone else, and receive Critical Compensation!]


    ¡°Pass the opportunity to someone else?¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s gaze flickered around, landing on the jade vase in his hand. This was a priceless Foundation Establishment Pill. In the Heavenly Domain, only a high-level sect could refine it¨Cand he had waited ten years for this!


    ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give it away!¡±


    After a moment of hesitation, Su¡¯en chose to trust the system. He calmed himself and rationalized the situation in his head, then looked at Ye Lingyun. His sudden attention caused Ye Lingyun¡¯s beautiful face to twist in confusion. Why was her senior staring at her?


    While she was absorbed in her own thoughts, Su¡¯en grabbed Ye Lingyun¡¯s hand and placed the vase containing the Foundation Establishment Pill in her palm.


    ¡°Senior, what are you doing?¡± Ye Lingyun asked, puzzled at his intentions.


    So was the old man beside them. ¡°Su¡¯en, what is this about?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Master, I¡¯ve thought about it. I want to give this Foundation Establishment Pill to Junior Lingyun!¡± Su¡¯en gave a violent cough, but his tone was serious when he responded. ¡°Junior Lingyun¡¯s potential is far greater than mine. She can completely absorb the effects of this Foundation Establishment Pill. If I use the pill, I¡¯ll only be able to absorb half of its effects. It¡¯s too much of a waste!¡±


    ¡°Even that half would be invaluable aid to you,¡± the old man urged, frowning.


    ¡°Master, I understand your concerns, but my abilities are too mediocre. They won¡¯t improve much. But Junior Lingyun is different¨Cshe¡¯ll achieve things I¡¯ll only ever be able to dream of! And,¡± Su¡¯en said with a smile, ¡°the Way needs her more than it needs me.¡±


    ¡°Well. If you say so!¡± Seeing that Su¡¯en¡¯s mind was made up, the old man said no more.


    Ye Lingyun looked at the jade vase in her hand, her face filled with surprise and disbelief. She couldn¡¯t believe that anybody would be willing to give up this Foundation Establishment Pill. How was that possible? It was a Foundation Establishment Pill¨Csome sects in the outside world would go to battle over it!


    But now, her senior had chosen to give it up¨Calong with his future¨Cgiving her the pill without hesitation.


    Ye Lingyun was stunned by this unexpected turn of events.


    ¡°Why are you just standing there? Take it!¡± Su¡¯en patted Ye Lingyun on the shoulder.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior.¡± Ye Lingyun blushed, unable to meet his gaze. Not out of bashfulness, but shame. When she hadn¡¯t been the one to receive the Foundation Establishment Pill earlier, she had felt ill at ease, thinking she deserved it more. But now, her senior had taken the initiative to give her the pill. A tinge of guilt pricked at her.


    At that moment, Su¡¯en received a system alert.


    [Ding!]


    [The transfer has succeeded!]


    [Triggered Hundredfold Critical Compensation!]


    [Obtained: Foundation Establishment Pill*100]

 Chapter 2

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    A Hundredfold Critical Compensation!


    A hundred Foundation Establishment Pills!


    Could there really be so many?


    Shock poured through Su¡¯en, followed by elation. A hundred Foundation Establishment Pills! Just one could easily allow him to break through his current realm. With 100 pills, he would be able to go beyond the Crystallization Realm to the Golden Core Realm.


    In the world of cultivation, skill and talent were important, but so were resources. If he had enough of the latter, even with average potential, he could still unlock a high-level realm.


    ¡°System, I owe you big time!¡±


    Su¡¯en was thrilled. From now on, he would have no lack of cultivation resources, and be able to ascend to a higher realm! The future was suddenly looking very bright.


    The old man observed the camaraderie between his disciples in the Dao Sect, pleased. He, too, felt that the future of the sect was promising.


    ¡°From today onwards, I will go into seclusion. If I don¡¯t come out in two years, my lifespan might be exhausted. Su¡¯en, you will be the next master of the Dao Sect.¡±


    After hearing his master¡¯s words, Su¡¯en¡¯s buoyant mood began to sink. His master treated him very well. During his ten years in the Dao Sect, he had given Su¡¯en plenty of cultivation resources and guidance on cultivation techniques. However, there was nothing he could do about his master¡¯s current situation. After all, issues of lifespan depended on the advancement of their civilization, not ordinary medicinal pills. His master¡¯s cultivation level had already reached the upper limit of his potential; it wouldn¡¯t increase no matter how many pills he took.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Such is the way of life. Off I go.¡± The old man smiled and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Su¡¯en and Ye Lingyun answered in unison.


    Su¡¯en turned to leave. He hoped that he would encounter the Immortal Essence Fruit this year, so that he could extend his master¡¯s lifespan. However, the Immortal Essence Fruit was a legendary, precious fruit that could only be chanced upon by luck. Over thousands of years, only a privileged few had encountered it.


    And once it was found, the location of the fruit would turn into a war zone.


    ¡­


    The sect that Su¡¯en belonged to was called the Dao Sect, one of the hundred sects in the Heavenly Domain.


    The Heavenly Domain was the largest paradise in the continent of Jingzhou. It was rich in Qi. A long time ago, when the Heavenly Domain was flourishing, there had indeed been a hundred sects, but as time passed, some sects had either faded into obscurity or were destroyed, while others had chosen to merge.


    Now, there were only about twenty sects in the Heavenly Domain.


    The Dao Sect was one of them, albeit the weakest. If not for its glorious history and its nostalgic value to the higher-level sects, it would have long disappeared.


    After returning to his courtyard, Su¡¯en sat on the bed and took out the Foundation Establishment Pill that the system had compensated him with. A hundred of them were placed in a slightly larger treasure box. Su¡¯en opened the lid and poured one out.


    The pill was crystal-clear, emitting a medicinal fragrance that made one relax. Just one sniff energized Su¡¯en.


    ¡°As expected of a Foundation Establishment Pill. Let¡¯s see how far a hundred Foundation Establishment Pills can be cultivated!¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes gleamed. Martial arts cultivation was divided into ten realms: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Crystallization, Golden Core, Spirit Convocation, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Martial Dao, Immortalization, and Immortal Ascension. Of course, above the Immortal Ascension Realm was an even more advanced level of immortality, but it wasn¡¯t one anyone could reach. For most cultivators, the Foundation Establishment Realm was basically the limit, and Su¡¯en was currently in the late stages of his own realm.


    Foundation Establishment was the True Qi cultivated from the Qi Refinement realm to perfect one¡¯s physique. Only by honing one¡¯s physique could one advance to the next cultivation realm. Some people lacked the groundwork to break beyond the Foundation Establishment Realm, after which came Crystallization. This so-called Crystallization was to open up one¡¯s Energy Core and condense their True Qi into a crystal in their Energy Core, thereby producing more True Qi. Afterwards, their True Qi could be released with destructive power.


    Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment could only cultivate True Qi in the body, not release it. However, Crystallization was different. Crystallized True Qi could be unleashed. Those of high cultivation levels could transform True Qi into battle strength and shatter mountains.


    Therefore, advancing from the Foundation Establishment Realm to the Crystallization Realm could make or break one¡¯s power. Entering the Crystallization stage was one¡¯s first step into the cultivation world.


    After deep consideration, Su¡¯en swallowed the Foundation Establishment Pill in his hand, which contained a considerable amount of medicinal power. The lower one¡¯s realm, the longer they would take to digest the pill. If he took a large number of Foundation Establishment Pills at once, he might explode and die. However, Su¡¯en was currently at the late-stages of his Foundation Establishment Realm and could take three Foundation Establishment Pills at once.


    ¡°BOOM!¡±


    Immediately after the Foundation Establishment Pill entered Su¡¯en¡¯s body, it turned into a powerful wave of spiritual energy that surged through him.


    Su¡¯en felt at home in this spirit field. He savored the sensation for a moment, then began to absorb the medicinal power of the pill. Although his potential was nothing to boast about, and he could only absorb half the medicinal power of a Foundation Establishment Pill, even that half was significant. It wasn¡¯t a Foundation Establishment Pill for nothing.


    Su¡¯en absorbed the pill¡¯s effects in no time. He felt that he had already entered the perfected stage of his Foundation Establishment Realm.


    Next, he chose to swallow three Foundation Establishment Pills at once.


    Shock waves made his limbs vibrate. Gritting his teeth, Su¡¯en mustered his willpower. True Qi kept pouring into his body. Color was beginning to bloom against the gray of his Energy Core, with the influx of True Qi.


    After an hour¡­


    ¡°BOOM!¡±


    An explosion went off inside Su¡¯en.


    After peering inside his body, he realized that his Energy Core had been opened, where True Qi he hadn¡¯t known existed was quietly circulating.


    Looking at the True Qi, Su¡¯en was struck by inspiration.


    With a thought, the True Qi manifested into a sword in his hand, and he casually executed a Daoist sword technique.


    A faint, sharp blade fired from Su¡¯en¡¯s fingertips.


    The Sword Qi shot out and pierced a small hole in the wall not far away.


    ¡°Is this the power of releasing True Qi? Even Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators are no match for this!¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes were grave. The materials used to construct each courtyard of the sect were anything but ordinary. Previously, he, who was in the Foundation Establishment Realm, had brandished his fist at the wall, and managed nothing more than a shallow crack.


    But now, he had used his True Qi to pierce through it.


    One could easily imagine how powerful True Qi was.


    No wonder it was said that hundreds of Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators would be no match for a single crystallized warrior¨Cunless their crystallized True Qi was used up, of course.


    The power gap between them was akin to a yawning chasm!


    Su¡¯en had no doubt as to that; he had personally experienced the power of True Qi.


    The difference was that while the Foundation Establishment Realm involved martial arts battles, things mainly got serious in the Crystallization Realm, which superior refinement allowed one to kill from thousands of miles away!


    Su¡¯en looked at the Foundation Establishment Pill in the box in his hand.


    ¡°Please, keep on cultivating!¡±


    There were still more than ninety Foundation Establishment Pills left, which was definitely enough for him to raise his cultivation to a higher realm!

 Chapter 3

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    In the blink of an eye, two months had passed.


    During those two months, Su¡¯en stayed in his courtyard to advance his cultivation. He did not eat or sleep, and time seemed little more than a vague semblance of a notion. No one came to disturb him during his seclusion, which he was thankful for.


    Su¡¯en sat on his bed in his courtyard. Compared to before his isolation, his hair was much longer now, grazing the mattress of his bed.


    Without warning, he opened his eyes, and from their intense depths radiated bright light. At the same time, a powerful shock wave erupted from his body. The walls around him couldn¡¯t withstand the force of his aura, and a few cracks appeared on their surfaces.


    ¡°Late-stage Crystallization!¡±


    Su¡¯en stood up and exuded an invisible pressure. If his cultivation level increased now, he could be born naturally. If one reached the legendary Immortal Ascension Realm, one could shatter mountains and crack the surface of the earth with a mere look.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the fact that my potential is too weak and that I¡¯ve absorbed too little of the medicinal power, I would have perfected my Crystallization by now!¡±


    Su¡¯en felt a hint of regret. During his seclusion, he had already used up all his Foundation Establishment Pills. However, he had only absorbed 50 pills worth of medicinal power, half of what he should have. The remaining 50 pills had all been wasted! If he were as talented as his junior Ye Lingyun, he would probably already have reached the Core Formation Realm and become a Golden Core cultivator.


    However, Su¡¯en was satisfied with his current prowess in his late-stage Crystallization Realm. After all, it had only taken him two months of cultivation to advance from a late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm to a late-stage Crystallization Realm.It was an improvement by leaps and bounds, one most people wouldn¡¯t be capable of.


    If not for the help of the system, it would have taken him more than ten years to break through to the Crystallization Realm, let alone its late-stages.


    It could be said that for cultivators, resources were more important than aptitude. However, talent allowed one to better absorb said resources.


    Exhaling, Su¡¯en checked his interior. His Energy Core, which had broken through to the late-stage of the Crystallization Realm, was at least 20 times larger than it had been. Copious amounts of True Qi constantly gathered in his Energy Core, like an ocean. Every time he advanced a level in his Crystallization, his Energy Core would expand several times, and the amount of True Qi he could store there would also increase.


    With a thought, Su¡¯en condensed his True Qi into a sword from his fingertips again. Like before, it manifested in the form of a pale golden aura, but this time it was longer. Su¡¯en increased his efforts, and the sword made of True Qi extended by ten feet. The aura it gave off was also sharper.


    ¡°There is indeed a world of difference between one realm and the next!¡±


    Su¡¯en was impressed. The path of cultivation required one to slowly build a sound foundation. Advancing each stage meant a breakthrough in one¡¯s strength.


    Retracting the sword of his True Qi, Su¡¯en faced the mirror and adjusted it slightly. Under the tremendous medicinal power of the Foundation Establishment Pill, his hair grew rapidly. Su¡¯en was a little taken aback. After adjusting his appearance, he looked at his refined features and allowed himself a moment of self-praise, pleased with the results. Although good looks were useless in cultivation, they were nice to gaze upon!


    Suddenly, Su¡¯en heard a sharp knock on the door outside the courtyard.


    ¡°Senior! Bad news! The Mountain Sea Sect is attacking!¡±


    The Mountain Sea Sect? What was happening?


    Su¡¯en frowned. He flew into the courtyard and opened the front door, where a disciple was standing anxiously outside. His eyes lit up when he saw Su¡¯en.


    ¡°Senior, if you don¡¯t come out of seclusion, the Dao Sect will go to battle with the Mountain Sea Sect!¡± The disciple spoke between pants, hysteria etched onto his face.


    Seeing how worked up his disciple was, Su¡¯en patted his shoulder and said, ¡°Calm down and tell me what has happened.¡±


    His senior¡¯s presence managed to calm the disciple, and he recounted what had happened.


    ¡°Yesterday, a disciple of our Dao Sect discovered a Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower at the foot of the mountain. The Mountain Sea Sect happened to pass by. They said that they saw the flower first and demanded that we return it to them. Of course, we refused. But we didn¡¯t expect them to try and take it by force! After that, fighting broke out. We outnumbered them at the time, so we won. But today, they brought along their most senior disciple, Chen Huiran, claiming that they wanted justice!¡±


    ¡°Chen Huiran?¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes glazed over. The Mountain Sea Sect was stronger than the Dao Sect, but not by a huge margin. Both sects were ranked at the bottom of the Heavenly Domain.


    Chen Huiran was the most senior disciple of the Mountain Sea Sect, on par with Su¡¯en.They had clashed briefly a few years ago, but Su¡¯en had entered the sect earlier and was more powerful. He had won¨Cif barely.


    ¡°Senior, he seems to have broken through to the Crystallization Realm.¡± The disciple looked worriedly at Su¡¯en. He knew his senior was still in the Foundation Establishment Realm. If he heard that Chen Huiran had broken through to the Crystallization Realm, his expression would surely change.


    However, Su¡¯en remained calm, as if the news meant nothing. This puzzled the disciple.


    ¡°The Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower is a necessary ingredient to refine a fourth-grade medicinal pill. At the same time, it can also be used as an ingredient to tame magical beasts. It¡¯s not unexpected that Chen Huiran would show up personally,¡± Su¡¯en said with a smile. ¡°But if he¡¯s broken through to the Crystallization Realm, he must have come to take revenge for his defeat all those years ago!¡±


    ¡°So what do we do, Senior?¡± the disciple asked.


    ¡°What choice do we have? If they have the guts to come, then they shouldn¡¯t expect any mercy from me!¡±


    With that, Su¡¯en disappeared and sped away. When one¡¯s cultivation reached the late-stage of the Crystallization Realm, there would be a qualitative change in their strength and speed.


    ¡°Did¡­ did Senior also break through to a higher realm?¡±


    Shock filled the disciple¨Cfollowed by joy.


    ¡­


    In the Daoist Square, the disciples of the two sects stood facing each other.


    Ye Lingyun stood at the head of the Dao Sect. Her senior hadn¡¯t ended his seclusion yet, so it was up to her to step up. Currently, she had already broken through to the late-stages of the Foundation Establishment Realm.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s such a beautiful woman in this pitiful Daoist sect,¡± said Chen Huiran, the most senior disciple of the Mountain Sea Sect. He was a broad-shouldered man, tall, muscles rippling with strength. The moment he saw Ye Lingyun, his self-control whittled away. Although she was not yet eighteen years old, her figure was already that of a woman, with attractive, shapely legs.


    ¡°This old sect is no place for a beauty like you. Why don¡¯t you join us in the Mountain Sea Sect?¡± Chen Huiran declared, grinning.


    His fellow disciples broke out into an uproar of laughter. The faces of the disciples of the Dao Sect were as dark as thunderclouds, but Ye Lingyun only stared back coldly. Although she had not yet broken through to the Crystallization Realm, she still was still a worthy opponent of Chen Huiran.


    ¡°Chen Huiran, it¡¯s been a long time since we last met, but I see the years haven¡¯t improved your character.¡±


    As they faced each other, a voice called out.

 Chapter 4

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°Dammit!¡±


    The smile on Chen Huiran¡¯s face vanished. He didn¡¯t have to look up to know who that cursed voice belonged to.


    Su¡¯en!


    ¡°Where did you get the guts to show your face here?¡±


    Chen Huiran looked in the direction of the voice and saw a young man in a white robe flying over under the sunlight.


    ¡°Senior is still so handsome!¡±


    The eyes of the female Dao Sect disciples were filled with anticipation. The key to Su¡¯en¡¯s status as the most senior disciple of the Dao Sect, besides being the first of them to arrive and his hard work, was his good looks. Although he wasn¡¯t the most handsome man in the world, his appearance was still well above average.


    Ye Lingyun relaxed a little when she saw Su¡¯en appear, but she was still worried. After all, Chen Huiran had already broken through to the Crystallization Realm, whereas her senior, too, was still at the Foundation Establishment Realm.


    ¡°No wonder when I was cultivating today, I suddenly smelled this disgusting stench that caused me to lose my concentration. So it was you, Chen Huiran,¡± Su¡¯en announced, smiling broadly.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Chen Huiran wanted to retort, but then he imagined engaging Su¡¯en in a battle of wits, and promptly gave up.


    ¡°Su¡¯en, I¡¯m sure you understand why we came here today. There¡¯s no need for further words between us.¡± Chen Huiran clasped his hands together. ¡°Our requests are reasonable. Firstly, hand over that Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower. Secondly, you beat up many of our disciples from the Mountain Sea Sect yesterday. The Dao Sect must apologize, and compensate us with medication!¡± He pointed at the injured disciples beside him.


    ¡°Impossible. We picked that Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower first. The Mountain Sea Sect only chanced upon it later!¡± Heated protests rose from the Daoist disciples. ¡°Plus, the Mountain Sea Sect attacked us first yesterday. It¡¯s not our fault we won!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    ¡°Shame on you!¡±


    ¡°How dare you talk back?¡±


    Chen Huiran¡¯s voice resounded through the square, and his Crystallization aura surged out and filled the vicinity. Silence dawned abruptly as everyone was stunned into fear.


    Except for Su¡¯en.


    An early-stage Crystallization aura had no effect on him.


    ¡°What is your choice, Su¡¯en?¡± Chen Huiran looked at Su¡¯en, his eyes full of contempt and mockery. He was deliberately showing off his cultivation level to inspire panic in the other disciple. But what puzzled him was that Su¡¯en was still wearing that obnoxious smile of his.


    What was going on? Why wasn¡¯t Su¡¯en affected by his power? He was clearly only in the Foundation Establishment Realm¨Chow was that possible?


    Chen Huiran wondered if Su¡¯en had also broken through to the Crystallization Realm, but he quickly gave up on the idea. Su¡¯en¡¯s talent was even worse than his. He had only been able to break through because he had encountered a strange treasure on his way out. He didn¡¯t believe that Su¡¯en had encountered it too. He sneered inwardly, certain that Su¡¯en was just putting up a brave front.


    ¡°You can have the Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower, and an apology from us,¡± Su¡¯en said, as the air seemed to thicken.


    The Daoist disciples stared at him, wide-eyed with disbelief. They did not expect the most senior of them to be so cowardly as to choose to submit. If they backed down today, it would mark the end of the Dao Sect in the Heavenly Domain. Ye Lingyun also frowned at Su¡¯en.


    ¡°Look who¡¯s finally eating humble pie,¡± Chen Huiran laughed, gratified. He had never forgotten his defeat at the hands of Su¡¯en back then. Finally, he had gotten his revenge!


    ¡°On a few conditions,¡± Su¡¯en added, pulling Chen Huiran out of his celebration.


    ¡°What conditions?¡± Chen Huiran asked, confused.


    ¡°Get down on your knees, take what we give you, and apologize.¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s smile never wavered.


    As soon as he said this, both the disciples of the Dao Sect and the Mountain Sea Sect widened their eyes. They hadn¡¯t expected Su¡¯en to demand such a humiliating act from his rivals.


    Chen Huiran was stunned. Then his face darkened and he demanded, ¡°Is this a joke?¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you the ones who tried to play the fool with us first?¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s smile vanished, his expression turning cold.


    ¡°BOOM!¡±


    A terrifying aura surged out of Su¡¯en¡¯s body and descended upon the Mountain Sea Sect like a storm.


    ¡°You¡¯re only in the early stages of Crystallization, and you think you can throw your weight around the Dao Sect?¡±


    A sound like thunder filled the square.


    ¡°I-impossible!¡±


    Sensing his aura, Chen Huiran¡¯s face turned pale, and his eyes were filled with disbelief. Late-stage Crystallization! Su¡¯en had broken through to the late-stages of Crystallization. How was that possible? Was he dreaming?


    ¡°You arrived so cockily today, let me send you crawling back out!¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s voice was icy, and he said no more.


    A tidal wave of True Qi emerged from his fingertips and condensed. A massive shadow in the shape of a golden sword shot towards Chen Huiran.


    The Mountain Sea Realm had paid them such a huge insult¨Chow could he show any mercy? He had to teach them a lesson, so they wouldn¡¯t dare trifle with the Dao Sect again.


    Looking at the giant shadow sword, Chen Huiran was left with no room for doubt. Only True Qi in the late-stages of the Crystallization Realm could be of such a size.


    ¡°Mountain Rock Technique!¡±


    The shadow sword closed in on him. Not daring to underestimate his opponent, Chen Huiran hurriedly resorted to the sect¡¯s cultivation technique. He was burly to begin with, but he became as indestructible as a rock after using this technique. If both parties were evenly matched in their respective realms, Su¡¯en would have trouble breaking through his opponent¡¯s defenses. After all, the martial arts prowess of the two sects were similar. However, his Crystallization was currently far more advanced than Chen Huiran¡¯s.


    A crack split the air as the shadow sword made contact with Chen Huiran.


    The rocks shielding Chen Huiran¡¯s body shattered without any resistance.


    Chen Huiran spat out blood as if he had suffered a heavy blow. His thickset body was sent flying and rolled several times on the ground before coming to a halt.


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    The disciples of the Mountain Sea Sect were all shocked. They did not expect their senior to be defeated in one move¨Cand so devastatingly at that!


    ¡°He¡¯s seriously wounded, but he¡¯ll live. Take this as a lesson to remember,¡± Su¡¯en declared coldly.


    The disciples of the Mountain Sea Sect hurriedly picked up Chen Huiran¡¯s body from the ground and left in a sorry state. They were no longer as imposing as when they had first entered.


    ¡°Senior, you¡¯re amazing!¡±


    The disciples of the Dao Sect had been shocked into silence at Chen Huiran¡¯s crushing defeat, and their senses finally returned to them. Their faces were flushed with excitement. They had thought that they would suffer humiliation at the hands of the Mountain Sea Sect. Little had they expected that their senior would give Chen Huiran such a beating that he vomited blood.


    They had truly unleashed their anger today. Next time, the disciples of the Mountain Sea Sect wouldn¡¯t be half as cocky around them!

 Chapter 5

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    Ye Lingyun was stunned; the sudden turn of events had gotten her a little flustered. If she remembered correctly, two months ago, her senior had only been in the late stages of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Could it be that he had been hiding his strength?


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s usual gentle smile returned¨Ca stark contrast to his earlier icy demeanor¨Cand his tone was full of concern.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Ye Lingyun shook herself out of her daze. ¡°Things didn¡¯t come to blows until after you arrived.¡±


    ¡°Good to know.¡± Su¡¯en smiled and nodded.


    ¡°Senior, this is the Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower we found yesterday!¡±


    While they were talking, a female disciple had approached them, holding a magical-looking flower of four different colors. Even though its spiritual properties were currently absent, its scent lingered, leaving a soothing effect.


    As one of the main ingredients for refining fourth-grade or even fifth-grade medicinal pills, the Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower could also be used to feed magical beasts. Apart from increasing one¡¯s closeness to said beasts, the flower could also assist in cultivation. Nobles in the Heavenly Domain would fight to the death for possession of the Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower, let alone in the heavens themselves.


    ¡°Senior, if you hadn¡¯t been around today, we would have lost the flower to them. It¡¯s only right that we give it to you.¡± Blushing, the girl put the flower in Su¡¯en¡¯s hand and dashed off.


    ¡°Huh?¡± For a moment, Su¡¯en was dumbstruck. He hadn¡¯t expected the other disciples to give him such a precious Immortal Spirit Flower. His gaze fell on the flower, his mind racing with the various opportunities it presented.


    Although it had been gifted to him, this was a Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower. Coughing, Su¡¯en walked up to the female disciple and returned the flower to her palm.


    ¡°I appreciate your kindness, but you don¡¯t have to give the flower to me. This Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower is useless to me, except for stabilizing my mind during cultivation. Keep it for yourselves. If you can¡¯t use it, you can go to a more prestigious sect to exchange it for cultivation resources. It¡¯s better to use it on yourselves than on me. Besides, you were the ones who discovered the flower and got into a fight over it. How can I just claim it for myself?¡±


    The disciples appeared touched by Su¡¯en¡¯s speech. Their senior was too kind¨Cwhat had they done to deserve him?


    Ye Lingyun was startled. This flower wasn¡¯t just any ordinary Immortal Spirit Flower; it was four-coloured. Even if Su¡¯en couldn¡¯t use it, simply setting aside and inhaling its fragrance daily would work wonders on one¡¯s body and mind. It would be a great boon to one¡¯s cultivation. However, he had refused their offer outright.


    It reminded her of what had happened two months ago in the Sect Master¡¯s hall, when Su¡¯en had given her the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    ¡°So such selfless people really do exist.¡±


    Ye Lingyun looked at Su¡¯en through new lenses. Bathed by the sun rays, he seemed even gentler and kinder.


    [Ding!]


    [The transfer has succeeded!]


    [Tenfold Critical Compensation activated!]


    [Seven-Colored Immortal Spirit Flower obtained!]


    The system¡¯s voice sounded in Su¡¯en¡¯s head, to his confusion.


    The compensation was different from last time. He had thought that a tenfold Critical Compensation meant ten Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flowers.


    Understanding dawned on him as he glimpsed the instructions of the system: The quality of the spiritual flower had been increased, as a form of compensation.


    So that was how it worked!


    Put simply, the medicinal effect of more than ten Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flowers was similar to that of a seven-colored one. And the system had chosen to provide him with the latter.


    Of course, Su¡¯en had the option to receive ten Four-Colored Immortal Spirit Flowers, which he could give to others. But he wouldn¡¯t gain any Critical Compensation that way. So why would he do such a thing? Not unless a worthy candidate presented themselves in the future, that is.


    [Ding! New function successfully activated: Opportunity Guidance!]


    The system¡¯s voice sounded again.


    ¡°Opportunity Guidance?¡±


    Curious, Su¡¯en checked the function.


    How it worked was that if an opportunity existed within 30,000 feet of him, the system would prompt him towards it. This function would expand as the number of opportunities Su¡¯en stumbled upon increased.


    Su¡¯en had calmed down; now he became excited again. To actively seek out and be nudged towards new opportunities? It was defying the limits of mortal power!


    It was already considered amazing luck for the average person to chance upon an opportunity. Even Su¡¯en himself¨Cnot counting the Foundation Establishment Pill his master had given him¨Chad only ever encountered Immortal Spirit Grass. Before he had the system on his side, luck had never once bestowed an opportunity onto him. If he could really locate and search for opportunities, then the probability of him encountering them would increase substantially!


    ¡°What are you thinking of, Senior?¡±


    The disciple¡¯s voice in his ear yanked Su¡¯en back to reality.


    ¡°Nothing, just about what to do moving forward,¡± he replied, smiling. He looked at the disciples gathered around the square and spoke. ¡°The Mountain Sea Sect won¡¯t be bothering us anymore. Go back to your cultivation!¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± The disciples bowed and left one after another.


    When most of them had gone, Su¡¯en looked at Ye Lingyun and beamed. ¡°If you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation in the future, feel free to come find me.¡± Although Ye Lingyun was highly talented and a fast learner, he had joined the Dao Sect ten years before her, and had a far deeper understanding of some Daoist martial arts than her.


    ¡°Understood. Thank you, Senior!¡± Ye Lingyun nodded.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. This is my duty as a senior, nothing more. You¡¯ve already reached the late stages of the Foundation Establishment Realm, right? You should strive to break through to the Crystallization Realm as soon as possible!¡± Su¡¯en shook his head¨CYe Lingyun¡¯s current realm was visible to him¨Cand offered further encouragement.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior!¡± Ye Lingyun bowed and left.


    Watching her retreating figure, Su¡¯en couldn¡¯t help but feel a dash of envy at her natural talent. He had entered the sect ten years earlier, but Ye Lingyun had caught up to him in the Foundation Establishment Realm in just a few years.


    ¡°Unsurprisingly, cultivation talent wins once again.¡±


    Su¡¯en sighed, but then he recalled that he had the system helping him, and that his rate of improvement in cultivation was no longer inferior to that of prodigies like his junior. It gave him some small comfort. He looked away and turned to leave too.


    Right now, he was eager to test the system¡¯s new function to see if there were any opportunities left behind by others in the sect.


    Afterwards, he could give these opportunities to others and obtain even greater ones in return.

 Chapter 6

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Su¡¯en went to a remote area and clicked on the Opportunity Guidance function of the system, which said:


    [Ding!]


    [Opportunity Guidance function has been activated.]


    Su¡¯en studied the Opportunity Guidance function and took in how it worked: If an opportunity appeared near him, a virtual line would appear to guide him towards it.


    The moment he activated the function, Su¡¯en realized right then and there that there was a white dotted line to his right. As he moved, the white line remained linked to him.


    ¡°Excellent. Let¡¯s see what we have in store!¡±


    Su¡¯en followed the white line. Eventually, it led him to a huge, magnificent ancient building.


    The Daoist scripture library.


    It was where the Dao Sect stored their cultivation techniques, and was also the foundation of the Dao Sect¨Calbeit a shadow of its former self.


    The Daoist sects had been embroiled in several wars in the past, ranging from violent conflicts to minor disputes, and much knowledge of high-level martial arts had been lost. Now, the highest grade cultivation technique left in the Sutra Pavilion was only a Profound-rank. Not even an Earth-rank cultivation technique remained. Otherwise, the future of the Dao Sect might not look quite so bleak. Nor would they be surrounded by mockery telling them to shut down once and for all.


    ¡°Could it be that there are cultivation techniques left behind by predecessors in this place?¡±


    Su¡¯en was excited; the Daoist scripture library had a glorious history. Long ago, the Dao Sect had produced three Heavenly Lords! The Heaven Lord, the most powerful of them all in the Heavenly Domain¨Chis status unrivaled.


    Still deep in thought, Su¡¯en followed the white line further inside.


    The Sutra Pavilion was divided into four levels. They stored Yellow-rank, Profound-rank, Earth-rank, and Heaven-rank cultivation techniques. Or at least, they used to. Now, the third and fourth floors were empty and for storage of miscellaneous items. As for the second level, only recognized disciples like Su¡¯en could enter it at will.


    Su¡¯en had assumed the white line would stop at the first and second levels; instead it brought him to the third level. Surrounded by junk discarded by the sect, he felt a pinch of doubt.


    ¡°Does this place really have opportunities? Or did someone leave behind an unorganized cultivation technique here?¡± he grumbled. However, remembering the wonders the system had worked for him, he chose to trust it and follow the white line.


    All the way to a tattered book lying in a pile of dusty junk.


    ¡°Sky Region Celebrity Book?¡±


    Su¡¯en flipped it open and scanned its contents. There had to be some mistake. If he remembered correctly, this book contained a list of the most remarkable contestants of the various sects in the Ancient Heavenly Domain, nothing more. Certainly no opportunities he could use.


    He casually flipped through the book until he reached the interlayer of the volume, where there were three pages made of different materials.


    ¡°No way¡­¡±


    Anticipation stirring within him, Su¡¯en poured his True Qi into the pages. After a while, they began to glow.


    The page read: Chapter 1 {Golden Lightning Sword Technique}


    The technique was of a low-grade Earth-rank!


    ¡°Earth-rank!¡±


    Su¡¯en was seized by a sudden tremor. From lowest to highest, the cultivation technique rankings were divided into four stages: Yellow, Black, Earth, and Heaven. The cultivation techniques of each stage were then split into three grades, namely high-grade, medium-grade, and low-grade. The higher the stage, the more power it granted. Additionally, the higher the grade, the greater the difference in the strength of one¡¯s cultivation techniques, even within the same stage.


    It was said that there were even Saint Realm cultivation techniques above the Heaven Realm. However, the Saint Realm cultivation techniques of the various sects had already disappeared long ago during the Middle Ages of the Heavenly Domain.


    As time passed, almost everyone had believed that Saint Realm cultivation techniques were a mere rumor.


    ¡°It¡¯s really a low-grade Earth-rank technique!¡±


    The moisture in Su¡¯en¡¯s throat evaporated, and he gulped a few times unconsciously. The reason why the Dao Sect had declined to its current state was that all the cultivation techniques above the Earth-rank had been tested, and only high-grade Profound-rank cultivation techniques remained. One of them was the Black Lightning Sword Technique that he was cultivating now.


    Stages of cultivation techniques were equivalent to a world of difference. Even a minor grade represented a significant gap in power¨Clet alone different stages. No matter how powerful a Profound-rank cultivation technique was, it could not compare to a low-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique. They simply weren¡¯t the same in terms of power and value.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t I see the details?¡± Su¡¯en frowned and turned the pages in his hands from side to side. He realized that other than the name and grade of the cultivation technique, the rest of the pages were blank.


    ¡°Could it be a Legacy cultivation technique?¡±


    Suddenly, something occurred to him. In the cultivation world, some experts with high cultivation levels would not leave behind their own cultivation techniques. Instead, they would be engraved on special jade slips or inheritance pages. These cultivation techniques were collectively known as Legacy cultivation techniques.


    If he wanted to learn this Legacy cultivation technique, he needed to drip his blood essence on the pages, or jade slips. Afterwards, once he held the item, the Legacy cultivation technique would automatically enter his consciousness.


    Only by completely mastering the first move would the subsequent moves continue to manifest. These Legacy cultivation techniques were passed down from individual to individual, in order to prevent one¡¯s secrets from being discovered by one¡¯s enemies. Usually, Legacy cultivation techniques would be inherited by descendants of one¡¯s sect.


    ¡°It seems that this Golden Lightning Sword Technique is a Legacy left behind by the predecessors of the Dao Sect,¡± Su¡¯en muttered.


    [Ding! You have successfully obtained an opportunity!]


    [If you don¡¯t give away the opportunity within two days, you will lose your Critical Compensation!]


    The system¡¯s prompt sounded, leaving Su¡¯en speechless.


    ¡°A time limit?¡±


    It wasn¡¯t every day that he encountered an Earth-rank cultivation technique; he wanted to take his time to study it. However, this cultivation technique was a Legacy cultivation technique. Once he used it, it would belong to him alone, and he would not be able to give it to others.


    Time constraints in mind, Su¡¯en scanned the system¡¯s rules for giving away opportunities. It took a while for understanding to sink in.


    It turned out that there wasn¡¯t a time limit by default. However, it would exist for opportunities found through the system¡¯s Opportunity Guidance function. Even still, when one had exceeded the time limit, the opportunity wouldn¡¯t disappear. He would only lose his Critical Compensation.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t losing the Critical Compensation reward equivalent to losing a more valuable opportunity?¡± he grumbled. He was no fool. Although the low-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique in his hand was very tempting, he didn¡¯t intend to keep it for himself. He had to give it away!


    Shaking his head, Su¡¯en didn¡¯t let himself dwell on the matter. He slipped the pages containing the Legacy cultivation technique into his robes and stood to leave.


    There were still two days left; there was no rush to give the opportunity away. With the Opportunity Guidance function to help him, he wanted to continue strolling around the sect to see if there were any other opportunities lying around.


    If he was lucky, he might even stumble upon a higher-level cultivation technique.


    With that in mind, Su¡¯en embarked on his quest to find new opportunities in the Daoist scripture library.

 Chapter 7

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Su¡¯en was met with disappointment as he explored the Daoist scripture library.


    To his surprise, other than in the Sutra Pavilion, there were no other opportunities around!


    ¡°How far can this place have fallen from its former glory, for there to be so few opportunities here?¡±


    Su¡¯en felt glum, but then he remembered: Long ago, right after he had converted to the Way, he had read up on its history. The current territory of the Dao Sect wasn¡¯t its original territory; it wasn¡¯t that backward just yet. The Dao Sect hadn¡¯t been able to exist in a place rich in spiritual energy, so they had been forced to move here. Its original territory was in the center of the Heavenly Domain, which thrived with spiritual energy.


    It was also the current location of one of the higher-level sects: the Sky Sword Sect!


    ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to pay the Sky Sword Sect a visit once I get the chance.¡±


    Su¡¯en looked to the center of the Heavenly Domain, full of spiritual energy. It was a paradise in its own right. There were many sects in the Heavenly Domain, but many of them were not much different from the sects in the outside world. In fact, they were even weaker than them.


    There were only four powerful sects, or high-level sects: the Sky Sword Sect, Purple Star Sect, Medicine King Sect, and Blue Sea Sect.


    Su¡¯en didn¡¯t particularly care that the Sky Sword Sect now occupied the former territory of the Dao Sect; it was a dog-eat-dog world out there. It just meant he had no choice but to become stronger than the Sky Sword Sect if he wanted to take back his original territory.


    Su¡¯en broke his gaze and decided to return to the sect. Since there were no other opportunities, he would give away the Golden Lightning Sword Technique.


    As for to whom, he had no doubt: Ye Lingyun.


    Amongst the disciples of the Dao Sect, although his aptitude was ordinary, his perception and understanding were exemplary. It was why he had risen to become the most senior of the disciples. But not only was his junior more talented than him, her mental abilities were also sharper. However, Su¡¯en didn¡¯t not know much about her background. His master hadn¡¯t given him too many details about her, and he hadn¡¯t pressed further.


    He only knew that she came from a powerful family. Not as powerful as a high-level sect, but not that much beneath them, either.


    Su¡¯en couldn¡¯t figure it out: Since his junior was born into an elite family, why did she choose to join the Dao Sect?


    While he was thinking, he had already arrived at Ye Lingyun¡¯s courtyard.


    He gave her door a few soft knocks.


    ¡°Who is it?¡± A flat, quiet voice came from inside.


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Su¡¯en replied.


    ¡°Senior?¡±


    His junior sounded a little surprised. But then the door opened, revealing her beautiful face.


    ¡°How can I help you, Senior?¡± Ye Lingyun asked with a slightly puzzled look.


    ¡°When I was checking out the cultivation techniques in the Sutra Pavilion today, I found this technique left behind by our predecessors. I took a look and thought it suited you, so I brought it over.¡± Su¡¯en pulled out the three pages of Legacy cultivation techniques from his robes.


    ¡°A technique?¡± Ye Lingyun looked curious.She had been to the Sutra Pavilion many times and knew the various cultivation techniques inside like the back of her hand; she¡¯d long adopted the techniques most suited to her. It was near-impossible that she had missed one.


    But since her senior put it that way, she had no choice but to accept.


    ¡°This material is rather unusual.¡± Ye Lingyun was taken aback by the texture of the pages. One touch and she could tell they were special. When she looked at the name and grade of the cultivation technique, her surprise only doubled.


    The technique was of a low-grade Earth-rank!


    {Golden Lightning Sword Technique}


    A Legacy cultivation technique!


    Ye Lingyun¡¯s eyes were filled with disbelief¨Can Earth-rank cultivation technique! There was such a Legacy cultivation technique in the Sutra Pavilion? Her gaze swiveled to Su¡¯en.


    ¡°I was shocked too when I found it,¡± Su¡¯en said with a smile. ¡°But then I thought about it for a while. This technique must have been left behind by a senior member of the Dao Sect, probably one of our former Heavenly Lords. So it¡¯s not that unexpected after all.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Ye Lingyun felt the weight of the low-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique in her hand. An Earth-rank cultivation technique, and a Legacy one at that. Wouldn¡¯t whoever obtained this cultivation technique either claim it for themselves, or keep it a secret?


    Why would her senior give it to her?


    ¡°No. I can¡¯t accept this cultivation technique. It¡¯s too valuable!¡± Ye Lingyun shook her head in refusal, wanting to return the pages to Su¡¯en. ¡°You discovered this opportunity, Senior. You should cultivate it yourself. I still haven¡¯t thanked you properly for the Foundation Establishment Pill you gave me last time. If I accept this Legacy cultivation technique, it¡¯ll be too greedy of me!¡±


    His junior¡¯s words gave Su¡¯en a headache. He hadn¡¯t imagined that she would reject him. However, her words had given him a better understanding of her character.


    Before this, he had had very little contact with his junior, other than them both striving to uphold the values of the sect. His impression of Ye Lingyun was that she was beautiful but aloof. But now, he realized that she had a sound moral character too, for her to choose to reject the rare Earth-rank cultivation technique.


    That didn¡¯t mean he could take ¡®no¡¯ for an answer, though.


    How else was he going to receive the Critical Compensation from the system?¡¯


    Su¡¯en thought about the development of their Daoist community and began to advise his junior. He pushed Ye Lingyun¡¯s outstretched hand back to her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You have more talent and understanding than I. In the future, your developmental potential will be greater than mine. This cultivation technique is more suitable for you. Only you will be able to harness its full power. You will be the pillar of our Daoist community in the future, not me.¡±


    But Ye Lingyun remained unmoved. She opened her mouth, only for Su¡¯en to cover it with his hand. This was the first time Ye Lingyun had experienced such intimate contact with a man. Her pretty face instantly turned red, and her lovely eyes widened.


    If it had been anyone else but her senior, she might have already unleashed an attack on them!


    But it was Su¡¯en, and she felt no aggression¨Cjust shyness.


    ¡°Keep talking and I¡¯ll get angry. Just focus on honing your cultivation. This is all for the future of the sect!¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s tone was serious. He didn¡¯t have anything else to add, nor was he interested in continuing the discussion. He knew that his junior could be truly stubborn when she set her mind on something. If he was bent on persuading her, it might take him an entire day.


    He might as well just give her the cultivation technique and run!


    So he did just that, striding away¨Cleaving her to watch his attractive figure grow smaller in the distance.

 Chapter 8

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    As Su¡¯en left, Ye Lingyun looked at the Legacy cultivation technique in her hand, stunned.


    She had been born into high society, but even amongst families like hers, Earth-rank cultivation techniques were not very common. If she wanted to obtain one, there were some conditions she had to fulfill. Compared to those aristocratic families, the Dao Sect seemed even more down and out.


    Ye Lingyun thought for a moment. If her talent had been mediocre and she obtained a Legacy cultivation technique, she would definitely not give it to others. In the world of cultivation, who would refuse greater power?


    But her senior was different.


    Ye Lingyun shook her head, gathered up her robes, and sat on a stone block in the courtyard. It was a clear day, and white clouds bobbed in the sky. In other words, exceptionally good weather.


    It suddenly reminded her of where she had been born: A place where nothing mattered but profit.


    ¡­


    The system¡¯s voice sounded in Su¡¯en¡¯s head as he ran away.


    [The transfer has succeeded!]


    [Triggered Hundredfold Critical Compensation!]


    [Obtained low-grade Heaven Realm cultivation technique: Divine Lightning Sword Technique!]


    A hundredfold Critical Compensation? Low-grade Heaven Realm?


    Su¡¯en¡¯s steps ground to a halt, eyes filled with shock.


    He had expected the Critical Compensation reward to multiply by a dozen times¨Cnot a hundred!


    With a thought, a cultivation technique manual appeared in his palm. The cultivation technique was jade-white, with wisps of Divine Lightning Qi attached to it. When he held it in his hand, he could feel his skin peeling and going numb.


    ¡°As expected of a Heaven Realm cultivation technique: Even without a secret manual, there¡¯s still an aura of lightning surrounding it!¡±


    Su¡¯en was overwhelmed with ecstasy. A low-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique was rare as it was, to say nothing of a low-grade Heaven Realm technique. It was an entire stage higher than the low-grade Earth Realm technique.


    In other words, his power had soared¨Clow-grade Heaven Realm cultivation techniques were fifty times more powerful than low-grade Earth Realm cultivation techniques.


    ¡°Divine Lightning Sword Technique? Why does this name sound familiar?¡±


    Su¡¯en sank back into his sea of memories. He had studied the history of Daoism, and was familiar with its more famous figures. The Dao Sect had churned out many renowned cultivation masters over the years. One of them, the Divine Lightning Sword Master, had won the championship of the Dao Sect in the Heavenly Domain.


    The Divine Lightning Sword Technique was his signature cultivation technique!


    The Black Lightning Sword Technique that Su¡¯en was currently cultivating had been created by imitating this long-lost technique. Had he just stumbled upon its original source?


    Face coloring, Su¡¯en turned his attention to the system.


    ¡°The Critical Compensation of a cultivation technique will be traced back to the cultivation techniques possessed by the sect. If not, it will be changed to other cultivation techniques!¡±


    Su¡¯en took in the information from the system interface, slowly piecing together how the Critical Compensation rewards worked. Countless martial arts forms had been created in the history of the Dao Sect, but none more advanced than from the late-stage Heaven Realm.


    ¡°If I have time, I need to pay a visit to the Sky Sword Sect. There must be many opportunities left behind by the Dao Sect there!¡±


    Su¡¯en took a moment to ponder the situation. During his trip, if he triggered a Critical Compensation multiplied by a thousand¨Cor even ten thousand¨Che might be able to obtain a legendary Saint Realm cultivation technique! A Saint Realm cultivation technique was the stuff of legends: a technique only immortals could cultivate, and one that could rattle the Heavenly Domain itself.


    Su¡¯en considered what realm he should step into in the future, before shaking his head and forcing himself to calm down. His rose-tinted fantasies might prove to be painful in reality¨Cunless he executed his plan slowly.


    The Sky Sword Sect was one of the high-level sects; it was certain he would find powerful opportunities there. At the very least, he would be able to step into the Spirit Convocation Realm, like his master.


    Su¡¯en headed back to his courtyard. His mind was set; he was determined to continue his seclusion in the following days. The Divine Lightning Sword Technique was a Heaven Realm cultivation technique, and it wouldn¡¯t be that simple to grasp. Although he had a solid understanding of cultivation techniques, he wasn¡¯t confident he could master a Heaven Realm cultivation technique just yet. He was prepared to invest a great deal of time into the task.


    When he returned to his courtyard, Su¡¯en opened the manual and began to study it carefully. The Black Lightning Sword Technique he had cultivated borrowed heavily from the Divine Lightning Sword Technique,so the latter shouldn¡¯t be that difficult to comprehend.


    However, when he got into the nitty-gritty, he discovered just how complex the Divine Lightning Sword Technique really was.


    There were still some differences between his own technique and the original one. For example, the Black Lightning Sword Technique was more fluid in its movement, with seven forms in total. But the Divine Lightning Sword Technique, as he discovered after digesting the entire manual, only had two forms: one for offense, one for defense.


    During his research, Su¡¯en discovered that almost all seven forms of the Black Lightning Sword Technique had been woven together using threads of the Divine Lightning Sword Technique.


    ¡°I wonder who imitated the Divine Lightning Sword Technique with such success. They must be a true master!¡± Su¡¯en sighed at the sheer similarity between the two techniques.


    After flipping through the Divine Lightning Sword Technique manual for a while, Su¡¯en gained some idea of how to cultivate both its offensive and defensive forms.


    However, first, he had to nurture a Sword Embryo with lightning attributes in his Energy Sea, which required one to absorb the Divine Lightning that existed between heaven and earth. Divine Lightning Breath was one of the most destructive attributes in the world¨Cat high cultivation levels, it could destroy a whole mountain and the sect which resided on it!


    Hence, the Divine Lightning Sword Technique was most suitable for condensing sword cores.


    When he was certain he understood the technique, Su¡¯en sat cross-legged on the bed and began to recite the incantation of the Divine Lightning Sword Technique, sensing the aura of Divine Lightning around him. Streaks of Divine Lightning entered his body, making him go numb.


    When he had absorbed a certain amount of Divine Lightning Breath and begun to condense the Sword Embryo, the breath of lightning in his body became restless.


    It kept surging through Su¡¯en, forcing him to persevere through clenched teeth. He mobilized the True Qi in his body and chased the aura of lightning into his Energy Sea, step by step, to condense the Sword Embryo. He succeeded, and was about to begin the condensation process when a terrifying explosion resounded from his Energy Sea.


    Su¡¯en felt as if his entire body was about to explode from the breath of lightning.


    Blood sprayed out of his mouth.


    ¡°This Heaven Realm cultivation technique is a pain to cultivate. Lucky for me, I¡¯ve already condensed some Divine Lightning Breath¨Cit should make things easier from now on!¡±


    Su¡¯en came to the above conclusion after ensuring he had sustained no physical injuries. Then he closed his eyes again, absorbed the breath of lightning, and continued cultivating.


    Fortunately, he had condensed a portion of the lightning aura earlier, and it became tame enough after entering his body.


    This time, he managed to enter the realm of cultivating the Divine Lightning Sword Technique without further harm.

 Chapter 9

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Time flew by, and in a flash, three months had passed. Nothing out of the ordinary happened in the sect then.


    Although Chen Huiran had been severely injured by Su¡¯en, the Mountain Sea Sect hadn¡¯t sent anyone over to take revenge. There was an unwritten rule in the Heavenly Domain: The elders wouldn¡¯t interfere in conflicts between disciples, unless they threatened to get out of hand.


    The door opened slowly, and a young man in a white robe strolled out. He had a delicate face and confident eyes.


    It was none other than Su¡¯en.


    Now his seclusion was over, and those three months had transformed him. When he walked, an unconcealable aura of lightning radiated from his body, seeming to crackle with the power to split the earth in two!


    ¡°I¡¯ve finally mastered it!¡± Su¡¯en exhaled slowly, his eyes filled with joy. As expected of a Heaven Realm cultivation technique, the cultivation process had been rather challenging. If not for his sound grasp of cultivation, which had allowed him to comprehend the Divine Lightning Breath technique¡¯s formula and refine it, it would have taken him even longer.


    Su¡¯en glanced at the Energy Sea of his body, where a white sword-shaped phantom was floating, surrounded by pale energy.


    It was the Divine Lightning Sword Embryo. However, it was still in its most basic state. To cultivate the Sword Embryo, in addition to understanding its incantations, one also needed a large amount of Divine Lightning.


    The Heavenly Domain was a cultivation process; its aura teemed with Divine Lightning. But that was still too little for Su¡¯en. Otherwise, just practicing the basics wouldn¡¯t take him so long.


    Many high-level cultivation techniques in the Heavenly Domain required special auras, such as the Five Elements Qi. Therefore, mansions with special auras were essentially the territory of higher-level sects. Some of the other sects either occupied abandoned parts of the Heavenly Domain or purchased mansions from the higher-level sects. As for the special auras themselves, they were ludicrously expensive.


    ¡°If I cultivate in a place with dense Divine Lightning Breath, I could probably finish cultivating a Divine Lightning Sword Embryo in no time!¡±


    Su¡¯en sighed, but there was nothing he could do. The issue wasn¡¯t exclusive to the Dao Sect; some of the weaker sects didn¡¯t have their own special blessed lands either.


    Su¡¯en shook his head, pushing his thoughts aside, and formed a sword between his fingers.


    White Sword Qi with a Divine Lightning Aura manifested from his fingertips. A hundred of them in total, swarming the space around Su¡¯en!


    The Divine Lightning Sword Aura blasted apart the stone blocks in the courtyard with its power. A few stray leaves vanished in the blink of an eye.


    The blocks in his courtyard were also constructed of special stone, as was befitting Su¡¯en¡¯s status in the sect. The stone was so hard, in fact, that years of wear had hardly left a mark on it.


    One could see how powerful Divine Lightning Sword Qi was.


    Su¡¯en did a mental tally of his strength. If he met an early-stage Golden Core expert now, he might just be their match. The Golden Core Realm was the realm above the Crystallization Realm. Su¡¯en¡¯s master was at the perfected late-stages of the Golden Core Realm, and had already uncovered his inner spirituality.


    Su¡¯en lowered his finger and retracted all the Divine Lightning Sword Qi into his body. The intimidating aura around him disappeared, and he reverted back to being a kindly senior.


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    Suddenly, a disciple¡¯s voice sounded outside the courtyard.


    ¡°I¡¯m Zhao Ritian, a disciple of the Labor Hall.¡±


    ¡°The Labor Hall?¡±


    Su¡¯en contemplated the name for a moment. The Hall of Labor was where the Dao Sect handled things. Usually, disciples were in charge of miscellaneous matters, and the elders would only intervene in major issues.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Su¡¯en guessed that something must have happened.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Zhao Ritian pushed open the door and entered the courtyard. The moment he entered, he felt a pain in his body, as if he were being torn apart. He recoiled.


    Taking note of Zhao Ritian¡¯s condition, Su¡¯en waved his hand and released his True Qi, absorbing the remnant Divine Lightning Aura in the courtyard. Zhao Ritian was an ordinary disciple, and his cultivation was only at the late-stage Qi Refinement Realm. He wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand the Divine Lightning Aura.


    Awe filled Zhao Ritian¡¯s face at how effortlessly his senior dismissed that sensation of being torn apart. Although he didn¡¯t know what had happened here, he was sure his senior¡¯s power had grown once again. When he last saw his senior, he hadn¡¯t been as dignified as he was now.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Su¡¯en smiled.


    ¡°Senior, we have a visitor from the higher-level sects,¡± Zhao Ritian answered.


    ¡°Oh? What do they want?¡± Su¡¯en frowned. Which high and mighty sect wasn¡¯t high and mighty would deign to send one of their own to a weaker sect?


    ¡°They said that in a year¡¯s time, the Heavenly Domain Ceremony will be held. They want us to choose our disciples in advance to participate.¡±


    The Heavenly Domain Ceremony?


    Su¡¯en¡¯s pupils dilated.


    The Heavenly Domain Ceremony was a competition between the younger generation of cultivators. The final winner would be qualified to become the new Heaven Lord of the Heavenly Domain in a hundred years¨Cthe ruler of Jingzhou!


    The ceremony was held once every 800 years, and the participating disciples could not be older than 30 years old. Therefore, the conditions for participation were extremely harsh, as the Heavenly Domain would invest a huge amount of resources into the training of the winner, as well as their sect in the following year. Therefore, to most sects, the Heavenly Domain Ceremony was an opportunity to advance in prestige.


    However, winning the competition was no mean feat. There were many prodigies in the Heavenly Domain, especially among the higher-level sects, and hence countless powerful combatants. It was almost impossible to wrench the first place spot away from them. In the past few thousand years, the winners of the Heaven Domain Ceremony had always been from the higher-level sects, and nowhere else.


    It was partly why the balance of power between the sects had remained so stagnant. For nearly a thousand years, almost no one had been able to break that tradition¨Cor the rivalry between the sects, for that matter. High-level sects had plenty of cultivation resources at their disposal; it was no wonder they could churn out disciples far stronger than those from the weaker sects. Especially if said disciples reaped more cultivation resources for them afterwards.


    Su¡¯en had checked the past records of the Heavenly Domain Ceremony. Among the current high-level sects, the Purple Star Sect had been a weaker sect in the past.


    However, during the Heavenly Domain Ceremony two thousand years ago, an especially talented prodigy had been amongst their ranks¨Ca double win for the Purple Star Sect.


    They had followed in the footsteps of this disciple and obtained a large amount of cultivation resources. Subsequently, they had been promoted from a low-level sect to a high-level sect!

 Chapter 10

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°There¡¯s still a year to go. First place is a bit of a stretch, but we should be able to make it into the top ten!¡±


    In the past, Su¡¯en wouldn¡¯t even dare to think about joining the Heavenly Domain Ceremony. But now that he had the system, winning first place didn¡¯t seem so difficult anymore!


    As long as he used the system well, he was very likely to defeat the prodigies of the high-level sects a year later¨Cand crush them, even!


    ¡°There is one other thing,¡± Zhao Ritian added.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°The Chens of Guanyu City have asked us for help. They hope we can support them.¡±


    The news dragged Su¡¯en into contemplation. The Heavenly Domain ruled over the entire Jing Region, so families from the outside world would often try their best to establish friendly ties with them. The simplest way to achieve this was to directly serve a sect in the Heavenly Domain, and fork out costly fees daily. Disciples of exceptional talent would also occasionally be born to one of these families, who would then join the sect. That, or the families would simply sponsor the sects with precious cultivation resources.


    These families were essentially the sects¡¯ stewards. But the sects in the Heavenly Domain didn¡¯t just passively accept money from them. If one of these families produced a disciple of decent potential, the sect would accept them unconditionally. Additionally, if these families encountered difficulties, the sect would consider sending their disciples to help them.


    The Chen family in Guanyu City was currently in service to the Dao Sect¨Cthem, and no others.


    A long time ago, the Dao Sect had had many service families. However, as the strength of the Dao Sect declined, some of these families had felt that there was no need to continue serving them, so they simply cut off all contact with the sect. Now, only the Chen family still chose to serve the Dao Sect.


    ¡°What do the Chens need?¡± Su¡¯en asked.


    ¡°According to our sources, they seem to have discovered a spirit stone mine. However, the mine is situated in between the two cities, and resulted in a dispute,¡± Zhao Ritian said. ¡°They finally decided to use a duel to determine who would gain ownership of the spirit stone mine. So the Chens asked us to send a combatant to represent them.¡±


    ¡°A spirit stone mine.¡± Su¡¯en nodded.


    Spirit stones were an important cultivation resource. They were manifestations of crystallized Qi in the world. But Qi was scarce in the outside world, so cultivators there were dependent on spirit stones. Therefore, once a spirit stone mine appeared, it was a recipe for conflict.


    ¡°Do you know anything about the other party?¡± Su¡¯en inquired.


    ¡°They are the Wang family of Black Cloud City, who serve the Nether Saber Sect,¡± Zhao Ritian replied.


    ¡°The Nether Saber Sect.¡± Su¡¯en searched his memory. Just like the Dao Sect, the sect was from the Heavenly Domain. However, they were slightly more powerful than the Dao Sect; their master¡¯s cultivation level was of the Spirit Convocation Realm.


    ¡°Senior, the Nether Saber Sect is stronger than us. Shall we refuse?¡± Zhao Ritian glanced cautiously at Su¡¯en.


    ¡°And ignore the Chens¡¯ request for help?¡± Su¡¯en fixed Zhao Ritian with his stare. The disciple met his gaze for a second before quickly lowering his head. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt an invisible pressure from his normally-gentle senior that stifled the breath in his lungs.


    ¡°The Chens are the only family that has followed us since the very beginning,¡± Su¡¯en enunciated slowly. ¡°How can we leave them to fend for themselves, now that they¡¯re in trouble? So what if it means going up against the Nether Saber Sect? Refusing requests for help like this can have harsh consequences. Is that understood?¡±


    Rather than turning the Chens away, Su¡¯en chose to accept their request¨Cnot that it was ever really a question anyway. This had nothing to do with cultivation. Even if he didn¡¯t have the system, even if he hadn¡¯t broken through to the Crystallization Realm, he would still choose to help those in need.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Zhao Ritian raised his head and bowed, slightly ashamed of himself. He was such a fool. His senior greatly valued the reputation of the Dao Sect¨Chow could he turn his back on the steward family which had always followed the sect with such loyalty?


    ¡°You¡¯re dismissed.¡± Su¡¯en waved Zhao Ritian away.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    After Zhao Ritian left, Su¡¯en activated the Divine Lightning Breath in his body, feeling it swirl in his Energy Sea. The ebb and flow of the energy in his body occasionally caused a sound like rumbling thunder from Su¡¯en.


    Since they were going head to head with the Nether Saber Sect, he could only play a supporting role in the conflict this time. But he would have to leave the Heavenly Domain. Su¡¯en thought: There were no more opportunities in the Dao Sect. If he went to the outside world, he might encounter opportunities there.


    The Heavenly Domain Ceremony was approaching¨Che had to accelerate his growth so he could perform well in the contest.


    After deep consideration, Su¡¯en decided that his plan would work, so he packed up and prepared to leave the sect.


    When he left the courtyard, he bumped into Ye Lingyun. As soon as they met, she spoke.


    ¡°Senior, take me with you!¡±


    ¡°How did you know I was going out?¡± Su¡¯en looked at her, smiling.


    ¡°I met a disciple from the Hall of Labor on my way here. He told me about what happened.¡± Ye Lingyun was dressed in green, her long hair swaying about her face. According to Su¡¯en¡¯s observations, his junior was a little more lively than usual, compared to her usual taciturn manner.


    When Su¡¯en said nothing, Ye Lingyun explained, ¡°I haven¡¯t made any progress in my cultivation recently, so I hope to take this chance to relax.¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go together then!¡± Su¡¯en nodded. Having someone to accompany him while he was out would make things less boring.


    And if he encountered an opportunity, he could give it to Ye Lingyun directly. She was close to him, and if he could choose, he would certainly rather pass the opportunity down to someone he knew well.


    After hearing her senior¡¯s agreement, a smile appeared on Ye Lingyun¡¯s lovely face. For a moment, Su¡¯en was stunned. This was the first time he had seen Ye Lingyun smile, and it was a very pleasing sight.


    ¡°You look pretty when you smile. You should smile more often.¡±


    When Su¡¯en came back to his senses, he brushed past Ye Lingyun with a grin and kept walking.


    Smile more?


    Before Ye Lingyun could react, Su¡¯en had already left. She hurried after him, hand drifting to her cheek as she gave chase. Had she really smiled just now? She couldn¡¯t even remember the last time she had smiled¨Cwhen she was a child, perhaps.


    But that didn¡¯t matter. Her senior had told her to smile more frequently, so she would do just that.

 Chapter 11

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    ¡°Sir, our stewards are asking for help. We need to leave the Heavenly Domain!¡±


    When they arrived at the exit of the Heavenly Domain, Su¡¯en bowed to the white-haired old man sitting on the stone block in front of him.


    The Heavenly Domain was a paradise, complete with an advanced array formation that sealed off the entrances and exits. When entering or leaving, one needed the approval of the elder in charge of the formation.


    Of course, there was another way: If one¡¯s cultivation level was high enough, one could simply break through using sheer power. The array formation was to prevent people from the outside world from forcing their way in. But the people in the Heavenly Domain didn¡¯t suffer fools; killing indiscriminately would only stain one¡¯s own reputation. And even if they successfully broke in, there would be a large number of rival sects to contend with.


    Essentially, the Heavenly Domain had ensured that all options for breaking in or out were undesirable ones. Their array formation was a form of protection against the outside world¨Cnot that Su¡¯en knew where they had obtained it from.


    ¡°You¡¯re from the Dao Sect, aren¡¯t you?¡± The white-haired old man opened his eyes and glanced at Su¡¯en and Ye Lingyun. There were only roughly twenty sects in the Heavenly Domain now, all of which had their own distinct uniforms, making them easily identifiable.


    A simple hand seal from the elderly man caused a fluctuation to appear behind him, followed by a crack.


    ¡°On your way, then.¡± When he was done, the white-haired old man closed his eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Sir!¡±


    Su¡¯en nodded respectfully. Then, he brought Ye Lingyun through the crack and flew away.


    ¡°What powerful Sword Qi!¡±


    After Su¡¯en had left, the white-haired old man opened his eyes again, revealing a flicker of doubt in his gaze.


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember the Dao Sect¡¯s Black Lightning Sword Technique being quite so formidable.¡±


    ¡­


    After passing through the crack, the vast plain appeared in front of them, flanked by towering mountains in the distance. A breeze from the outside world greeted them, a sensation which Su¡¯en savored.


    ¡°The outside world is more liberating and enjoyable after all.¡±


    Next to Su¡¯en, Ye Lingyun closed her eyes, the breeze fanning her cheeks, and inhaled deeply.


    Smiling, Su¡¯en continued, ¡°Freedom is nice and all, but the spiritual energy here is too scarce and not suitable for cultivation. This is a place for ordinary people.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, Senior,¡± Ye Lingyun agreed. The scarcity of spiritual energy that Su¡¯en was referring to was comparing the spiritual energy in the Heavenly Domain to the outside world. After being so accustomed to the concentration of spiritual energy in the Heavenly Domain, it was no wonder they thought the spiritual energy here was scant and lacking.


    It was also why all the sects in the outside world wanted to join the Heavenly Domain. However, other than the sects established by the Heavenly Domain, almost no other aristocratic families or sects from the outside world were allowed in.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Su¡¯en flew across the starry sky, Ye Lingyun in tow, towards the Chen ancestral home. The Chen family stayed quite a distance from the Heavenly Domain. If Su¡¯en was alone, he could reach their home in a day¡¯s time. But with Ye Lingyun by his side, it would take longer.


    Three days later, they finally arrived at Guanyu City.


    There were many people waiting at the city gate. Standing at the head of the crowd was a middle-aged man with thin, white hair and an air of refinement to his stately gaze.


    The head of the Chen family, Chen Wu.


    He had been waiting here every day, since sending his message to the Heavenly Domain a few days ago. It was a rule of the steward families: As long as there was no response from the sect from the Heavenly Domain, the stewards would have to wait at the city gate. Otherwise, if the high-level sects arrived and were kept waiting, the family might be stripped of its stewardship status.


    ¡°Father, the high-level sects still haven¡¯t responded. Will they come to our aid or not?¡± asked a delicate-looking young girl. Her black hair cascaded to her waist, and her skin was pale as jade. She was Chen Wu¡¯s daughter, Chen Ziling. ¡°The Wang family serves the Nether Saber Sect, who are stronger than the Dao Sect,¡± she pointed out.


    Hearing his daughter¡¯s words, Chen Wu fell silent¨Cthere was some truth to what she was saying. It wouldn¡¯t be unheard of. Some of the weaker sects didn¡¯t directly reject or accept a request for aid; they simply chose not to respond.


    ¡°What choice do we have? We must keep waiting.¡±


    Chen Wu sighed. The spirit stone mine they had discovered was rich in resources. From the looks of it, the mine was probably 30,000 feet. If all the spirit stones were mined¨Clikely tens of millions of them¨Ceven if they were low-grade stones, it would mean an unimaginable amount of cultivation resources and wealth. In his message, he had deliberately explained the production process involving the spirit stones to grab the attention of the higher-ups in the sect.


    ¡°Are you from the Chen family?¡±


    Suddenly, a voice boomed from the sky: monotone, seemingly belonging to no one.


    Panicked, Chen Wu¡¯s head shot up just in time to see two figures descend to the ground.


    There was nothing ordinary about them¨Cfrom their demeanors alone, it was obvious they were from the Heavenly Domain!


    ¡°I am the patriarch of the Chen family, Chen Wu. Welcome, Exalted One!¡± Chen Wu hurriedly cupped his fists and bowed respectfully, not daring to raise his head. Everyone behind him followed suit, except for Chen Ziling, who stole a glance at Su¡¯en. Their gazes met, and her eyes promptly dropped.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for so much formality!¡± Su¡¯en nodded, glancing casually at the Chens. Chen Wu was already at the early-stage Foundation Establishment Realm, while the others were all at the Qi Refinement Realm. As could be expected¨Cthe outside world was nothing like the Heavenly Domain. The scarcity of spiritual energy here made cultivation more taxing. Many talented cultivators here had difficulty even entering the Foundation Establishment Realm.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in so we can talk business,¡± Su¡¯en said.


    ¡°Of course. This way, please!¡± Chen Wu hurriedly led the way.


    ¡°Is he from a sect in the Heavenly Domain? His manner is so refined¨Cnothing like a mere mortal.¡±


    ¡°Are people from the sects up there all so attractive? Is it normal among them?¡±


    The Chen family exchanged whispers back and forth.


    ¡°It¡¯s true, they¡¯re all very good-looking. It¡¯s said that the environment in the Heavenly Domain is beautiful and rich in spiritual energy. If only I could enter it to practice my cultivation!¡±


    ¡°Stop dreaming. The Heavenly Domain isn¡¯t a place ordinary people like us can enter as we please. We¡¯ll need to join one of their sects for that.¡±


    Chen Wu walked in the direction of the Chen ancestral home, followed by Su¡¯en and Ye Lingyun in the center of the entourage, then the rest of the Chen family.


    As they made their way down the road, Su¡¯en and Ye Lingyun¡¯s extraordinary auras attracted plenty of attention. Mainly because many people in Gungyu City had never seen visitors from the Heavenly Domain before.

 Chapter 12

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    In the main hall of the Chen family mansion, Su¡¯en sat in the highest seat, with Ye Lingyun beside him. The elders of the Chen family were seated on both sides of them.


    ¡°The Chens are honored to have you here!¡± Chen Wu got up from his seat and cupped his hands. ¡°If you have any requests at all, do let us know, and we¡¯ll see to them immediately.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry yourself with minor details. I believe we should discuss your dispute with Black Cloud City,¡± Su¡¯en said, sipping from his cup of tea.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Chen Wu turned serious as he launched into explanation. ¡°The duel between the two cities will be in a month¡¯s time, at the flat ground above the spirit stone mine. My sources say that the people from the Nether Saber Sect met up with the Wang family yesterday. There were five of them, all true disciples, and at the Crystallization Realm.¡±


    Chen Wu glanced at Su¡¯en. Even after the two representatives from the Heavenly Domain had arrived, he still didn¡¯t know who this man was, let alone if he was stronger than Chen Wu himself.


    As if reading Chen Wu¡¯s mind, Su¡¯en smiled. ¡°Allow me to make the introductions. I¡¯m Su¡¯en, the most senior disciple of the true disciples of the Dao Sect. Beside me is my junior, Ye Lingyun.¡±


    Chen Wu was shocked; he hadn¡¯t expected the sect to send such important individuals. The most senior disciple was also the strongest of the sect¨Cit seemed like their chances of victory were hopeful! Hope swelled in his heart.


    ¡°Since the duel is in a month, we¡¯ll stay here until then. We¡¯ll let you know in advance if we have other plans,¡± Su¡¯en said slowly.


    ¡°Of course. Do as you see fit, Exalted One. It is the honor of the Chen family to have members of the Exalted Sect stay with us. We have already prepared a banquet, which we dearly hope you will attend,¡± Chen Wu replied hastily.


    Drinking and eating were no longer of any use to Su¡¯en, who had already entered the Crystallization Realm. However, since he was already here, it wouldn¡¯t be polite to refuse, so he followed Chen Wu to the dining table.


    Ever since he entered the Dao Sect, he had rarely been tainted by common grain¨Cthe spiritual energy he cultivated every day in the Heavenly Domain could maintain the energy his body needed. He hadn¡¯t been this far from the sect in many years. What harm was there in trying something new?


    ¡­


    After eating, Su¡¯en went to the courtyard that the Chens had prepared for him. He marveled at their hospitality. The courtyard was serene, complete with a fountain and bamboo forest¨Cclearly designed to convey an air of relaxation.


    He sat down on a stone block and prepared to rest, only to be interrupted by an unexpected arrival.


    ¡°Lord Su, this is Chen Wu. May I enter?¡± Chen Wu¡¯s voice traveled from outside.


    ¡°Come in!¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes remained shut in recuperation.


    Chen Wu pushed open the courtyard door and walked in, Chen Ziling on his heels.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± Su¡¯en asked.


    ¡°Your assistance is our great fortune, Lord Su. Please, accept this as a token of our appreciation.¡± As he spoke, Chen Wu brandished a golden box. ¡°I obtained this Divine Spirit Fruit two years ago. It¡¯s a thousand years old. I hope you will not refuse this gift.¡±


    He opened the box, and an exquisite, fruity scent wafted up Su¡¯en¡¯s nose.


    ¡°A Divine Spirit Fruit?¡±


    Su¡¯en opened his eyes and peered into the box, in which sat a white fruit with a hint of red coloring. Spiritual energy danced around it, beautiful as a canvas of stars. Divine Spirit Fruits only grew in areas rich with spiritual energy. It was common for them to be a hundred years old, but a thousand¡­ now that was something valuable!


    A thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit was equivalent to a Divine Spirit Pill, and a prized commodity on the market.


    Looking at the Divine Spirit Fruit in the box, Su¡¯en was sure he had found his opportunity.


    ¡°Of course. I accept your gift.¡± Su¡¯en didn¡¯t stand on ceremony¨Che wasn¡¯t about to refuse the Divine Spirit Fruit, which was as precious as a Divine Spirit Pill. ¡°Now, tell me, what other requests do you have of me?¡±


    He and Ye Lingyun had come to help the Chens claim ownership of the spirit stone mine, but if Chen Wu was willing to relinquish such a valuable item, he must have another motive.


    ¡°Being honest, I do have a personal favor to ask of you.¡± As he spoke, Chen Wu turned around and pulled Chen Ziling in front of him. ¡°My daughter has been tested, and proven to be of adequate talent. We earnestly hope that you will accept her as a disciple of the Dao Sect.¡±


    He glanced at his daughter and continued, ¡°Quick, pay your respects to the Exalted Disciple.¡±


    ¡°Exalted Disciple, my name is Ziling.¡± Chen Ziling hurriedly bowed to Su¡¯en.It was obvious she had taken the time to doll herself up¨Cher black hair was a smooth waterfall of ink, and a purple gown flowed down her body. She looked stunning.


    It reminded Su¡¯en of how cute Ye Lingyun had been when she first joined the Dao Sect. ¡°Show me your hand,¡± he said, giving Chen Ziling an appraising once-over. He had to confirm her talent for himself. After the gift her family had given him, he could directly accept her as a disciple, provided her talent was indeed passable.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Obediently, Chen Ziling stood in front of Su¡¯en and extended one pale wrist to him.


    Su¡¯en placed his hand on her wrist. A wave of True Qi passed through her, traveling up and down her body. For a moment, Chen Ziling felt her body tremble, and her face flushed red. It was as if something strange had entered her body.


    ¡°Not bad. Above average, I¡¯d say.¡±


    Su¡¯en released her, expressionless. In truth, Chen Ziling¡¯s raw talent was greater than his, bordering on outstanding. Who knew such a prodigy would be found amongst the Chen family¡¯s ranks? It was like stumbling upon a rare jewel.


    ¡°From now on, she is a disciple of our sect.¡± Su¡¯en nodded at Chen Wu. The Dao Sect needed to strengthen itself by taking in new disciples. Chen Ziling was quite talented; if all went as planned, she should be able to enter the Spirit Realm in the future.


    ¡°Hurry up and thank the Exalted Disciple!¡± Chen Wu urged his daughter, overjoyed.


    The Heavenly Domain was the holy land of cultivation that everyone in Jingzhou yearned to enter. If his daughter could train there, her cultivation prospects were bright¨Calong with his hopes for the revival of the family.


    ¡°Thank you, Exalted Disciple!¡±


    Chen Ziling, too, was elated. The Heavenly Domain¨Cit was the place of her childhood dreams!

 Chapter 13

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    After checking her natural talent, Su¡¯en had accepted Chen Ziling as a Daoist disciple. She and her father had left promptly, careful not to intrude on Su¡¯en¡¯s time.


    Now, Su¡¯en sat alone in the courtyard, studying the box containing the Divine Spirit Fruit. A while later, he closed the box, stood up, and flew to Ye Lingyun¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°Senior?¡±


    Ye Lingyun was in the midst of her cultivation when she saw Su¡¯en arrive. She opened her eyes and looked over in confusion as he placed the box containing the Divine Spirit Fruit in her hand. Ye Lingyun¡¯s courtyard was very close to Su¡¯en¡¯s, so she had overheard his conversation with the Chens. It also meant she knew what was inside the box.


    ¡°This is a thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit gifted to me by the Chen family. Its medicinal effect is equivalent to that of a Divine Spirit Pill. Make sure to absorb it quickly. Valuable things shouldn¡¯t be wasted,¡± Su¡¯en said slowly.


    However, Ye Lingyun felt bashful; her senior had been plying her with plenty of gifts lately. ¡°But the Chens gave the fruit to you, not me.¡±


    ¡°You and I have the same master. Isn¡¯t it normal for a senior to look out for their junior?¡± Su¡¯en asked, smiling. ¡°There¡¯s still a month to go before the duel between the two cities. You¡¯re already at the late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm. After consuming this Divine Spirit Fruit, you should be able to break through to the Crystallization Realm before the competition.¡±


    ¡°The Crystallization Realm?¡± Ye Lingyun was a little stunned, but she was quick to understand. The contest between Guanyu City and Black Cloud City was clearly an extension of the rivalry between the sects. The Dao Sect only had herself and her senior to defend its name, whereas the Nether Saber Sect had five disciples, all of whom were in the Crystallization Realm. If she was still at the perfected late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm when the contest commenced, it would be a disgrace to the Dao Sect.


    And it wouldn¡¯t do to have her senior fight for the Dao Sect from the outset, would it? Their sect would be a laughingstock for its dearth of strong disciples.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Senior. I¡¯ll definitely break through to the Crystallization Realm within a month!¡± Ye Lingyun answered earnestly.


    ¡°Excellent. Go back to your cultivation. I won¡¯t impose on you any longer.¡± Su¡¯en nodded and turned to leave. He had given her the fruit, so his business here was done.


    Plus, he was confident his junior would be able to break through to the Crystallization Realm. Ye Lingyun¡¯s talent was exceptional, and she was already at the perfected late-stage Foundation Establishment Realm. With this thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit, it should be a breeze for her to advance to the Crystallization Realm.


    He had also given the contest some thought: If his junior was still at the Foundation Establishment Realm before the duel, he wouldn¡¯t allow her to represent the Dao Sect. However, that would also hurt the Dao Sect¡¯s reputation. Before receiving the Divine Spirit Fruit, he had planned to use the next month to search for opportunities which might help his junior accelerate her cultivation growth rate.


    Su¡¯en had just returned to his courtyard when a notification from the system rang out.


    [Ding!]


    [The transfer has succeeded!]


    [Triggered Hundredfold Critical Compensation!]


    [Ten-thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit successfully obtained!]


    ¡°Another hundredfold Critical Compensation?¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s calm gave way to renewed excitement. This system was truly a marvel! Although, in fairness, his luck had been rather good recently. The more the Critical Compensations were worth, the rarer they would be.


    He had expected the Critical Compensation to be multiplied tenfold, not a hundred!


    With a thought, the ten-thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit appeared in Su¡¯en¡¯s palm. Its spiritual energy and appearance was clearly different from that of a mere thousand-year-old fruit, which was white with a hint of red. However, the Divine Spirit Fruit in his hand was bright red with golden patterns, making it look extremely precious.


    On top of that, the sheer quantity of spiritual energy it contained was nothing like it had been before. The moment the ten-thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit appeared, Su¡¯en enveloped it with his plentiful True Qi, which proved to be an arduous task. But if he didn¡¯t do this, the spiritual energy of the ten-thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit would surge out, and the whole of Guanyu City would sense the change in the spiritual energy of the Chen family.


    The difference in the spiritual energy of the two fruits wasn¡¯t as simple as mere multiplication¨Ca Divine Spirit Fruit¡¯s spiritual energy increased exponentially with age. The spiritual energy of a ten-thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit was equivalent to the total amount of spiritual energy contained in a hundred thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruits. In fact, if he bargained with the high-level sects in the Heavenly Domain, he might be able to exchange this ten-thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit for a massive amount of cultivation resources.


    ¡°So much spiritual energy. After consuming it, one shouldn¡¯t have to break a sweat to advance to the Golden Core Realm!¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes brimmed with confidence. He was currently at the late-stage Crystallization Realm. Not its perfected stages, but he had a rock-solid foundation to work upon. With the abundance of spiritual energy at his disposal, the Golden Core Realm seemed within reach.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Su¡¯en went into his quarters and took out an Energy Suppression Disc. Apart from being able to block the aura of cultivators, the disc could also prevent the leakage of spiritual energy when cultivators broke through to a higher realm, which risked causing damage to the surrounding buildings.


    Su¡¯en readied himself for the cultivation process, before awakening all the True Qi in his body. Then, he consumed the ten-thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit.


    The fruit transformed into an enormous stream of spiritual energy that surged into Su¡¯en¡¯s body.


    The realm above the Crystallization Realm was the Golden Core Realm. Nothing unusual about it, except that cultivators had to compress the spiritual energy in their bodies into spiritual juice through their daily cultivation. After cultivators reached the late-stage Crystallization Realm, they would have accumulated ample spiritual juice in their bodies.


    The spiritual juice in Su¡¯en¡¯s body condensed into crystals, from which the Crystallization Realm derived its name. When the Crystallization process was perfected, the crystals in the cultivator¡¯s body would gradually fuse together into the shape of a ball. After which, the cultivator would successfully break through to the Golden Core Realm.


    One¡¯s spiritual energy would no longer be referred to as ¡®True Qi¡¯ then, but ¡®Vital Energy¡¯, or ¡®True Essence¡¯.


    In other words, if spiritual juice was the condensation of spiritual energy, then True Essence was the condensation of True Qi.


    True Essence was unlike True Qi in many ways¨Cit was stronger, more powerful. It was partially why there existed a chasm between the perfected late-stages of the Crystallization Realm and the early-stages of the Golden Core Realm. True Qi was no match for True Essence, provided the cultivation techniques used by both combatants was similar.


    Otherwise, a Crystallization Realm cultivator couldn¡¯t hope to go head-to-head with a Golden Core Realm cultivator!

 Chapter 14

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Su¡¯en and Ye Lingyun barely noticed as time whooshed by, immersed as they were in their cultivation. A month flew by, and the contest between both cities, families, and sects, had arrived.


    Chen Wu led his clansmen in waiting outside of Su¡¯en and Ye Lingyun¡¯s courtyard. He knew that the two Exalted Sect members were in seclusion, so he did not dare to disturb them. However, today was the day of the duel between the two families. If both Exalted Sect disciples failed to show up, it would be as good as the Chen family admitting defeat.


    Brimming with anxiety, Chen Wu busied himself with pacing around the courtyard, afraid of intruding on Su¡¯en and Lingyun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Father. The two Exalted Disciples wouldn¡¯t have forgotten about the duel. Let¡¯s continue waiting!¡± Chen Ziling urged, noting her father¡¯s distressed expression.


    ¡°What other choice do we have?¡± Chen Wu sighed and nodded.


    Meanwhile, in his quarters, Su¡¯en opened his eyes.


    An even more powerful aura surged out from his body. Cracks appeared in the array formation cast by the Energy Suppression Disc, as if threatening to shatter!


    ¡°The early-stages of the Golden Core Realm!¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s lips curved into a broad grin. He had finally broken through!


    As expected of the Divine Spirit Fruit, the spiritual energy within it was even richer than he had imagined. Without the ten-thousand-year-old fruit, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to advance from the late-stages of the Crystallization Realm to the early-stages of the Golden Core Realm in just a month, even after his spiritual juice had been Crystallized.


    He extended his hand, and Divine Lightning Sword Qi gradually condensed and manifested at his fingertips.


    Compared to before, the sword formed by his Divine Lightning Sword Qi was surrounded by a powerful aura, so vivid that even the lightning patterns on the blade were visible.


    This was the difference between True Qi and True Essence¨Ca yawning gulf of power.


    ¡°With my Heaven Realm cultivation technique¨Cthe Divine Lightning Sword Technique¨CI wonder if I¡¯ll be able to go up against a Golden Core master!¡±


    Of course, if the Golden Core master in question had cultivated an Earth-rank cultivation technique, the answer would be a decisive ¡®no¡¯. However, some of the sect elders in the Heavenly Domain were only at the Golden Core Realm, with mere Profound-rank cultivation techniques. Golden Core or not, Su¡¯en was sure he was stronger than these cultivators.


    He retracted the Divine Lightning Sword in his hand and looked at his Energy Sea, in which floated a golden sphere.


    This was the Golden Core!


    A steady stream of vitality emerged from the Golden Core Mountain, filling his Energy Sea.


    Golden Core Realm cultivation focused on refining one¡¯s newfound vitality into nourishment of one¡¯s Golden Core, gradually enriching the latter. Golden Cores were ranked from first-grade to ninth-grade. Once a Golden Core reached the ninth-grade, it could nurture a spirit embryo. This would then pave the way to enter the Spirit Convocation Realm. However, it was a challenging process that demanded much time and resources.


    Su¡¯en¡¯s current Golden Core was at the second-grade. As for why his cultivation was so rapid, it was mainly because his foundation had been stable within the Foundation Establishment Realm¨Cand, of course, the aid of the ten-thousand-year-old Divine Spirit Fruit. Without them, it would have probably taken him decades.


    ¡°BOOM!¡±


    As Su¡¯en put away the Energy Suppression Disc, a powerful presence came from outside the building, traveling towards his courtyard.


    He could hear the noise of buildings collapsing, punctuated by terrified shrieks.


    When he sensed the source of the aura, Su¡¯en looked delighted.


    ¡°The aura of the Crystallization Realm. Looks like my junior has also successfully broken through.¡±


    He walked out of the door and was greeted by a cloud of dust. His junior¡¯s quarters were next to his; after the building had collapsed, the courtyard connecting their quarters had also crumbled.


    The aura of a cultivator¡¯s breakthrough was not so easily suppressed. Often, it would radiate out into their surroundings. The higher the realm one broke into, the more earth-shaking the resultant power. It was why he¡¯d chosen to use the Energy Suppression Disc before going into seclusion. Without it, once he had broken through to the Golden Core Realm, the aura that had erupted from him might have collapsed all the buildings within hundreds of thousands of feet. It might even have killed some mortals, or individuals of low cultivation levels.


    Mainly because this was the mortal world, not the Heavenly Domain, and the framework of the two were different.


    In a flash, Su¡¯en appeared in front of Chen Wu and his retinue, shielding them from Ye Lingyun¡¯s aura.


    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief behind him. Most of them were only at the Qi Refinement Realm, except Chen Wu, who was at the Foundation Establishment Realm. But even he was only at its early-stages; if the aura had pierced him, it would kill him on the spot. Only an Exalted Sect member could withstand it.


    ¡°Thank you, Exalted Disciple!¡±


    After coming back to his senses, Chen Wu hurriedly bowed to Su¡¯en in gratitude. But when he saw the buildings that had collapsed around him, there was resignation in his eyes.


    ¡°It was an oversight on my part. I forgot to warn her.¡± Su¡¯en felt bashful¨Che had assumed his junior would know to set up her Energy Suppression Disc before her seclusion, so he had failed to remind her.


    He looked back at the destroyed building, just in time to see a slender figure emerge from the dust. Protected by an aura of blue True Qi, the dust didn¡¯t drift towards them.


    It was Ye Lingyun, who had successfully entered the Crystallization Realm. When she caught sight of Su¡¯en, she quickened her pace and ran toward him, smiling.


    ¡°Senior, I did it!¡±


    ¡°Impressive!¡±


    Su¡¯en nodded in satisfaction. Just as he had planned, his junior had broken through. Advancing from the Foundation Establishment Realm to the Crystallization Realm came with a more apparent power leap than breaking through from the Crystallization Realm to the Golden Core Realm. He of all people knew that well.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ye Lingyun was motionless for a moment as she took in the rubble around her. Then her face turned red and she blurted, ¡°My apologies. I forgot I¡¯m not in the Heavenly Domain anymore!¡±


    In the Heavenly Domain, the aura of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator breaking through to the Crystallization Realm wouldn¡¯t leave a scratch on the buildings of the Dao Sect. Ye Lingyun was so used to cultivating in the Dao Sect that she had forgotten she was currently in the mortal world.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Exalted Disciple,¡± Chen Wu said as he approached her. ¡°Compared to your increase in power, the Chen family considers this damage an honorable sacrifice!¡± At first, he had been at a loss, but the Exalted Disciple¡¯s breakthrough had restored his spirits. He was even more confident they would be able to win ownership of the spirit stone mine today!


    Smiling, Su¡¯en glanced at Chen Wu. This family was an interesting one indeed.


    ¡°Exalted Disciple, it¡¯s almost time. Shall we leave?¡± Chen Wu asked.


    ¡°Of course. Lead the way!¡±

 Chapter 15

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    The spirit stone mine which had been discovered by the Chen family was located at the intersection between Guanyu City and Black Cloud City. It was surrounded by mountains and lush forests, and occasionally, the roar of magical beasts would rumble through the air. The duel was set to take place on the plains above the spirit stone mine, which would be claimed by the winner.


    The Wang family of Black Cloud City had already arrived with the Nether Saber Sect in tow. There was a sea of people watching, probably thousands of them. The Wang family were dressed in armored uniforms, like soldiers ready for battle, while the members of the Nether Saber Sect wore black tights and a look of arrogance in their eyes. Not uncharacteristic haughtiness for a sect which practiced saber techniques.


    ¡°Exalted Disciple, it looks like the Chen family and their sect didn¡¯t dare to show up,¡± the head of the Wang family said, practically simpering with flattery. ¡°The Dao Sect must have known they were too weak to be a match for you. Do you think we should wait longer, or leave?¡±


    His words filled the disciples of the Nether Saber Sect with disdain. Although they weren¡¯t the most prestigious sect in the Heavenly Domain, they had nothing to fear from the Dao Sect.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep waiting. If they¡¯re not here in two hours, we¡¯ll leave!¡± said the disciple at the head of the sect. He was Wei Pan, the seventh direct disciple of the Nether Saber Sect. His cultivation levels had reached the mid-stages of the Crystallization Realm, on the verge of breaking through to its late-stages.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± The head of the Wang family retreated to the back of the crowd in hasty obedience.


    ¡°Elder Lin, do you consider a duel between mere juniors worthy of your attention?¡± Wei Pan turned sideways and looked at a middle-aged man in a black robe.


    ¡°I still remember my feud with the Dao Sect from long ago. I haven¡¯t paid them back in kind yet. How can I give this martial arts contest a miss? Remember, when the fighting starts, show no mercy. Pummel them to the ground!¡±


    Elder Lin¡¯s voice was full of icy indifference. When he had returned to the sect, he had happened to meet Wei Pan and the others. After asking what was going on, he had followed them over. No average joe from the Dao Sect would be able to beat him¨Cnot in his current realm¨Cbut crippling one of them might warm his heart.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll see to it. And I might not even have to intervene.¡±


    Wei Pan¡¯s spine straightened with pride. He had studied the Way before arriving, and he knew the Dao Sect was one of the weakest sects in the Heavenly Domain. The true disciple of the Dao Sect seemed to be only at the perfected late-stages of the Foundation Establishment Realm¨Cnot even the Crystallization Realm. What good was such an unworthy opponent? Any of his juniors could send a weakling like that to a slow and painful death.


    Two hours passed quickly as they chatted.


    ¡°So the Dao Sect really is too afraid to show themselves,¡± Wei Pan jeered loudly between laughter. ¡°What a pity, Elder Lin. You won¡¯t be able to see the look on their faces when they¡¯re bloody and bruised.¡±


    ¡°How cowardly,¡± Elder Lin said disdainfully.


    ¡°Over there!¡± someone from the Wang family shouted suddenly.


    Everyone turned toward the voice. Not far away, a group of people was walking towards them.


    It was the Chen family.


    ¡°What do you know¡­ they had the guts to turn up after all. Are they that eager to die?¡± Wei Pan¡¯s eyes were full of mockery.


    ¡°Senior, let me fight them!¡± piped up a skinny disciple with slitted, ruthless eyes.


    ¡°Sure!¡± Wei Pan nodded. This disciple was at the early-stages of the Crystallization Realm; he¡¯d be more than a match for the Dao Sect disciples, who had yet to break through to the Crystallization Realm.


    ¡°Chen Wu, why are you so late? I thought you had given up and didn¡¯t dare to come!¡± the head of the Wang family called out, emboldened by the presence of the Nether Saber Sect.


    ¡°I was giving you the chance to admit defeat. Since you¡¯re too proud to walk away, don¡¯t expect any mercy later!¡± Chen Wu shot back in mockery.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. You make yourself sound like such a saint. Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll be half as gracious when you lose later,¡± the head of the Wang family said indignantly.


    Both families had arrived to settle their dispute. The head of the Wang family quickly retreated to the back of the throng.


    ¡°Exalted Disciple, we¡¯re counting on you!¡±


    Likewise, Chen Wu slunk back to make room for Su¡¯en and Ye Lingyun.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Su¡¯en nodded and walked forward.


    ¡°Are you the most senior true disciple of the Dao Sect?¡± Wei Pan gave Su¡¯en a once-over. ¡°You¡¯ve got some guts, coming here.¡± Meanwhile, he wondered why he could not see Su¡¯en¡¯s cultivation level. He must have used some shielding methods; it was the only reasonable explanation.


    ¡°What¡¯s so scary about settling a little spat?¡± Su¡¯en beamed, voice placid.


    ¡°A little spat?¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s relaxed tone and words caused Wei Pan¡¯s gaze to darken. The Dao Sect was weak. They were clearly less powerful than the Nether Saber Sect, but still dared to throw their weight around them. He was a little taken aback.


    ¡°How dare you!¡±


    The other disciples of the Nether Saber Sect burst out into protests.


    Wei Pan raised his hand to silence his juniors, then said threateningly, ¡°With that big talk, I take it you¡¯re pretty confident in your abilities. Then surely you understand that casualties in battle are only to be expected.¡±


    ¡°Yes, and¡­?¡± Su¡¯en said pleasantly.


    Wei Pan was irritated by his calm demeanor. He was clearly but an average fighter¨Cwhat right did he have to be so fearless? Immediately, he said, ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll show you the cost of being all bark and no bite.¡±


    But Su¡¯en merely smiled coolly.


    ¡°With so few of you? I doubt that.¡±


    Wei Pan and his other disciples broke out into outraged laughter.


    ¡°Interesting. I¡¯ve met suicidal maniacs before, but none like you. You think all of us can¡¯t beat the two of you?¡± Wei Pan continued to size up Su¡¯en and Ye Lingyun. A perfected late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator and an early-stage Crystallization Realm cultivator. Who were they to be so cocky?


    ¡°Even without my senior, I could take on all of you,¡± a voice said coldly.


    Ye Lingyun stepped out from her place by Su¡¯en¡¯s side and ran a frosty stare over the disciples of the Nether Saber Sect.


    Her body was ready. Without waiting, she attacked.

 Chapter 16

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Ye Lingyun¡¯s voice was as calm and frigid as ice, carrying over the crowd. Everyone was shocked.


    Su¡¯en, too, looked at her in surprise. He¡¯d thought of his junior as taciturn, cold and aloof to outsiders. He hadn¡¯t expected her to make such bold declarations. However, when he recalled Ye Lingyun¡¯s aptitude and the Legacy cultivation technique he had given her, perhaps there was a basis to her confidence after all.


    Su¡¯en knew the Nether Saber Sect disciples only cultivated Profound-rank saber techniques. Only their masters could cultivate Earth-rank cultivation techniques, if at all¨Ccertainly not the disciples in front of him. Even if Ye Lingyun was only at the early-stages of the Crystallization Realm, they were no match for her!


    ¡°One of you? Against all of us?¡± Wei Pan glared at Ye Lingyun with malice after her words had sunken in. Although her lovely face had caught him momentarily off-guard, her arrogance had infuriated him too much to pay attention to her appearance. ¡°You¡¯re only in the early-stages of the Crystallization Realm, and you dare speak to us like that? How cocky can you be?¡± he sneered.


    Did this girl from the Dao Sect think that she could act all high-and-mighty just because she was at the Crystallization Realm? Had the Chen family not informed the Dao Sect of their opponents¡¯ cultivation levels? It had to be common knowledge that all disciples of the Nether Saber Sect were at the early-stages of the Crystallization Realm or above.


    ¡°Senior, there¡¯s no need to waste your breath on them.¡± One of the disciples of the Nether Saber Sect stepped forward, eyes alight with murderous intent. ¡°The Nether Saber Sect hasn¡¯t made headlines recently, so even the pathetic Dao Sect thinks they can look down on us. Let me teach them a lesson!¡±


    ¡°Permission granted.¡± Wei Pan nodded. ¡°Give them a few happy souvenirs to crawl away with.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Senior!¡±


    The disciple¡¯s name was Wang Sen. It had been decades since he had joined the Nether Saber Sect, but he was only at the early-stages of the Crystallization Realm. He would make them eat their words¨Cwithout a shred of mercy!


    With a dark expression, Wang Sen walked up, brandished his machete, and pointed it at Ye Lingyun. ¡°Go on. Let¡¯s see if the Dao Sect can put their money where their mouth is!¡±


    Ye Lingyun didn¡¯t say anything. Slowly, she drew her sword, a faint aura of lightning rippling off its surface.


    ¡°Wild Wave Saber Technique!¡±


    Without hesitation, Wang Sen charged at Ye Lingyun, machete in hand. The swinging machete stirred up a gust of wind, ready to tear his opponent apart.


    ¡°Wang Sen¡¯s saber technique has gotten stronger!¡±


    Not taking the duel seriously, the disciples of the Nether Saber Sect began chatting amongst themselves. How worthy of their attention could a girl in the early-stage Crystallization Realm be?


    ¡°That little girl won¡¯t be able to resist Junior Wang Sen¡¯s saber technique. It¡¯s a shame about that pretty face, though.¡±


    As if on cue, Ye Lingyun moved. Golden lightning spread throughout her body, making her look strikingly regal. There was nothing natural about it.


    ¡°Golden Lightning Sword Technique, Level One: Descend!¡±


    Ye Lingyun stabbed her blade forward, and a huge lightning dragon appeared in the air with a noise like thunder.


    Instantly, Wang Sen began to waver under its lightning aura.


    ¡°Damn it!¡±


    Wang Sen felt his body go paralyzed under the lightning dragon¡¯s gaze. If it even so much as approached him, it would result in one of two things: severe injury or death!


    ¡°What kind of technique is this?¡±


    Before he could think further, the lightning dragon roared and charged at him¨Cfast as lightning, loud as thunder.


    ¡°Bloody hell!¡±


    With all his strength, Wang Sen summoned every last drop of True Qi in his body. His Wild Wave Saber Technique became even more vigorous, a last desperate attempt at defense.


    But how could his Profound-rank cultivation technique block an Earth-rank inheritance technique: the Golden Lightning Sword Technique?


    The moment the two auras came into contact, the saber wind Wang Sen had summoned broke apart. The lightning dragon descended upon Wang Sen like a storm. Lightning surged through his body, and blood burst from his lips.


    The lightning dragon exploded.


    Wang Sen flew backward and hit the ground.


    When everyone saw his appearance, they couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Wang Sen¡¯s entire body was charred black. It was impossible to tell if he was alive.


    For a moment, there was absolute silence¨Cespecially among the disciples of the Nether Saber Sect. They had been so certain Wang Sen would win, only for him to be crushed with a single move. For all they knew, he was dead.


    ¡°Junior!¡±


    The disciples rushed over to help Wang Sen up. When they made contact with his severely wounded body, a numbing sensation shot through them.


    ¡°What move was that? It¡¯s too powerful!¡±


    Wei Pan¡¯s dark expression turned grave. ¡°Could it be an Earth-rank cultivation technique?¡± The saber technique he cultivated was of a high-grade Profound-rank cultivation technique, but even it couldn¡¯t compare to an Earth-rank technique.


    ¡°It really is an Earth-rank cultivation technique!¡± Elder Lin said grimly. ¡°The Sword of Spells!¡± The Sword of Spells was a sword technique with the power of mimicry. Not only could one use it to cast talismans, but execute sword techniques, too.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the Dao Sect at the bottom of the Heavenly Domain? How can they have an Earth-rank cultivation technique?¡± Wei Pan was in disbelief. Only then did he realize that he had underestimated his opponent and the strength of the Dao Sect.


    It was unfathomable¨Chow had an early-stage Crystallization Realm disciple cultivated such a rare Earth-rank cultivation technique?


    According to his understanding, only disciples who had made huge contributions to the sect were qualified to cultivate Earth-rank cultivation techniques. Even he wasn¡¯t qualified to cultivate one yet!


    ¡°Although the Dao Sect is weak now, they produced three Heavenly Lords in the past,¡± Elder Lin said. He was silent for a moment before continuing. ¡°The power of an Earth-rank cultivation technique is already beyond the imagination of ordinary people. If a cultivator¡¯s grasp on it is sound enough, they can bypass huge distances to fight their enemies. It¡¯s up to you now. The rest of them won¡¯t be able to stand up to her.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    If this girl from the Dao Sect could defeat Wang Sen, his other juniors wouldn¡¯t be her match, either.


    Only he had a chance against her.


    He hoped that this girl wasn¡¯t a master of Earth-rank cultivation techniques just yet!

 Chapter 17

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    What was even more worrying was that it was a female Dao Sect disciple who had become so powerful¨Chow much more powerful would that white-robed fellow beside her be?


    Wei Pan felt ill at ease. Were there no reliable sources of information in the Heavenly Domain? The Dao Sect, the supposedly weakest sect of them all, had managed to pose such a headache in this simple duel!


    ¡°Father, the Exalted Disciple is so strong!¡± Chen Ziling exclaimed, eyes wide.


    Before their arrival, the Chen family had had little faith in their odds of winning today¡¯s contest. From what they knew, the Dao Sect was weaker than the Nether Saber Sect. But they had far exceeded the Chen family¡¯s expectations today¨Cdefeating a disciple of the Nether Saber Sect in one move!


    Amazing! There¡¯s hope for us after all, Chen Wu thought excitedly in his heart, though his exterior was calm. As the head of the Chen family, he still had to take his image into account and keep his emotions hidden.


    Meanwhile, the Wang family was stunned, wondering if their eyes had deceived them. Had a member of the sect they served really just been beaten so effortlessly?


    ¡°Who¡¯s next?¡± Ye Lingyun looked at the remaining disciples of the Nether Saber Sect, whose contemptuous gazes had turned grave as stone. Their skills were on par with Wang Sen¡¯s¨Cif he couldn¡¯t stand up to the move Ye Lingyun had used, how could they?


    ¡°Me,¡± Wei Pan said.


    Whoever won two out of three duels today would walk away victorious. The Nether Saber Sect had already lost the first round; if Wei Pan was beaten too, it would seal their defeat. And if word got round in the Heavenly Domain that they had been defeated in a martial arts contest in the mortal world, they would lose face.


    In other words, he had to win.


    She may have an Earth-rank cultivation technique, but it can¡¯t be that easy to comprehend and wield. She¡¯s only at the early-stage Crystallization Realm. I¡¯m in the late-stages, almost perfected. I still have a chance of winning! Wei Pan thought about the battle ahead. As he did, he walked to the center of the arena and met Ye Lingyun¡¯s eyes.


    There was an eerie silence. No one made a sound.


    Su¡¯en stood nearby, watching them. Wei Pan¡¯s cultivation levels were high; already in the late-stage Crystallization Realm. Judging from his age, he likely had the edge in combat experience. He and Ye Lingyun were more or less evenly-matched in terms of strength. The winner would be determined by each of their performances right then and there.


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    Wei Pan launched into attack. Instead of drawing his saber, he charged at Ye Lingyun, closing the distance between them in the space of a breath!


    You can¡¯t possibly be faster than this, Wei Pan thought, eyes blazing viciously.


    Then he brandished his blade and slashed at Ye Lingyun¡¯s neck.


    The saber¡¯s aura was truly fearsome. But Ye Lingyun¡¯s expression didn¡¯t even waver. As if anticipating his move, she leaped back, then thrust her own sword upwards.


    The clash of blades rang out in rapid succession, interlocking several times in just a few seconds, sending sparks flying with each blow.


    It can¡¯t be.


    Wei Pan was shocked¨Cshe¡¯d read his intention to engage her in close combat. At the start of the duel, he¡¯d guessed from her youth that she had less combat experience. Hence, he¡¯d decided to take the fight to her directly and crush her with his years of experience in battle! But once they started exchanging blows, he quickly realized he had been wrong. This female disciple was no novice in close-quarters combat. In fact, she might even have more experience than him!


    Looks like there¡¯s more to my junior than she lets on. Su¡¯en could tell that Ye Lingyun¡¯s skills went beyond mere natural talent. Battle tactics and reaction speed were honed in combat; they weren¡¯t gifted to you from birth. The ongoing duel made clear that Ye Lingyun¡¯s background wasn¡¯t as straightforward as he had imagined.


    While Su¡¯en was lost in contemplation, Ye Lingyun used a breathtaking sword technique to force Wei Pan back.


    Then she unleashed her Earth-rank cultivation technique.


    ¡°Golden Lightning Sword Technique: Descend!¡±


    The lightning dragon from before, surrounded by the same lightning aura, charged towards Wei Pan.


    But Wei Pan was no ordinary disciple, either. His hands, clutching his saber, continued to radiate True Qi, and the movement of his blades became a blur.


    ¡°True Sword Technique!¡±


    A majestic black aura emerged from the saber, and Wei Pan lunged.


    There was a violent explosion as their blades met. Dust swarmed the sky and spread to the vicinity in a great cloud.


    When the smoke cleared, both Ye Lingyun and Wei Pan were unharmed.


    ¡°Your cultivation is still too weak. Otherwise, you would have killed me with that blow.¡± Wei Pan looked Ye Lingyun in the eye, face serious. ¡°An Earth-rank cultivation technique is indeed powerful, but how many more times can you use your remaining True Qi? Once? Maybe twice? Just give up.¡±


    Ye Lingyun made no reply. Only her hand, curled around the grip of her sword, suddenly relaxed.


    Give up?


    No way.


    Ye Lingyun took a deep breath. The aura radiating from her body became even more ferocious.


    ¡°Golden Lightning Sword Technique, second-level: Guide!¡±


    As soon as she spoke, Ye Lingyun¡¯s True Qi dried up, and her face turned pale. At the same time, two lightning dragons appeared out of thin air and circled each other.


    To everyone¡¯s shock, both dragons kept emanating a deadly aura. No one made a sound.


    ¡°Impossible.¡±


    The two lightning dragons circling each other in the sky shattered Wei Pan¡¯s remaining confidence. How could an Earth-rank cultivation technique be so easy to cultivate? Ordinary people would need decades to cultivate the second level of an Earth-rank cultivation technique. He¡¯d thought this girl only knew the first level of the technique; he hadn¡¯t imagined she would unleash the second level so casually. Against the two lightning dragons, he was little more than an ant waiting to be crushed.


    Summoning the last vestiges of strength in her weakened body, Ye Lingyun slashed her blade downwards.


    The terrifying lightning dragon lunged at Wei Pan.


    ¡°Elder Lin, save me!¡±


    Wei Pan had abandoned all pride in the face of death; he would do anything to survive.


    ¡°Hmph! You don¡¯t know your place, girl. Looks like I have to teach you¨Cand the Dao Sect¨Ca lesson on how to respect your betters!¡± Wei Pan was one of the true disciples of the Nether Saber Sect, and plenty of resources had been poured into his training. Of course Elder Lin would protect him!


    Elder Lin attacked. A black crescent-shaped saber aura appeared in the sky and rushed towards the lightning dragon. With a single slash, the lightning dragon disappeared.


    The crescent-shaped saber aura continued hurling towards Ye Lingyun.


    After using the second level of the Golden Lightning Sword Technique, Ye Lingyun no longer had any True Qi left to summon a defense. There was no way to block the blade.


    Just as the crescent-shaped saber aura was about to touch Ye Lingyun, a bright white lightning sword appeared out of thin air and shattered it.


    ¡°Interfering in a battle between disciples, young man? You must be eager for an early death!¡±


    A cold voice sounded, its murderous intent making everyone tremble.


    Everyone looked toward its source. To the sky, where a white-robed figure hovered.

 Chapter 18

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Floating in the sky, Su¡¯en¡¯s gaze was cold.


    He¡¯d seen the black-robed figure when he¡¯d arrived, but he hadn¡¯t attacked, and Su¡¯en hadn¡¯t been able to gauge his cultivation level. But now, he realized the man was a Golden Core Realm cultivator. In ordinary sects, a Golden Core Realm cultivator could be elevated to the status of an elder.


    ¡°An elder, attacking a disciple. Is that what the Nether Saber Sect is worth?¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s voice was frosty.


    Instead of replying, Elder Lin stared at Su¡¯en intently. Slowly, he said, ¡°You¡¯re a Golden Core Realm cultivator!¡±


    Everyone was shocked, especially Wei Pan, who had survived after all.


    The tales of the Dao Sect¡¯s weakness must have been false. This disciple, the most senior of them, likely possessed great power. But Wei Pan hadn¡¯t expected him to be this strong. Su¡¯en looked young, in his twenties at most, and it took twenty years to enter the Golden Core Realm, under the tutelage of a high-level sect in the Heavenly Domain. How had the Dao Sect achieved it? Wei Pan¡¯s own natural aptitude was decent, but he had only entered the late-stage Crystallization Realm after more than thirty years of cultivation.


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    Ye Lingyun¡¯s eyes were also full of shock. She¡¯d thought she was going to die, only for her senior to save her. What¡¯s more: he had broken through to the Golden Core Realm! Three months ago, he had only been at the late-stage Crystallization Realm. How had his cultivation advanced so rapidly, with merely average talent?


    For a moment, Ye Lingyun was stunned. Su¡¯en had become even more mysterious and perplexing.For the first time, she realized her senior was not half as simple as he seemed.


    ¡°You must be an elder in the Nether Saber Sect. Have you forgotten the rules of the Heavenly Domain?¡± Su¡¯en asked slowly.


    Elder Lin¡¯s expression darkened.The laws of the Heavenly Domain stipulated that elders could not interfere in grudges between the disciples. Otherwise, they would be severely punished. It was a grave offense, one that might cost him his cultivation powers!


    ¡°Watch your tone, brat. Being a Golden Core Realm cultivator doesn¡¯t make you my equal,¡± Elder Lin sneered. ¡°Our Sect Master has already broken through to the Spirit Convocation Realm and is about to become one with the primordial spirits. Once he succeeds, we will become a powerful sect in the Heavenly Domain. Do you really think the higher-level sects will punish me on behalf of a weak sect like yours?¡± Even a high-level sect would take a Nascent Soul Realm master seriously, whose power gave them the right to no longer be called ordinary Daoists.


    Laughing, Su¡¯en jeered back, furious. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll spare them the trouble. I¡¯ll deal with you myself!¡±


    Although Elder Lin had withheld his full strength earlier, he might have severely wounded Ye Lingyun, if he hadn¡¯t killed her. If something had really happened, he might have lost his cultivation powers! It was already against the rules for an elder to interfere in a dispute between disciples, but such ruthlessness might strip him of his cultivation abilities.


    If he let this elder off easily, how could he call himself the most senior disciple of the Dao Sect?


    ¡°How dare you!¡± Elder Lin¡¯s expression was contorted. ¡°Although we are both at the Golden Core Realm, you are only at its early-stages, whereas I am already at its mid-stages. How can a junior like you compare to my years of cultivation?¡±


    ¡°Enough talk. Show me just how powerful the Nether Saber Sect is.¡±


    Not wasting time, Su¡¯en sailed through the air. When one¡¯s cultivation reached the Golden Core Realm, they would be able to fly.


    ¡°Then take a good look!¡±


    Elder Lin wouldn¡¯t back down in front of so many people. Still, he was wary of Su¡¯en. Even the female disciples of the Dao Sect knew Earth-rank cultivation techniques, let alone their most senior disciple! Therefore, he was facing a Golden Core Realm cultivator who knew Earth-rank cultivation techniques.


    It would be foolish to judge strength by realm alone. The Nether Saber Sect also possessed knowledge of a low-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique, but only the direct line of the sect master could cultivate this cultivation technique. Elder Lin was an outsider to this lineage and couldn¡¯t cultivate the technique, unless he made a huge contribution to the sect.


    If he had an Earth-rank cultivation technique, he wouldn¡¯t be concerned about some brat who had just entered the Golden Core Realm.


    ¡°You can make the first move, brat. Don¡¯t let it be said that I¡¯m bullying the weak!¡± Elder Lin chose his words deliberately. After all, he was still an elder. If he attacked first, it would be humiliating. Besides, he wanted to see how strong Su¡¯en was.


    ¡°Me first? I hope you don¡¯t regret it!¡± Su¡¯en laughed. This old man was about to die, and he still cared about his pride. Wasn¡¯t he afraid to go out in disgrace, then?


    In that case, there was no point holding back.


    Su¡¯en exhaled, raising his right hand and holding out his index and middle fingers vertically in front of him.


    In an instant, his aura changed. It was as if a tsunami had erupted from a placid sea.


    A powerful aura burst from Su¡¯en¡¯s body. A destructive aura of Divine Lightning crackled in the air and gradually condensed.


    It made for a jaw-dropping sight. A second later, something even more shocking happened.


    Above Su¡¯en¡¯s head, a huge white sword slowly appeared. The sword constantly emitted a lightning aura, and its deadly power was terrifying.


    ¡°Divine Lightning Sword Technique, Annihilation Form!¡±


    An aura with the potential to destroy the world enveloped the entire mountain range. To their terror, almost everyone could feel it. Especially the Chen and Wang families. Most of them were only at the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment Realms, and the rest of them were mere mortals. Never before had they seen something so terrifying!


    The sheer force of the aura alone was too much for them. What had happened in the contest today had completely exceeded their imagination. First, a disciple of the Nether Saber Sect had been defeated in one blow by the Dao Sect. Then a Nether Saber Sect elder had attacked a disciple of the Dao Sect, only to be stopped by their most senior disciple, a Golden Core Realm cultivator.


    The whole saga had frightened them. In the past, there had been disputes between families and duels between sects, but only the disciples had fought. Today, an elder had attacked!


    ¡°Is this the strength of the Dao Sect?¡± Chen Ziling¡¯s eyes widened, filled with admiration and longing.


    Today¡¯s events had made clear to her the power of cultivation!

 Chapter 19

    Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios


    Forget everyone else¨Ceven Elder Lin was stunned!


    He had expected the most senior disciple of the Dao Sect to use the same cultivation technique as the female disciple from earlier. But Elder Lin didn¡¯t recognize this technique, nor was he able to guess its grade.


    Elder Lin had been a cultivator for nearly a hundred years, and had a fair understanding of the levels and grades of cultivation techniques. But not the move Su¡¯en had just executed. However, he felt like he was being torn apart from the aura it emitted alone.


    This was at least a high-grade Earth-rank technique!


    Not a Heaven Realm technique, though, that was impossible. Heaven Realm cultivation techniques could only be possessed by high-level sects. The Dao Sect¡¯s influence had been waning for many years; there was no way they still had a Heaven Realm technique in their possession.


    ¡°This is bad.¡±


    After recovering from his shock, Elder Lin began to panic. He couldn¡¯t fathom how the Dao Sect, the lowest of the sects in the Heavenly Domain, had gotten their hands on two such astounding cultivation techniques¨Ceach one more powerful than the last!


    The Nether Saber Sect¡¯s strength was supposed to be twice that of the Dao Sect, but the latter¡¯s performance today defied all logic.


    ¡°You need to block my attack, you know?¡± Su¡¯en taunted, waving his fingers downward. The great sword of Divine Lightning hovering in the air was already aimed at Elder Lin.


    In the face of such power, Elder Lin broke out in a cold sweat and swallowed nervously.


    There was no escape!


    With a thought, the floating Divine Lightning Sword came plunging down toward Elder Lin.


    ¡°Damn it! Dark Wheel Technique!¡± Elder Lin couldn¡¯t just beg a disciple for mercy, so he could only attempt to defend himself.


    With a flick of the long saber in his band, black wheels formed a shield over his body: the signature defensive technique of the Nether Saber Sect, a high-grade Profound-rank technique.


    Unfortunately, its lower rank meant that it couldn¡¯t resist an Earth-rank technique, let alone a Heaven-rank one. His defense couldn¡¯t withstand Su¡¯en¡¯s Sword Qi, condensed from his breath of lightning. It vanished, like paper crumpling in flames.


    ¡°Young man, don¡¯t be hasty. We can still settle this through negotiation¨Care you certain you want a fight to the death with the Nether Saber Sect?¡± Elder Lin shouted hurriedly, straining under the force of Su¡¯en¡¯s attack.


    ¡°It¡¯s your sect that gave me no choice!¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s stare was blank as he piled on the strength of his Divine Lightning Sword Technique, heedless of Elder Lin. The boost from his True Qi made the aura of his Divine Lightning even more terrifying.


    Elder Lin¡¯s defensive technique stood no chance. There was a splintering sound as his shield shattered, the old man unable to hold out any longer.


    The moment the Divine Lightning Sword touched Elder Lin, it turned into several bolts of lightning that surged through him.


    The Sword Qi pierced through his body and tore it apart. Blood burst out, staining the grass bright red!


    The Divine Lightning aura charred Elder Lin¡¯s body, cauterizing the flow of his blood. He lay on the ground, wailing in pain. His cries intensified when he realized he could no longer feel his True Qi.


    ¡°My¡­ my Energy Sea!¡±


    The Divine Lightning aura had wreaked havoc on Elder Lin¡¯s body. Not only had it destroyed his cheekbones, but his Energy Sea as well!


    ¡°F*cking hell!¡± With that, Elder Lin closed his eyes and fainted.


    ¡°Elder Lin!¡± Wei Pan hollered.


    Elder Lin was an elder of the sect; he had only been reduced to such a state because he had leapt to Wei Pan¡¯s defense. His bones and tendons were all broken, and his Energy Sea had been crippled. Without the right healing medicine, it was impossible for him to recover! He was also shocked that the Nether Saber Sect had lost a Golden Core Realm cultivation expert¨Cit was a blow to the strength of the sect!


    Wei Pan looked at Su¡¯en, who was still hovering in the air, not giving the other disciple a single glance. Su¡¯en¡¯s stance invoked helplessness in Wei Pan. He didn¡¯t even dare entertain the thought of revenge¨Cit was simply impossible. And he was far too frightened, anyway.


    A twenty-something year old cultivator, already in the Golden Core Realm. What realms would he break into in the future?


    Today, the Nether Saber Sect had found a formidable opponent in him.


    But asking the master of their sect to take action against him wasn¡¯t an option; the regulatory authorities of the Blue Sea Sect monitored the movements of all the sects in the Heavenly Domain closely. If their sect master stepped out of line, they would have to answer to the Blue Sea Sect.


    Su¡¯en waved his hand, and the remaining Divine Lightning Breath and Divine Lightning Sword Qi in Elder Lin¡¯s body flew back into him. Elder Lin¡¯s broken body fell onto the grass.


    Wei Pan glanced at Su¡¯en and said, ¡°You win today¡¯s contest!¡±


    Then he turned around and left with all his junior disciples.


    The head of the Wang family opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but when he thought of the tragic end the sect elder had met, he chose to shut up and follow them silently.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Su¡¯en floated down from the sky and came to Ye Lingyun¡¯s side. When he saw how pale she was, he sent a stream of True Qi into her body. But Ye Lingyun had exhausted her own Qi, and even with Su¡¯en¡¯s efforts, she could barely move.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior,¡± Ye Lingyun said, a smile forming on her ashen face.


    ¡°You performed very well in the duel earlier. I didn¡¯t expect you to master the second level of an Earth-rank cultivation technique in just a few months!¡± Su¡¯en laughed.


    There were many types of Earth-rank cultivation techniques, but they all had one thing in common: they were extremely difficult to cultivate.Not only did it require an acute understanding of the technique, but it also demanded a large amount of resources.


    The Golden Lightning Sword Technique that Ye Lingyun had cultivated was different from his Divine Lightning Sword Technique.The Golden Lightning Sword Technique was a spell-type cultivation technique that required greater depth of understanding. On the other hand, the Divine Lightning Sword Technique needed one to cultivate a sword embryo, and hence called for greater resources, including absorbing a large amount of Divine Lightning.


    ¡°That was nothing compared to the technique you executed, Senior.¡± The True Qi restored some energy to Ye Lingyun¡¯s body. Her lovely eyes met Su¡¯en¡¯s as she smiled.


    Hearing his junior¡¯s words, Su¡¯en could only cough and smile. He didn¡¯t want to expose how he had broken through to his current realm, or how he had obtained his cultivation technique. It would be a long story anyway.


    That being said, who knew a Golden Core Realm cultivator from the Nether Saber Sect would attack them? No one had been around to help Ye Lingyun, only him. To stay put would have been to put his junior¡¯s life in danger.


    How could he have just stood there?


    Admittedly, he had wanted to test his power too, but he hadn¡¯t expected his opponent to put up such a pitiful fight.

 Chapter 20 - Opportunity Under the Spirit Stone Mine!

    Chapter 20 Opportunity Under the Spirit Stone Mine!


    Ye Lingyun¡¯s words had been casual, with no intention to probe further. Everyone had their own secrets; she of all people knew that.


    ¡°Exalted Disciple, you are like a god among mortals!¡± Chen Wu walked over with a smile on his face. His eyes were filled with excitement, and his awe of Su¡¯en had only increased. He was elated that the Chen family had won ownership of the spirit stone mine. At the same time, he was even more astounded by Su¡¯en¡¯s strength.


    His battle with Elder Lin was nothing like Chen Wu and his family-mere Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators-had ever seen before! If he had been closer to the battlefield, Su¡¯en¡¯s aura may have paralyzed him for the rest of his life.


    Chen Ziling and the Chen family members standing behind were also very excited. However, conscious of his image, Chen Wu refrained from cheering loudly.


    With such a vast spirit stone mine, the Chen family would no longer need to worry about cultivation resources for the next hundred years. The family might even become stronger!


    ¡°Where is the spirit stone mine? Show me,¡± Su¡¯en suddenly asked.


    He wasn¡¯t particularly interested in the spirit stone mine; a survey had revealed that the Qi here was average at best, and the spirit stones the mine produced would be low-grade. The Qi in the Heavenly Domain was far richer. He wouldn¡¯t pay attention to a mine unless it was above medium-level.


    But he had activated his Opportunity Guidance function, and it had informed him there was an opportunity here. In fact, he had discovered it upon his arrival. However, he had been forced to participate in the duel with the Nether Saber Sect before checking the opportunity out. Now that the matter of the martial arts contest had been resolved, his next step was to locate the opportunity.


    ¡°Exalted Disciple, this way, please!¡± Chen Wu nodded quickly and led the way. He wasn¡¯t worried that Su¡¯en would take an interest in the mine. It was only a low-grade spirit stone mine, and the spirit stones it produced would be of equivalent quality. Even if there were medium-grade spirit stones, they would amount to no more than a few hundred-a meager amount for a sect in the Heavenly Domain.


    The entrance to the spirit stone mine was very close to the venue of their duel, just a stone¡¯s throw away. The path to the mine was a man-made one, dug by whoever had first discovered this place. A deep passage led them downwards. There were many Night Spirit Beads that illuminated the surroundings of the passageway, allowing them to see their surroundings even in the dim light.


    ¡°The spirit stone mine is only a few miles deep, but it has many stones. If we mine them all at once, we should be able to obtain millions of them!¡± Chen Wu explained as he led the way.


    Spirit stones were a natural form of Qi-blue, with no fixed shape. They were a common cultivation resource and could not compare to medicinal pills and spiritual herbs. Of course, the spirit stones here were only low-grade ones. If they had been high-grade spirit stones, or spirit crystals, it would be a different story. Especially spirit crystals, which contained Qi equivalent to a Foundation Establishment Pill.


    Su¡¯en had been too focused on finding his opportunity to pay attention to Chen Wu. He looked at the direction the white dotted line from the system was pointing to and said, ¡°I¡¯ll just have a look around on my own. You don¡¯t need to follow me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that he wanted to conceal the opportunity from them; the place he found said opportunity might be too risky for them. If there was trouble, he would be able to protect himself, but he couldn¡¯t say for certain that he could keep everyone else from harm.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Although he did not understand why the Exalted Disciple was interested in a low-grade spirit stone mine, Chen Wu did not ask why. Instead, he shut his mouth and left with the others.


    After the group had left, Su¡¯en continued down alone. There were many passages here, not just one.


    After taking a turn left, then again, Su¡¯en stopped at a very ordinary wall. In his view, the white dotted line passed through the wall. From the looks of it, the opportunity should be hidden behind the wall.


    So Su¡¯en placed his palm on the wall and channeled his True Qi.


    In an instant, the wall shattered. With a casual wave of his hand, the dust cleared, revealing a cave hidden inside the walls.


    And a golden skeleton sitting on the ground inside.


    ¡°From the looks of it, he must have been a powerhouse when he was alive!¡± Su¡¯en eyed the skeleton warily.


    The skeleton in front of him exuded a pressure. After being dead for so many years, this person¡¯s bones could still emit pressure. How much strength had he wielded in life?


    With that in mind, Su¡¯en stepped inside the cave, body ready and alert. An opportunity was an opportunity. If he encountered danger he couldn¡¯t handle, it would be a huge loss. Especially if the bones in front of him were still emitting pressure. There must have been many cases of renunciation here! Fortunately, Su¡¯en met with no misfortune after walking in. Reaching the skeleton, he saw that there was a box beneath it.


    He opened it and saw a cultivation technique and a bottle of pills inside. Beneath the box were several more lines of writing in blood.


    My name is Sikong. I¡¯m a Buddhist from the West. I was attacked by a demon and was so badly injured that I met my end here. I don¡¯t want Buddhist martial arts to be lost, so I left this cultivation technique behind. If anyone can find this place, they can cultivate it. I also left a Diamond Pill to assist in the cultivation. I only hope that you will send the technique back to the Buddhist Sect after cultivating it!


    After reading the text, Su¡¯en was surprised.


    ¡°A Buddhist?¡±


    The world was huge, divided into five regions. Jingzhou, the Eastern Lands, the Northern Plains, the Southern Dynasty, and the Western Heavens. Jingzhou was the largest and the most suitable place for cultivation, followed by the Western Heavens, which were ruled by the Buddhists. Not only were there vast oceans separating the five regions, but there were also mutated beasts in the water to serve as further barriers. So it wasn¡¯t easy to get from one place to another.


    ¡°Diamond Mystic Body Technique? Mid-grade Earth-rank?¡±


    Excitement filled Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes as he scanned the contents. This was an extremely rare cultivation technique that could transform one¡¯s physical form-and it was of a mid-grade Earth-rank.


    ¡°What a stroke of luck!¡± Su¡¯en muttered to himself. Although cultivators would enhance their physical fitness when they were in the Foundation Establishment Realm, they still relied on True Qi cultivation.


    However, body tempering techniques were different!

 Chapter 21 - Are You Giving Me Something Again?

    Chapter 21 Are You Giving Me Something Again?


    In Jingzhou, there were also some body-tempering cultivation techniques, but the highest was only a Profound-rank cultivation technique. This was because the cultivators in Jingzhou valued the cultivation of True Qi more. Most of them relied on treasures for physical defense. They believed that as long as they cultivated their True Qi to a certain extent, their bodies would gradually be enhanced, and thus did not pay much attention to body-tempering cultivation techniques.


    However, the Buddhists were completely different. They believed that the effects of True Qi were only temporary. They preferred to temper and train their bodies. As long as they cultivated their bodies to the extreme, they wouldn¡¯t need to fear True Qi attacks. They were even capable of certain physical feats that True Qi cultivators weren¡¯t.


    For example, entering the deep sea to fight demonic beasts! The atmospheric pressure in the deep sea was different from land. When True Qi cultivators entered the deep sea, their cultivation techniques might have only one-fifth of their power on ground. Compared to cultivators of body-tempering techniques, whose strength would only be reduced by half.


    Therefore, generally speaking, body-tempering cultivation techniques were the most popular techniques in the Western Heavens. However, this did not mean that Buddhist body-tempering techniques were invincible, only that they preferred to cultivate such cultivation techniques. There were also some body-tempering cultivation techniques in the Heavenly Domain that could be compared to Buddhist ones.


    For example, the Purple Star Sect, one of the high-level sects, was a sect that specialized in body-tempering cultivation techniques! The Purple Star Sect¡¯s supreme scripture was of a top-notch body-tempering cultivation technique. Even the Buddhist Sect did not dare to ignore its existence.


    ¡°With this body-tempering technique, I have a solution to the problem of inadequate physical defense!¡±


    Su¡¯en was ecstatic. The cultivation techniques in the Dao Sect were basically all sword techniques. There were also other types, but too few of them, and all of low grades. He simply couldn¡¯t find the cultivation techniques he wanted.


    ¡°This monk is interesting. He even left a Diamond Pill behind.¡± Su¡¯en removed a small bottle from the box and poured out a golden


    pill.


    The surface of the pill was smooth. Upon closer inspection, he discovered some subtle patterns: stripes that looked like arhats cultivating


    This was also the first time Su¡¯en had seen a Diamond Pill because it was a pill unique to Buddhism. It was not common in Jingzhou. However, Monk Sikong¡¯s message said that the Diamond Pill had been refined from the blood essence of powerful demon beasts and the power of the Buddhist Vajra. After consuming it, one could speed up the cultivation speed of their body-tempering techniques, as well as deepen one¡¯s understanding of said technique.


    ¡°With this Diamond Pill, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to cultivate this Earth-rank body refinement technique!¡±


    Su¡¯en returned the pill to the bottle, thinking, Who should I give this to? His internal conflict was because in the past, he would have given the pill to his junior Ye Lingyun, no questions asked, but now Chen Ziling was an option too. After thinking about it for a while, he made a decision.


    It¡¯s better to give it to Ye Lingyun. There¡¯s plenty of time to give Chen Ziling opportunities in the future.


    Although Chen Ziling was quite talented, he had just met her, and didn¡¯t know much about her character. Best to wait until he knew her better. Then, he could give her something as a congratulatory gift of sorts. As for his junior Ye Lingyun, she had been a part of the Dao Sect for a long time. Wasn¡¯t it normal for a senior to present their junior with a gift?


    ¡°This Diamond Mystic Body Technique is of a medium-grade Earth-rank, one grade higher than the previous Golden Lightning Sword Technique. It might well be a Heaven Realm cultivation technique!¡±


    On the way back, Su¡¯en was filled with anticipation. Heaven Realm cultivation techniques were too rare for them to be common amongst sects in the Heavenly Domain. And now he had one. But who would complain about too many Heaven Realm cultivation techniques?


    Soon, Su¡¯en emerged from the mine. Chen Wu was waiting there with his clansmen.


    Seeing Su¡¯en appear, Chen Wu quickly stepped forward and spoke. ¡°Exalted Disciple, let¡¯s go back. We have a banquet waiting at home!¡±


    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s go!¡± Su¡¯en nodded. Since he had already found the opportunity, there was no need to stay here anymore.


    ¡­¡­¡­..


    When they returned to the Chen family mansion, the entire clan was celebrating. In fact, the whole of Guanyu City knew they had won the contest, and were excitedly discussing how they would no longer have to bow and scrape when encountering members of Black Cloud City in the future. It was common for neighboring cities to get into disputes over simple resources. Therefore, relations between both cities were rather hostile.


    Su¡¯en had little interest in the banquet held by the Chens and found a reason to leave halfway through. Right now, he only wanted to give away the cultivation technique and medicinal pills in his hand, and see how many times his Critical Compensation would be multiplied!


    The moon appeared in the sky with the arrival of night.


    Su¡¯en paid a visit to Ye Lingyun¡¯s courtyard. As usual, she was practicing her cultivation. Illuminated by luminous moonlight, she looked like an otherworldly fairy.


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    Sensing Su¡¯en¡¯s arrival, Ye Lingyun stopped her cultivation and stood up to greet him.


    Most people liked to stay in their rooms when they cultivated so they would not be easily disturbed, but Ye Lingyun preferred to cultivate outdoors, same as when she was in the Heavenly Domain. According to his junior, she enjoyed the sensation of being between heaven and earth, and disliked being in a stuffy, cramped room.


    ¡°How are you? Have you recovered?¡± Su¡¯en asked, smiling.


    ¡°More or less.¡± Ye Lingyun nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be completely fine after cultivating for a few days!¡±


    Before condensing one¡¯s Golden Core, the source of True Qi was one¡¯s Qi and blood. Excessive use of both was equivalent to draining them from one¡¯s body. Hence, most wouldn¡¯t consume too much True Qi, unless as a last resort. However, Ye Lingyun hadn¡¯t wanted to lose the duel. In order to use the second-level of her Golden Lightning Sword Technique, she had chosen to forcefully consume her True Qi.


    ¡°Good to know!¡± Su¡¯en replied, preparing to take out his cultivation technique and medicinal pills, before being interrupted by Ye Lingyun.


    ¡°Senior! Are you planning to give me something again?¡±


    Su¡¯en was speechless. He looked at his cheeky junior, at a loss. Why was his junior so fickle? He shook himself to his senses and coughed to cover up his embarrassment.


    ¡°Ah, my junior knows me so well.¡±


    ¡°Every time you look for me, you seem to give me something.¡± Seeing Su¡¯en¡¯s reaction, Ye Lingyun¡¯s eyes flashed with amusement.

 Chapter 22 - Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique, Bodhi Sarira Pill!

    Chapter 22 Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique, Bodhi Sarira Pill!


    Su¡¯en thought about Ye Lingyun¡¯s words for a moment. That made sense: it seemed like he only came to look for her when he had an opportunity he needed to give her. But then again, what other occasion would he have for finding her? Cultivators were focused on their cultivation; they could go into seclusion for months or even a year at a time. They didn¡¯t have time for idle conversation.


    Shaking his head and choosing not to dwell on the matter, Su¡¯en pushed aside some of the thoughts running through his mind. He took the cultivation technique and the pills out of his pocket. Best that he give the opportunity away and receive the Critical Compensation first.


    ¡°This is a medium-grade Earth-rank body-tempering cultivation technique. This medicinal pill will assist you in cultivating it. Here, take them both.¡±


    ¡°A body-tempering technique?¡± Ye Lingyun was a little dazed, then surprised. There were still relatively few body-tempering cultivation techniques in Jingzhou, and even fewer Earth-rank body-tempering cultivation techniques. But her senior had one.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, she chose to take it.


    Although she was a little embarrassed, she knew that if she refused, her senior would ask her to accept his gift on the grounds of the sect¡¯s revival. She might as well just accept it-as long as she didn¡¯t forget his favor to her. The items her senior had given her were all very precious, and she was only at her current level of strength because she had accepted his gifts.


    Su¡¯en was surprised to see Ye Lingyun make no further protests. He had prepared reasons to persuade her with if she proved too stubborn, but she had accepted the technique, no questions asked. It seemed that his junior had taken on a burden of responsibility to revive the sect!


    ¡°Continue working hard in your cultivation. The future of the sect depends on you!¡± Su¡¯en stroked Ye Lingyun¡¯s head, turned around, and left.


    In the past, Ye Lingyun would have chosen to believe Su¡¯en¡¯s words. However, her opinion of her senior had completely changed during the contest today. His cultivation speed had been faster than her own, and his power had crippled an elder, a Golden Core Realm cultivator, in one move!


    With her senior around, why would he need Ye Lingyun to revive the sect? He alone could take on the responsibility!


    What puzzled her too, was that since her senior was so strong, these cultivation techniques would only add to his power. So why give them to her, instead of keeping them for himself?


    Could it be that he¡­


    As if she had thought of something out of pocket, Ye Lingyun bit her lower lip and blushed. Who knew what was on her mind!


    What Ye Lingyun was thinking, Su¡¯en had no idea. At this moment, all his attention was on the system.


    (Ding!)


    As expected, the system prompt sounded.


    [The transfer has succeeded!)


    (Tenfold Critical Compensation activated!)


    (Obtained high-grade Earth-rank body-tempering cultivation technique: Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique!]


    Hearing the system prompt, Su¡¯en was disappointed. A tenfold Critical Compensation was worth a mere increase in grade?


    If it had been a hundredfold Critical Compensation, this body-tempering cultivation technique would definitely have become a Heaven Realm body-tempering cultivation technique!


    But Su¡¯en¡¯s disappointment was fleeting, and soon he was in a better frame of mind. The body-tempering cultivation technique had been obtained through the system, and since it was a high-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique, he considered it a success as it was. Or at least, better than nothing.


    Then Su¡¯en realized: something was wrong. Didn¡¯t he have something else from the system?


    In addition to the cultivation technique, he also had a pill!


    As Su¡¯en thought about it, the system prompt sounded again.


    (Ding!)


    [The transfer has succeeded!]


    [Triggered Hundredfold Critical Compensation!]


    [Obtained Bodhi Sarira Seed*1!]


    What? Su¡¯en fell into a daze. So it was the pill that was worth a Hundredfold Critical Compensation? Rubbing the back of his head, he sighed.


    If only it had been the Earth-rank cultivation technique that had granted him a Hundredfold Critical Compensation!


    Su¡¯en shook his head, refusing to overthink the matter any longer. It wasn¡¯t as if he could change what had already happened! After returning to his courtyard, he took out his Energy Suppression Disc, and began to study the cultivation technique and pill that the system had compensated him with.


    Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique, of a high-grade Earth-rank! It was the top body-tempering cultivation technique of Buddhism, and also the original of the 18 Arhats of Buddhism. This cultivation technique was divided into eight levels. When cultivated to perfection, one¡¯s entire body would be like gold, capable of resisting swords and sabers!


    After reading it, Su¡¯en was shocked. This cultivation technique was stronger than he had imagined!


    Not only could it greatly increase one¡¯s physical defenses, but their strength and speed as well. As long as he cultivated the technique to its perfected eighth level, unless his opponent was an entire realm higher than him, or the cultivation technique they used was a level higher, they wouldn¡¯t be able to penetrate his defenses.


    ¡°This cultivation technique is awesome!¡± Su¡¯en had nothing left to say. His current combat style only consisted of the domineering Heaven Realm cultivation technique: the Divine Lightning Sword Technique. What he lacked was mainly defensive techniques.


    Afterward, he took out the Bodhi Sarira, whatever it was. It didn¡¯t sound like a pill, but it was somewhat similar to one.


    When he saw the introduction of the Bodhi Sarira, Su¡¯en was shocked again!


    It turned out that after a high-level Buddhist expert passed away, his body underwent a natural transformation after being tempered. The Bodhi Sarira contained the blood essence cultivation of its master when they were alive. After consuming it, it would significantly improve one¡¯s physicality and perception. Even a Heaven Realm cultivation technique might not be able to speed up his cultivation to this extent.


    ¡°This thing is probably even more precious than a Heaven Realm cultivation technique. How have I never heard of it?¡±


    After reading the introduction, Su¡¯en realized that the pill was well-deserving of the Hundredfold Critical Compensation it had earned him! This transformation the Buddhist experts underwent was similar to the effects of Dao Fruits in the Heavenly Domain.


    ¡°There are so many uses for this thing. Wouldn¡¯t it be a waste to consume it directly?¡± Su¡¯en looked at the relic in his hand and hesitated.


    The Bodhi Sarira might be able to produce a large number of Bodhi Sarira Pills. The Bodhi Sarira Pill was one of the top pills in the Western Heavens. Only disciples who were almost immortals were qualified to take it; it wasn¡¯t something that ordinary disciples could access. Usually, only Arhats or Buddhas could decide what to do with a Bodhi Sarira Pill. Moreover, once such a relic appeared, it would be sensational, attracting many experts to fight for it.


    For this reason, any powerhouse in the Buddhist Sect who was about to die would be informed in advance, to prevent Bodhi Sarira Pills from being lost. The preciousness of the pills caused whispers about them to circulate in the other continents. However, the Buddhist Sects were too protective of their Bodhi Sarira Pills for them to be snatched away!

 Chapter 23 - Breakthrough!

    Chapter 23 Breakthrough!


    The birth of the Bodhi Sarira was so powerful that the entire continent would be able to sense it. Fortunately, the one the system had provided him with was sealed, containing its aura.


    Su¡¯en wanted to remove the Bodhi Sarira. The item floating in his hand was dozens of times larger than an ordinary pill, a shade darker than ordinary gold, same as the Diamond Pill. Although its aura was sealed by the system, Su¡¯en could still feel the force of it: like the sun shining in the sky, making one feel hot and comfortable at the same time.


    ¡°I should start cultivating!¡±


    Su¡¯en wanted to float the Bodhi Sarira in his hand, and recite the chant of the Eighteen Arhats Incantation, to cultivate and absorb its spiritual power.


    ¡°World Honored Ksitigarbha, Wisdom Buddha!¡±


    ¡­¡­..


    Time flashed by again, two months breezing by as if with the wind.


    After obtaining the entire spirit stone mine, the Chen family¡¯s prestige and influence had been increasing every day. They had guests almost daily. It was like their moment of glory.


    ¡°Once the Exalted Disciples start cultivating, can¡¯t they sense the passage of time?¡± Chen Ziling stood in her attic and looked at Su¡¯en¡¯s courtyard, speechless. For two months, neither of the Dao Sect disciples had emerged from their courtyards, but she couldn¡¯t just go in and disturb their cultivation.


    ¡°Why, no,¡± Chen Wu said with a smile. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as time in cultivation. Only by focusing on the cultivation process can one unlock greater power. Although you¡¯re very talented, you have to cultivate diligently like your two seniors. Don¡¯t get bored after cultivating for just one day and decide to slack for two days. Doing so will only waste your cultivation talent in the end.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Father.¡± Chen Ziling rolled her eyes. She was very hardworking in her daily cultivation, too, but it was nothing compared to her two seniors! She usually cultivated in seclusion for two or three days before coming out to see the outside world. Otherwise, she would easily suffocate to death!


    But with others to compare her with, Chen Wu would nag at her relentlessly after she emerged from seclusion-something about how not just anyone could enter the Heavenly Domain, and how she had to cherish this opportunity. It was tiresome having to listen to her father. She could almost recite his frequent speeches to her already.


    As the two of them spoke, a strong and terrifying aura suddenly spread out from Su¡¯en¡¯s courtyard and broke through the sky, causing the entire Chen family mansion to tremble!


    However, before it could spread to the rest of Guanyu City, the aura quickly retracted.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Chen Ziling stood up abruptly, her hair slightly ruffled. She was only at the late-stages of the Qi Refinement Realm, and hadn¡¯t been able to resist the force of the aura, which had slammed her to the ground. Not just her-the other members of the Chen family looked fearfully in the direction of the aura.


    ¡°The Exalted Disciple must have broken through!¡± Chen Wu said once he had caught his breath. Although he was in the Foundation Establishment Realm, he was faring no better than Chen Ziling. He rubbed his head, righted himself, then straightened himself up again.


    ¡°Is the Golden Core Realm so formidable? How terrifying.¡± Chen Ziling was filled with acute yearning; the aura earlier had been irresistible.


    ¡°After entering the Heavenly Domain, follow in the footsteps of the sect and work hard to refine your cultivation. Then you¡¯ll be able to enter this realm in the future.¡± Chen Wu still had some faith in his daughter. Even with all that talent, unless she worked hard and didn¡¯t slack off, it wouldn¡¯t do her any good.


    ¡°Understood!¡± Chen Ziling nodded vigorously.


    In the room in the middle of the courtyard, sizable cracks had appeared on the Energy Suppression Disc. A light touch might have caused it to shatter.


    Su¡¯en sat on his bed, naked from the waist up. His skin seemed to be made of gold, holy and majestic. It was as if he had become a golden Rohan statue.


    He opened his eyes, and traces of True Qi appeared in the air before him.


    A Golden Core Realm expert¡¯s strength was rather terrifying! Unlike an increase in True Qi, his physical transformation was tangible, making it even more imposing.


    ¡°Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique, perfected!¡± Su¡¯en said slowly, his eyes filled with surprise.


    Broadly speaking, it was very difficult to cultivate a high-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique to the realm of a high-level official, and almost impossible to complete the process in less than several decades, or even centuries. Even if his comprehension of the technique was excellent, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve it.


    But he had done so, with the aid of the Bodhi Sarira.


    Su¡¯en had thought that he understood the effects of the Bodhi Sarira, but from the looks of it, he had underestimated its power after all. After cultivating the Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique to a perfected realm, there was still plenty of blood essence left in his body.


    ¡°Seems like things don¡¯t get much better than the Bodhi Sarira and the Hundredfold Critical Compensation.¡±


    After looking into his Energy Sea for a while, Su¡¯en contracted it with all his might. His golden appearance gradually returned to its original kidney Yang, and his demeanor was once again gentle, his imposing aura gone.


    Heaven Realm body tempering techniques were very valuable, but the price of hiding them was even greater. Although a Heaven Realm body-tempering cultivation technique was much more powerful than an Earth Realm cultivation technique, it required more resources. Although he had the help of the system now, it was not enough.Without a copious amount of resources, it was impossible to cultivate the technique to perfection.


    Even if he had obtained a Heaven Realm body-tempering cultivation technique and the Bodhi Sarira Pill at the same time, he would definitely not have cultivated to the perfected eighth level in only two months, like he just had. Not because he didn¡¯t believe in the Bodhi Sarira¡¯s effects, but because a Heaven Realm body-tempering cultivation technique was simply too difficult.


    His current Divine Lightning Sword Technique had just two moves, but he had only grasped the offensive move. One could imagine how difficult it was to master a Heaven Realm body-tempering technique. Not to mention that the power of a Heaven Realm cultivation technique was not as powerful as a perfected Earth Realm cultivation technique. However, Su¡¯en felt that this high-grade Earth-rank body tempering technique was more important than a Heaven-rank body tempering technique, because of everything that had led him to it.


    Su¡¯en stood slowly and gave a casual stretch. The sound of joints cracking rose from his body and echoed through the room.When I return to the Dao Sect, I¡¯m going to need a more advanced Energy Suppression Disc! he thought as he looked at the disc beside him, mangled to the point of near-destruction.


    His strength was constantly increasing, and his original disc could no longer contain his


    aura.

 Chapter 24 - Request For Aid From the Heavenly Domain!

    Chapter 24 Request For Aid From the Heavenly Domain!


    Su¡¯en dressed and adjusted his appearance, then pushed open the door and stepped out. Once his aura was back inside him, he reverted to his original manner of a kindly senior-harmless and gentle.


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    A slender, beautiful figure arrived in front of him: Ye Lingyun. She had been cultivating the Diamond Mystic Body Technique when she had been awakened by Su¡¯en¡¯s aura, and she had known her senior had emerged from seclusion.


    ¡°This fearsome aura of yours is gradually expanding. It seems that you¡¯ve almost finished cultivating the Diamond Mystic Body Technique!¡± Su¡¯en looked at Ye Lingyun and nodded his approval.


    ¡°It¡¯s mainly because of the rich medicinal power of the Vajra Pill. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to cultivate to the fifth level in such a short period of time.¡± Ye Lingyun raised her slender wrist, from which radiated streaks of faint golden light.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty fast!¡±


    The Diamond Mystic Body had a total of seven levels. Now that Ye Lingyun had cultivated to the fifth level, she should be close to reaching the perfected stage. Her comprehension of cultivation techniques and natural talent were stronger than Su¡¯en¡¯s, and her cultivation speed had always been faster than his, too. All she lacked now was resources.


    ¡°After settling some matters, we¡¯ll head back,¡± Su¡¯en said. ¡°Go have a few words with Chen Ziling.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Senior!¡±


    A few minutes later, Ye Lingyun brought Chen Ziling to Su¡¯en. Seeing that his only daughter was about to leave, Chen Wu followed them.


    ¡°Thank you, Exalted Disciple!¡± Chen Wu was a little reluctant, but as the head of the Chen family, he had weighed the pros and cons of the situation, and knew better than to let his emotions show.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master Chen.¡± Su¡¯en turned to Chen Wu, smiling.


    ¡°Senior, I¡¯m ready to go!¡± Chen Ziling looked at Suen excitedly. Although she was not much older than Ye Lingyun, she had a far more cheerful and lively personality.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Golden Core Realm cultivators could fly in the air at great speeds, so Su¡¯en used his True Qi to carry Ye Lingyun and Chen Ziling. He stood up and flew towards the Heavenly Domain.


    ¡°Goodbye, Father!¡± Chen Ziling shouted, waving back as the Chen family mansion shrank beneath them.


    Chen Wu waved back, looking relieved. With his daughter¡¯s aptitude, it was too wasteful for her to cultivate in the mortal world. It was a blessing that she could go to the Heavenly Domain.


    Atop a misty mountain peak, Su¡¯en stared into the distance.


    They had been flying for more than half a day now. Although a Golden Core Realm expert could fly, he was only at the early-stages of the realm, and the True Qi in his body didn¡¯t restore itself quickly enough yet. Supporting the weight of two others slowed him down too much, so he had no choice but to stop and recover for a while before continuing.


    After returning to the Dao Sect, I¡¯ll have to visit the Weapon Refining Sect to buy a cloud shuttle. Flying using True Qi alone is too tiring, Su¡¯en mused.


    The Weapon Refining Sect was a sect that specialized in refining weapons in the Heavenly Domain; the primary source of weaponry for most people. Even some secular sects would make daily purchases from them. Although their overall prestige and power was beneath that of the high-level sects, they still served a more important function than some of the latter.


    I don¡¯t have a proper weapon now, either. I¡¯ll have to buy one! Su¡¯en thought, glancing at the empty space around his waist.


    Weapons could greatly increase one¡¯s strength, especially high-quality, versatile ones. Some people could fight opponents of higher ranks, relying not on their own prowess, but their weapons. Some Treasure Weapons could even turn a cultivator¡¯s strength against them.


    Su¡¯en tilted his head to face Ye Lingyun, who was resting against a rock with her eyes closed. The sword on her back was just an ordinary spirit artifact.


    Weapons were divided into grades: Mortal Artifacts, Spirit Artifacts, Bejeweled Artifacts, Great Artifacts, Sacred Artifacts, and Divine Artifacts. Although mortal weapons and spirit artifacts were a little expensive, many cultivators could afford them.


    However, Treasured Weapons were different; ludicrously expensive. They were also forged using strange stones with special attributes, which made them emit a unique power. For example, they could summon lightning from the heavens, emit flames, and condense ice.


    Su¡¯en didn¡¯t have any Treasured Weapons now because he had been too weak to use one. If he wanted to use a Treasured Weapon, he had to at least possess the strength of the Crystallization Realm, which unleashed his True Qi. That wasn¡¯t even mentioning their sheer price-the Treasured Weapons forged by the Weapon Refining Sect would cost one-third of the sect¡¯s resources.


    If only I could encounter an opportunity for weapons! Su¡¯en thought. Or I could give some opportunities to a Qi Refinement expert in exchange for one. Weapons still needed to be prepared properly, or they would give way in battle.


    Feeling that the True Qi in his body had almost recovered, Su¡¯en readied himself to continue their journey.


    Suddenly, a bright burst of fireworks exploded in the sky, forming a single massive word: ¡®help¡¯.


    ¡°A request for aid from the Heavenly Domain?¡±


    Su¡¯en was puzzled. Although there were all kinds of sects in the Heavenly Domain, they were still considered a collective body. Therefore, the high-level sects had specially formed the Order for Aid to the Heavenly Domain, which disciples could seek out if they were in danger and needed assistance.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Ye Lingyun opened her eyes and saw what was happening.


    ¡°A request for help from the Heavenly Domain. A disciple is in danger nearby,¡± Su¡¯en replied.


    ¡°Are we going to help them?¡± Ye Lingyun¡¯s manner turned grave at her senior¡¯s words.


    ¡°Of course. But not you.¡±


    Looking at Ye Lingyun, who was clearly ready for action, Su¡¯en felt a little ashamed. Ever since the contest, she seemed to have changed.


    ¡°Bring our junior with you and continue back to the Heavenly Domain.¡± Su¡¯en glanced at Chen Ziling. If not for her, he would have brought Ye Lingyun along. But Chen Ziling was only at the late-stage Qi Refinement Realm, and it wouldn¡¯t do to have her meet with an accident.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± Ye Lingyun understood her senior¡¯s concerns and didn¡¯t press the matter.


    ¡°Listen to your senior,¡± Su¡¯en told Chen


    Ziling


    ¡°Yes, understood!¡± Chen Ziling nodded quickly. Although her late-stage Qi Refinement Realm had been considered decent back then, she had left the mortal world, and she was too weak here. Nor could she refuse to obey her senior¡¯s orders.


    With that, Su¡¯en flew into the air and headed in the direction of the Heavenly Domain¡¯s distress call.

 Chapter 25 - A Demon from the Sky Demon Sect!

    Chapter 25 A Demon from the Sky Demon Sect!


    When disciples outside of the Heavenly Domain encountered a request for help, as long as nothing too serious had happened, they had to lend their assistance. If the situation was beyond their power, running was acceptable, but if they were too cowardly to even check out what occurred, they would be punished harshly.


    Once, someone had ignored the request for aid because they were worried their cultivation levels weren¡¯t high enough. However, the investigations of the authorities from the Blue Sea Sect, who enforced the Heavenly Domain¡¯s laws, had caught up with them eventually. Not only had this individual been imprisoned for decades, but they had been cast out by their sect after being released. At a loss, they had had no choice but to leave the Heavenly Domain.


    Therefore, if one encountered a request for help from the Heavenly Domain, it was best to go over and take a look. Even if they encountered danger and were forced to escape, they could avoid punishment if they were questioned.


    It had been ten years since Su¡¯en had entered the Heavenly Domain, but he often cultivated in seclusion and didn¡¯t go out much. Hence, this was the first time he had seen a request for aid from the Heavenly Domain. His master had spoken to him about this: If he saw such a request in Jingzhou, the one who had issued the cry for help must have encountered a problem they couldn¡¯t resolve alone.


    Jingzhou was ruled by the Heavenly Domain; those who dared to attack its disciples were usually not only powerful, but also prepared.


    With that in mind, Su¡¯en picked up speed, turning into a blur in the air as he sped away.


    Although the word ¡®help¡¯ in the sky was very big, it was still quite far away, and it took him almost half an hour to get there.


    When he arrived, he found a man covered in blood lying on the grass, clinging onto the last vestiges of life. He was dressed in black, and had tattoos resembling starry symbols.


    ¡°A member of the Purple Star Sect?¡± Su¡¯en asked.


    The Purple Star Sect was one of the four high-level sects. Someone had actually dared to attack their disciples? Who the hell would be so bold?


    Sensing that someone was coming, the man struggled to open his eyes. His eyes filled with hope when she saw Su¡¯en.


    ¡°Quick¡­ quick, save Senior Gu and the others!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty.¡± Su¡¯en hurried to feed the man a healing pill. ¡°What happened? Who in the world attacked you two?¡±


    After taking the pill, the man seemed to recover some of his strength. ¡°A demon from the Sky Demon Sect of the Northern Plains. His target was Senior Gu!¡±


    ¡°A demon from the Sky Demon Sect?¡±


    Su¡¯en understood now: only those lunatics from the Northern Plains would dare to attack disciples of the Heavenly Domain in Jingzhou.


    Of the continents, Jingzhou had the best geographical location and was richest in spiritual energy, whereas the Northern Plains were the worst place to live. Not only was it freezing cold, but resources were also scarce. The Northern Plains had always wanted to occupy Jingzhou, and so they had sent some of their best over to attack the Heavenly Domain.


    ¡°How strong is this demon? Where is he?¡± Before heading to his destination, Su¡¯en had to ask for information about the enemy.


    ¡°This demon is already at the perfected late-stages of the Golden Core Realm. He¡¯s about a hundred miles away from here.¡±


    ¡°Okay, got it!¡± Su¡¯en nodded; he could deal with a perfected late-stage Golden Core opponent. He had just perfected the Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique. Unless he was facing a Spirit Convocation Realm expert, his defense was more or less impenetrable.


    ¡°You stay here and recover. I¡¯ll go over first!¡± Su¡¯en rose and left.


    ¡°May I ask your name and which sect you belong to?¡± the injured man called out.


    ¡°Su¡¯en of the Dao Sect.¡± With that, Su¡¯en soared off into the horizon.


    ¡°The Dao Sect?¡±


    The man on the ground frowned, thinking carefully. Was there such a sect in the Heavenly Domain? Why had he never heard of it?


    In a vast plain, a black figure walked on thin air. He was thin and weak, surrounded by black demonic energy. Even his open eyes were a frightening red.


    Below him, there was a small defensive array with a few figures sitting inside: two men and two women.


    One of them was a young girl in a starry-patterned robe. She had an athletic figure and a pretty face, and her black hair was tied back in pigtails. At this moment, her face was pale and there was blood around her mouth. She looked at the black shadow in the sky, eyes shining with murderous hate.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe this damned demon of the Sky Demon Sect dared to ambush us! If you¡¯re so bold, fight me one-on-one. What¡¯s the point of sneak attacks?¡±


    The girl¡¯s name was Gu Chuyao. She was the daughter of an elder of the Purple Star Sect. She was currently at the early-stages of the Golden Core Realm and was about to enter its mid-stages. She was currently ranked 30th among the Purple Star Sect¡¯s true disciples. Not that impressive, until one considered that she was only 17 years old!


    ¡°Senior Gu, what should we do next?¡±


    Although the remaining three people were older than Gu Chuyao, seniority in the Heavenly Domain was based on strength. As long as one hailed from a powerful sect, they would be addressed as ¡®Senior¡¯ by those from lower-level sects, regardless of age.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Junior Chu escaped earlier. You saw his request for aid to the Heavenly Domain.¡± Gu Chuyao took a deep breath and continued, ¡°As long as there are people from the Heavenly Domain around, they will definitely come to help us.¡±


    ¡°But most of the disciples in the Heavenly Domain stay in their own sects to cultivate and don¡¯t come out often. Will anyone come over?¡±


    ¡°Moreover, this demon is already at the perfected late-stages of the Golden Core Realm. What if whoever comes to assist us isn¡¯t as strong as him?¡±


    The juniors all spoke at once.


    ¡°Then we can sit back and wait to die.¡± Gu Chuyao wiped her sweat away. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t used up most of my tools during our mission, a Golden Core demon of the Sky Demon Sect would be no match for me. And the damned thing actually launched a sneak attack. It¡¯s like it was trying to piss me off! If I can get out alive, I¡¯ll chase him down and cut off his head so that I can kick it like a ball!¡±


    Just as Gu Chuyao was complaining about the demon in the sky, it launched an attack. He waved dozens of blood-red saber Qi that landed on the defensive array formation.


    The defensive disc in front of Gu Chuyao trembled violently as it began to crack.


    ¡°Crap. We¡¯re done for!¡±


    When Gu Chuyao saw that the defensive disc was about to give way, more sweat appeared on her forehead. She knew that once this defensive disc shattered, they would die on the spot!


    She had been working hard at cultivation for so many years. She had wanted to display her talent in the upcoming Heavenly Domain Ceremony and obtain more resources to assist in her cultivation. Only to stumble upon a demon from the Sky Demon Sect while on a mission-who seemed to be targeting her, for whatever reason.


    What bloody bad luck!

 Chapter 26 - Divine Lightning Sword Technique Against the Demon!

    Chapter 26 Divine Lightning Sword Technique Against the Demon!


    ¡°This should be the demon from the Sky Demon Sect!¡±


    Su¡¯en was flying at breakneck speed when he saw a dark figure not far ahead, surrounded by a black demonic aura. Carefully, Su¡¯en reached out to sense their cultivation level. Although there was a considerable distance between them, he could still sense the demon¡¯s powerful aura. He was indeed at the perfected late-stages of the Golden Core Realm!


    Now that he knew the demon¡¯s cultivation level, there was nothing to be afraid of. Su¡¯en had cultivated the Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique to perfection. Anyone who wasn¡¯t a Spirit Convocation Realm expert, or whose weapons and techniques were below his level, could do him no harm.


    So, ironically, the sight of the demon inspired in Su¡¯en the will to fight. Ever since he had obtained the system, his cultivation speed had been increasing. Until now, he had yet to use his full strength. The opponents he had encountered previously were too weak, and they were from the Heavenly Domain, so he could not kill them. He hadn¡¯t been able to test his true limits yet.


    But this demon of the Sky Demon Sect was a ready-made experimental tool. There was no need for him to hold back-he could unleash his full strength in their battle!


    ¡°Someone else looking for an early death?¡±


    Sensing that somebody was approaching, the demon stopped attacking and looked in Su¡¯en¡¯s direction. Disdain showed in his scarlet eyes. He could perceive Su¡¯en¡¯s early-stage Golden Core Realm cultivation level-a mere weakling. He could kill people like Su¡¯en with no self-preservation, with just a flippant attack, without them even noticing. His target had been these disciples from the Purple Star Sect. If this new person had seen his cultivation level, he had better leave quickly. But if not, then one more death was nothing to him.


    ¡°Senior Gu, look!¡±


    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming!¡±


    Inside the defensive array formation on the ground, the disciples, too, saw Su¡¯en in the distance. Their eyes, originally full of despair, lit up with hope.


    ¡°Really?¡± Gu Chuyao quickly looked over. She was overjoyed when she saw someone coming to help them.


    However, when she sensed their cultivation level, her spirits sank again-their cultivation level was too low. They had only just entered the Golden Core Realm. Of course she was happy that someone had come to their rescue, but with their current strength, they wouldn¡¯t be able to rescue her and the other disciples. In fact, they might be killed!


    The other three people in the array formation also noticed something strange, and the smiles on their faces disappeared.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t he notice me? Or did he just not care?¡±


    Su¡¯en realized that the demon had looked at him and turned away. He couldn¡¯t help feeling amused. But then he thought about it, and it made sense. He was only at the early-stage Golden Core Realm. This demon-who probably had solid combat skills of their own-must have assumed it would be easy to kill someone of Su¡¯en¡¯s cultivation level, and hadn¡¯t bothered to pay attention to him.


    But that was just as well; Su¡¯en could give him a shock later!


    Su¡¯en¡¯s lips curled up, his eyes filling with battle intent as he approached the demon and slowed his flight.


    ¡°What?¡±


    The demon from the Sky Demon Sect sensed that the newcomer hadn¡¯t left-in fact, they had chosen to come over. What a nuisance. Had this fellow not sensed his cultivation level, or were they truly unafraid of dying? He hadn¡¯t hid his aura or cultivation level. Did the newcomer not recognize the power gap between them? Or was he messed up in the head?


    Dn


    ¡°Senior Gu, that person didn¡¯t leave. They¡¯re flying over here!¡± one of the disciples in the defensive array formation said. ¡°The demon didn¡¯t pay them any heed, and they didn¡¯t take the chance to run. How bold can they be?¡±


    ¡°What a pity! They may be well-intentioned, but they¡¯re clearly not right in the brain too. I wonder what will happen to them after going head-to-head with this demon, with their cultivation level!¡± Gu Chuyao was speechless. This was the first time she had encountered such a bold person.


    ¡°In that case¡­ go to hell!¡±


    The demon from the Sky Demon Sect casually formed a huge red saber with his Qi and shot it in Su¡¯en¡¯s direction.


    ¡°A perfected late-stage Golden Core Realm expert is indeed powerful!¡± Su¡¯en couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in admiration as he felt the aura of the saber attack. Ordinary Golden Core Realm cultivators might not be able to wield such a powerful saber technique.


    ¡°Divine Lightning Sword Technique, Vajra Shield!¡±


    Su¡¯en raised his hand and gathered his True Qi. A massive sword aura appeared above his head, and a golden phantom shield manifested in front of him.


    With a loud noise, the saber Qi collided with Su¡¯en¡¯s shield. The shield shuddered violently, but didn¡¯t vanish; it had successfully blocked the blow.


    This shield had been inspired by the Divine Lightning Sword Technique and the Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique, formed by fusing Divine Lightning Breath, blood essence and True Qi. Its defenses were extremely strong. ¡°What? He blocked me?¡±


    Seeing that this weakling had withstood his attack, the demon of the Sky Demon Sect looked at Su¡¯¨¦n again. His bloodshot eyes became even more ferocious when they landed on the golden shield.


    ¡°No wonder they were so eager to fly over. They aren¡¯t as weak as I thought after all. Only a prodigy from the Heavenly Domain could survive my attack¡­ I¡¯m not letting you get away!¡±


    The demon disappeared instantly, turning into a blur that charged straight at Su¡¯en.


    ¡°Divine Lightning Sword Technique, Annihilation Form!¡±


    Instead of panicking, Su¡¯en clenched one hand into a fist, and the Divine Lightning Sword above his head dispersed, turning into several bolts of Divine Lightning Sword Qi that shot towards the attacking demon.


    ¡°Divine Lightning Breath?¡±


    Sensing the lightning aura of the white Sword Qi, the Sky Demon Sect demon went on-guard. Divine Lightning Breath was one of the most destructive special auras in the world, and the sharpness of the Sword Qi only added to its power. In the face of such a special aura attack, he could not be careless.


    ¡°Devil Bringer!¡±


    The Sky Demon Sect demon¡¯s deep voice sounded. He raised his hand and a hundred red saber Qi shot out.


    When both parties¡¯ Sword Qi met, a shocking collision erupted between heaven and earth.


    ¡°Damn it! What cultivation technique is this? Why can¡¯t I destroy his Sword Qi?¡±


    The demon of the Sky Demon Sect wanted to close the distance between himself and Su¡¯en so he could kill him. But the Divine Lightning Sword Qi around them was proving to be more than a minor annoyance! If it had been ordinary Sword Qi, the demon would have been able to disperse it with a casual attack.


    But Divine Lightning Sword Qi were different; formed using Divine Lightning Breath. Not only was its destructive power terrifying, but when used in tandem with cultivation, it was an even greater asset. The combination made it impossible for the demon to get close to the scum in front of him!

 Chapter 27 - Golden Body Resisting the Demon!

    Chapter 27 Golden Body Resisting the Demon!


    ¡°Senior Gu, am I dreaming?¡± A disciple blinked in shock inside the defensive array formation. ¡°Is the battle really still ongoing?¡±


    ¡°It is!¡± Gu Chuyao, who had been sitting on the ground, rose to her feet, eyes shining with hope. ¡°This sword technique is too powerful. Could it be someone from the Sky Sword Sect?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so. The clothes worn by the Sky Sword Sect are different!¡± The other disciple shook his head in denial. ¡°How is that possible? Other than the Sky Sword Sect, which other sects in the Heavenly Domain cultivate such powerful sword techniques? Judging from the battle, that person is using an Earth Realm cultivation technique, a medium-grade one, or even high-grade!¡± Puzzlement appeared on Gu Chuyao¡¯s pale face.


    ¡°What should we do now, Senior Gu?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go out and beat this demon up, of course!¡± After hearing her junior¡¯s words, a fierce expression appeared on Gu Chuyao¡¯s ashen face. She gritted her teeth and continued, ¡°The demon of the Sky Demon Sect is at the perfected late-stage Golden Core Realm, and he dared to launch a sneak attack against us. I¡¯ll make him pay!¡±


    ¡°But Senior Gu, your injuries are too serious. Even if you go out, you might not be able to help. You might just end up hurting yourself more,¡± a female disciple urged, glancing at the wound on Gu Chuyao¡¯s back.


    When the demon had ambushed them, he hadn¡¯t held back, slashing at them with a bloody saber technique and leaving Gu Chuyao with a huge wound on her back. Plenty of demonic Qi still surrounded the injury, slowing its rate of healing to a crawl. If not for the Purple Star Sect¡¯s focus on body-tempering cultivation techniques, Gu Chuyao would have died from the torture of the demonic aura.


    However, even their body-tempering cultivation techniques could only be automatically restored through the blood essence in one¡¯s body. Once the latter was used up, demonic Qi might enter one¡¯s body as a cultivation technique, causing heavier damage.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. Even though I¡¯m injured, I can take advantage of this demon¡¯s lack of attention and sneak up on him. Who knows, I might be able to hurt him.¡± Gu Chuyao was still a little hesitant about whether she should go out, or stay here to recover from her injuries. She was a true disciple of a high-ranking sect. If she didn¡¯t do anything when someone came to save them, it would be a disgrace to her sect!


    ¡°I think we¡¯d better wait. Whoever came to our aid is obviously holding their own. Maybe someone else will come later?¡± another junior said. ¡°None of us are in good shape. We¡¯re only a tenth as strong as we were. We won¡¯t be able to help much if we go out there. We might even distract them.¡±


    ¡°So be it!¡± Gu Chuyao thought about it and realized that her junior was right. She sat down again and let her wounds recover. However, her eyes were fixed on Su¡¯en.


    ¡°Damn it, are you done yet?¡±


    The demon of the Sky Demon Sect blocked Su¡¯en¡¯s Divine Lightning Sword Qi and looked at him viciously.


    You had to respect the guy. Ever since entering the Sky Demon Sect, and after cultivating for so many years, this was the first time the demon had encountered an enemy that he couldn¡¯t get close to at all. It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if his opponent¡¯s realm was the same or higher than his, but they were mere filth who had just entered the Golden Core Realm! No matter the outcome of their match, what would others say if they found out?


    ¡°Could they be a disciple of the Sky Sword Sect?¡±


    The demon from the Sky Demon Sect¡¯s guess was the same as Gu Chuyao and the others. Such a formidable sword technique wasn¡¯t something an ordinary sect could cultivate. But judging from the clothes he was wearing, it didn¡¯t seem like it.


    ¡°Damn it, I can¡¯t waste too much time. I still have to complete my mission!¡± The demon from the Sky Demon Sect looked up at the distant sky, where another battle seemed to be ongoing. The fellow he was facing wouldn¡¯t be able to last for long, draining his True Qi like that, but they were in Jingzhou. More people might be on their way. He couldn¡¯t afford to waste any more time!


    The demon took a deep breath and glared at Su¡¯en, eyes blazing with fury. His tone was sinister as he said, ¡°You should be honored. After all these years, you¡¯re the first person to make me use the power of the Sky Demon!¡±


    With that, the demon closed his eyes. The demonic aura around him flowed in more frequent waves.


    ¡°What is this? A method to increase his strength?¡± Su¡¯en narrowed his eyes at the change in the demon from the Sky Demon Sect.


    There were also such methods in the Heaven Domain, but the side effects on one¡¯s body were too great. Moreover, some of the methods used by the demon sects in the Northern Plains were even more harmful to themselves. Not only did they have to sacrifice their souls and flesh, but they risked losing their cultivation too. However, it was a small price to pay compared to the potential rewards.


    Su¡¯en summoned dozens of Divine Lightning Sword Qi. Instead of resisting any longer, though, the demon ignored Su¡¯en¡¯s attack and charged forward.


    From the looks of it, his strength had increased greatly!


    ¡°Crap. The demon has used a method to increase his strength! How sickening!¡± Gu Chuyao was rather anxious. ¡°He¡¯s in the perfected late-stages of the Golden Core Realm, and he¡¯s resorting to this to beat someone in the early-stages?¡±


    As desperate as she was, there was nothing she could do. She could only hope that Su¡¯en would hold off the demon¡¯s next attack, and wait for further assistance.


    But that was probably just wishful thinking.


    ¡°Go to hell, scum!¡± the demon from the Sky Demon Sect roared. Under his Sky Demon enhancement, his strength had increased by half, and the surrounding Divine Lightning Sword Qi could no longer harm him!


    ¡°Die!¡±


    The demon seemed to vanish as he charged ahead, heedless of Su¡¯en¡¯s Divine Lightning Sword Qi. He was so fast that he reached Su¡¯en in mere seconds. Su¡¯en¡¯s youthful appearance filled him with excitement; another prodigy was about to die at his hands. ¡°Remember this before I kill you: my name is Mystique!¡±


    Mystique¡¯s blood-red eyes were filled with cruelty as he slashed at Su¡¯en.


    The cut would have split Su¡¯en in half and spilled his blood across the sky. But when the blade met Su¡¯en, a sound rang out, as if meeting something hard.


    Impossible!


    Mystique¡¯s blood-red eyes were filled with shock. His blade had only cut into the man¡¯s body, stopping just above the skin, without penetrating any deeper.


    Suddenly, he felt that his opponent was far stronger than him!


    ¡°Took you long enough!¡±


    Su¡¯en was smiling. His entire body began to emit a golden aura, growing in power as it engulfed him.

 Chapter 28 - Doesnt This Person Cultivate Sword Techniques?

    Chapter 28 Doesn¡¯t This Person Cultivate Sword Techniques?


    A terrifying aura erupted from Su¡¯en¡¯s body, and the spiritual energy floating in the air vibrated. The demon from the Sky Demon Sect felt like he was next to a scorching sun-the aura was burning his body!


    ¡°This is a body-tempering technique!¡±


    Mystique was dumbfounded when he saw Su¡¯en turning golden. There must be something wrong with his eyes; he had used his Sky Demon Power to increase his strength. Wasn¡¯t this guy using a sword technique? How could he still be so powerful physically?


    ¡°Thank you so much for letting me know the peak of my current attacking power. Next you will help me test the limits of my physical strength!¡±


    Su¡¯en smiled as he pulled off his ruined clothes, revealing his golden torso. Under the sun, waves of gold light poured ceaselessly from him.


    ¡°Looks like I seriously underestimated your strength!¡± Mystique backed away from Su¡¯en, his eyes beginning to look grave. ¡°There are many people who cultivate both True Qi and body-tempering techniques, but not to your level! Your talent is even more terrifying than that little girl from the Purple Star Sect.¡±


    Su¡¯en said nothing. In the past, he hadn¡¯t been able to let loose his physical strength like this, due to his own discomfort. However, this time, when he released the restrictions on his body and unleashed his full strength, he felt almost at home.


    He looked at Mystique and spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s continue!¡±


    ¡°Dammit!¡± The demon reverted to its previous demonic aura. The guy had shaken him to the core, but not enough to make him cower just yet. ¡°I¡¯ll break your defenses, I swear!¡±


    Mystique could tell the origins of this fellow¡¯s cultivation technique: The Buddhist Sect of the Western Heavens. Most Buddhist body-tempering cultivation techniques turned one¡¯s physical form gold, unlike those in the Heavenly Domain, which produced no obvious changes.


    Mystique swung his saber again-the one with the power to send the wind into an uproar-and attacked Su¡¯en again.


    This time, Su¡¯en didn¡¯t dodge, staying rooted to the ground and meeting the blow head-on.


    The sound of the blade striking iron rang out repeatedly.


    Although Mystique¡¯s speed was remarkable, the faster his saber swung, the more energy it lost. It didn¡¯t harm Su¡¯en, not even leaving a scratch on his body.


    ¡°What kind of technique is this?¡± Mystique stopped his attack and looked warily at Su¡¯en. He was at the perfected late-stages of the Golden Core Realm, and even with the enhancement of his Sky Demon Power, he was unable to break through this person¡¯s defense.


    ¡°If you win, I¡¯ll tell you,¡± Su¡¯en said pleasantly.


    This Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique was too powerful! Only an attack from a Heaven Realm cultivation technique could harm him.


    With that in mind, Su¡¯en began other preparations. Since his opponent could not break through his defense, he could end the battle!


    Air whooshed around Su¡¯en¡¯s body as his speed brought him to Mystique¡¯s side in a second.


    ¡°So fast?¡±


    The demon Mystique was shocked and quickly resisted the attack.


    After receiving Su¡¯en¡¯s blow, Mystique doubted his opponent was human at all; it felt like he had been hit by a mountain. He flew hundreds of meters away, blood spurting from his mouth.


    Although the Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique was a body-tempering cultivation technique that focused on defense, it also increased the strength and speed of the flesh, albeit not to the same extent as one¡¯s physical resistance.


    ¡°Having fun yet? Keep it up!¡± Su¡¯en laughed out loud and flew over to where Mystique had landed. Now that he had an impenetrable defense, he no longer had to worry about the demon¡¯s attacks; his body could withstand Mystique¡¯s saber techniques.


    As Su¡¯en attacked with his fists, he used his Divine Lightning Sword Qi to launch a sneak attack. For a moment, Mystique could do nothing but mount a blind defense, overwhelmed as he was by Su¡¯en.


    The four people in the defensive array formation, too, were dumbfounded!


    Almost everyone¡¯s jaws were slack with surprise, their eyes wide. Just like Mystique, they were thinking: Hadn¡¯t this person who had come to their aid used a sword technique? Why was he suddenly displaying such powerful physical abilities? Wasn¡¯t this something only a body-tempering cultivation technique could achieve?


    It was such an abrupt switch of tactics!


    ¡°Dammit, just how far has this person cultivated his body? It¡¯s terrifying!¡±


    ¡°Impressive! This demon is at the perfected late-stages of the Golden Core Realm, and used a secret technique to increase his strength. But he¡¯s being overwhelmed by an early-stage Golden Core Realm cultivator-this guy is too powerful!¡±


    ¡°He must have cultivated his body-tempering technique to its perfected stages. After the demon used a secret technique to increase his strength, I thought he was dead for sure!¡±


    They all swallowed and spoke in shock.


    ¡°Senior Gu, what do you think this person¡¯s cultivation level is?¡±


    ¡°Senior Gu?¡±


    ¡°Senior?¡±


    When they received no reply, the disciples turned to Gu Chuyao, then fell silent at her expression.


    Gu Chuyao was motionless. Her eyes were glazed over, and saliva dripped from her mouth.


    ¡°By the heavens, how can anyone have such exquisite muscles? He¡¯s so handsome! What kind of cultivation did it take? Those lines are perfect! And why is he golden? Could it be that he cultivated a body-tempering technique from the Western Heavens? I have to ask him how he mastered this cultivation technique!¡±


    The Purple Star Sect specialized in cultivating the body. As a true disciple of the sect, Gu Chuyao¡¯s pursuit of refining her body was an even more noble one. It was unsurprising, then, that she was so smitten by Su¡¯en¡¯s display of physical strength. She had also studied the body-tempering cultivation techniques of Buddhism, and cultivated them, same as her fellow disciples. However, none of their bodies could appear as golden as Su¡¯en¡¯s.


    She knew that if a body-tempering cultivation technique was cultivated to perfection, it would undergo a qualitative change. However, cultivating a body-tempering technique required more time and resources.


    Su¡¯en was about the same age as her, but he had cultivated his body-tempering technique to such an extent in such a short period of time. Why had she never heard of him in the Heavenly Domain before? Or had he been in seclusion there?

 Chapter 29 - As Expected of a Demon of the Sky Demon Sect, You Can Escape Even Like This!

    Chapter 29 As Expected of a Demon of the Sky Demon Sect, You Can Escape Even Like This!


    The people of the Purple Star Sect were shocked as Mystique was in torment right now. He was a perfected late-stage Golden Core Realm expert, an elder of the Sky Demon Sect. When was the last time he had been in such a sorry state?


    No matter how he attacked, he could not break through this fellow¡¯s physical defense!


    Although his punches and kicks could not cause Mystique fatal damage, if it happened too many times, he would still be injured, even to the point of life-threatening damage! The main problem was that the fellow could control his Divine Lightning Sword Qi to launch sneak attacks, making the battle feel akin to fighting multiple opponents rather than just one.


    ¡°Damn it, damn it¡­¡±


    Mystique¡¯s frustration was mounting; he needed to force Su¡¯en back and think of alternatives to beat him.


    Before he could move, however, Su¡¯en punched him in the face. Bloody fangs flew out of Mystique¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Divine Lightning Sword Technique, Annihilation Form!¡±


    The moment Mystique pulled away, Su¡¯en used the first move of the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to attack the demon. A large amount of Divine Lightning Sword Qi appeared from his body and gradually gathered into a bright white sword. An aura of lightning blazed around the Divine Lightning Sword as it rushed towards Mystique.


    ¡°Devil Bringer!¡±


    Mystique prepared to activate the full force of his demonic aura and use his saber technique to block the massive sword, but suddenly realized he could not sense his aura. A sense of weakness seized him. He was doomed.


    Mystique paled-the time limit for the Sky Demon Power buff had passed!


    If it were any other occasion, he would definitely have remembered the time limit. But he had been beaten up time and time again by this fellow and had been too aggrieved, forgetting that his powers were in a special state.


    Before he could react, Mystique was cut in half by the huge lightning sword that flew over. Blood spattered everywhere.


    ¡°What? He died just like that?¡± Su¡¯en froze. He didn¡¯t expect the demon to be unable to withstand the attack and be killed just like that! Surely it wasn¡¯t possible? The two of them had been fighting for so long, Su¡¯en was familiar with the damage inflicted by his own attack, and he knew that Mystique should have been able to resist that move.


    Just as Su¡¯en was about to go forward to check if Mystique was really dead, the lower half of the demon¡¯s body turned into a blood-red fog that blocked his vision.


    ¡°Damn you, boy, just you wait. One day we¡¯ll meet again!¡± a voice filled with rage called out far off in the distance.


    ¡°As expected, a demon of Northern Plains and the Sky Demon Sect isn¡¯t so easy to get rid of!¡± Sighing, Su¡¯en chose not to go after him. The Northern Plains was a harsh place, and the demons there had more than a few tricks to save their lives, beyond the one he had just seen. Even if he chased Mystique, he might not be able to kill the demon. Moreover, he did not have any movement technique cultivation techniques now, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up.


    After noting the direction in which Mystique fled, Su¡¯en recalled the Heavenly Domain disciples he had come to help and looked down.


    ¡°Those people inside should be Purple Star Sect disciples.¡±


    Su¡¯en flew down. The defensive array formation had given out, leaving the disciples on the ground. Some of them looked at him strangely-so smitten it made Su¡¯en feel a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    The female disciple behind Gu Chuyao tugged on her sleeve and gestured for her to stop ogling Su¡¯en.


    ¡°What? Sorry, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen a body that can emit golden light. I almost forgot where I was.¡± After Gu Chuyao came to her senses, she quickly wiped her mouth and said, ¡°Thank you very much for coming to save us. We¡¯re disciples of the Purple Star Sect, and I¡¯m Gu Chuyao. May I know your name?¡±


    ¡°Su¡¯en of the Dao Sect.¡± As before, Su¡¯en briefly introduced himself and his sect.


    ¡°The Dao Sect?¡± Gu Chuyao frowned in confusion. Was there such a sect in the Heavenly Domain? She had never heard of it. No-come to think of it, there was such a sect, just that it was the weakest of them all! But never mind. It didn¡¯t matter.


    What was important was the striking physique of this senior!


    Although the effects of a body-tempering cultivation technique were similar, the muscle lines they produced were different due to the cultivation method and one¡¯s own foundation. Some people would grow in size, but some people could maintain their figures to look like normal people. It made for a pleasing sight, like carved statues.


    ¡°The demon from the Sky Demon Sect isn¡¯t dead yet. He will definitely return to cause trouble for you in the future. Your Purple Star Sect better be prepared,¡± Su¡¯en said. ¡°What was his name again? Oh, yes, his name is Mystique!¡±


    ¡°That damned devil!¡± At the mention of the demon, Gu Chuyao¡¯s eyes filled with anger. ¡°If he hadn¡¯t ambushed me¡­ I swear, I¡¯ll kill him the next time I see him! But never mind. Forget him.¡±


    She looked at Su¡¯en again, starry-eyed. ¡°Senior Su, may I ask where you obtained this body-tempering cultivation technique? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a disciple, who doesn¡¯t belong to the Purple Star Sect in the Heavenly Domain, with such a powerful body!¡±


    ¡°Our Dao Sect still mainly cultivates sword techniques. This body-tempering technique is just an opportunity I obtained by chance while I was out.¡± Su¡¯en smiled. Although Earth-rank cultivation techniques were rare, they were not that precious to the Purple Star Sect, so there was no problem with directly saying that he had obtained an opportunity. It served as a convenient, broad explanation anyway.


    ¡°I see. I was wondering why it looked so similar to the cultivation techniques of the Buddhist sects in the Western Heavens. But there¡¯s no issue. Aren¡¯t cultivation techniques researched for people to cultivate? Many disciples in our sect also cultivate Buddhist cultivation techniques.¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s explanation made Gu Chuyao want to ask other questions.


    ¡°Er! Shall we leave this place first?¡±


    ¡°To find our lost disciples?¡±


    When the other three juniors saw that Gu Chuyao wanted to persist in asking questions, they quickly stopped her. Otherwise, who knew when they would leave!


    ¡°Oh yes, I almost forgot!¡± Gu Chuyao patted her head, as if suddenly retrieving her memory: it seemed like there had been more than the four of them when they had set out.


    The other disciples had been injured by the demon of the Sky Demon Sect and hadn¡¯t been able to follow them. She¡¯d been so attracted by Su¡¯en¡¯s perfect body that she¡¯d almost forgotten about the rest of them.

 Chapter 30 - The Breath of Divine Lightning!

    Chapter 30 The Breath of Divine Lightning!


    It took them most of the day to finally find the lost disciples, seven of them in total. Perhaps because the Mystique¡¯s target had been Gu Chuyao, most of these disciples were seriously injured, but not fatally so. From Gu Chuyao¡¯s explanation, Su¡¯en learned about the situation regarding the demons from the Sky Demon Sect in Jingzhou.


    For thousands of years, these demons had wanted to occupy the fertile continent. However, Jingzhou was very strong, standing firm even after several large-scale wars. But the demons had never given up on the idea of occupying Jingzhou, and had secretly ordered powerful demons to enter and set up an organization to assassinate prodigies in the Heavenly Domain.


    Over the years, many famous geniuses and legends had died at the hands of these demons.


    There were many prodigies in the Heavenly Domain, but not every one of them could hone their cultivation in safety, with elders to protect them, especially since there were many places in the Heavenly Domain that needed to be guarded.


    On their way back to the Heavenly Domain, Su¡¯en learned about Gu Chuyao¡¯s identity through their conversation together.


    She was the daughter of the Second Elder of the Purple Star Sect-a respectable status, to say the least! No wonder Gu Chuyao had been able to enter the Golden Core Realm at such a young age. As for why she¡¯d been so badly injured, it was because she¡¯d used some of her important trump cards while on her mission. When Mystique had attacked her, he had snuck up on her from behind. Gu Chuyao hadn¡¯t reacted in time, and had been severely injured. If not for the other disciples¡¯ protection, she might not have been able to hold out until Su¡¯en arrived to help. Fortunately, she had managed to survive.


    The huge cloud shuttle sped through the sky at breakneck speed.


    Su¡¯en stood on the deck of the cloud shuttle with Gu Chuyao beside him. He wanted to be alone to reflect on his battle earlier, and the other cultivation techniques he needed to prepare. But Gu Chuyao was clearly interested in him-no matter where he went, she would follow him. What Su¡¯en couldn¡¯t stand most was the way Gu Chuyao looked at him, like he was a treasure of sorts. It made him feel a little uncomfortable.


    ¡°Senior, I think your talents lie in cultivating body-tempering cultivation techniques. Why don¡¯t you join our Purple Star Sect?¡± Gu Chuyao suggested, eyes filled with anticipation.


    ¡°Although body-tempering cultivation techniques are powerful, my master raised me and taught me. I can¡¯t just abandon my sect. Plus, I prefer to cultivate sword techniques,¡± Su¡¯en replied directly after a moment of consideration. He cultivated body-tempering cultivation techniques mainly to increase his physical defense, not because he was partial towards them.


    ¡°What¡¯s so good about sword techniques?¡± Gu Chuyao said. ¡°Your body-tempering technique is much stronger than your sword technique!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯ve only cultivated my sword technique to the first level. If I cultivate it to perfection, its power will be stronger than body tempering,¡± Su¡¯en explained with a smile.


    The main reason his Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique had reached perfection so quickly was the Bodhi Sarira Pill. But the Divine Lightning Sword Technique relied on Divine Lightning Breath, which was most commonly mastered and wielded by high-level sects. It was not so easy for him to cultivate it to perfection. Although the Divine Lightning Sword Technique only had two moves, they could be cultivated to a third level. If Su¡¯en succeeded, the amount of Divine Lightning Sword Qi he could control would increase exponentially.


    If he had cultivated the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to perfection, Mystique wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape during their battle. The lethality of the Divine Lightning Sword Technique was terrifying; not something that the Eighteen Arhat Golden Body Technique could compare to.


    ¡°I see that your sword technique has a lightning aura. It probably requires a large amount of lightning!¡± Struck by a sudden thought, Gu Chuyao smiled at Su¡¯en.


    ¡°Indeed!¡± Su¡¯en replied calmly, not noticing the expression on Gu Chuyao¡¯s face.


    ¡°Here, this is for you. Consider it repayment for saving my life.¡± Gu Chuyao took out a small purple bottle and placed it in front of Su¡¯en.


    ¡°This is¡­?¡± Su¡¯en studied the small bottle.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you need Divine Lightning Breath? There are about a thousand wisps in here,¡± Gu Chuyao said with a smile. ¡°The Purple Star Sect¡¯s special auras are mainly metal and fire, with few other attributes.¡±


    ¡°Your thank-you gift isn¡¯t a small one at all!¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s calm eyes brightened. He was tempted: he had spent two months in the Dao Sect absorbing all the Divine Lightning Breath he could, but only a single white wisp remained to him. If he still wanted to absorb Divine Lightning Breath, he would have to look to other sects for help. However, how could an outsider absorb the preciousness of this special aura? Judging from the Dao Sect¡¯s resources-assuming it wouldn¡¯t affect the operation of the sect-they could only buy a thousand wisps of Divine Lightning Aura at most.


    ¡°Not at all, Senior. Is my life not worth this much?¡± With an aggrieved expression, Gu Chuyao continued, ¡°I used up everything valuable I had with me on my mission, or I¡¯d have given you something better, not just this little breath of lightning.¡±


    She was indeed the daughter of a Purple Star Sect elder; her tone suited her status. Su¡¯en smiled and shook his head.


    ¡°Senior, do take it!¡± Gu Chuyao stuffed the small purple bottle into Su¡¯en¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Su¡¯en accepted it.


    To him, he had only saved Gu Chuyao once, and by sheer virtue of the fact that they were all disciples of the Heavenly Domain. They had been in trouble; of course he could help them if he could. But to Gu Chuyao, Su¡¯en was almost akin to her second life-giver. They were coming from two different points of view, with an entirely distinct outcome.


    With that in mind, Su¡¯en didn¡¯t refuse her gift. Besides, he really needed the Divine Lightning Breath. Firstly, to cultivate the Divine Lightning Sword Technique faster and prepare for the upcoming Heavenly Domain Ceremony. Secondly, the Dao Sect was too poor-he couldn¡¯t bear to spend money to buy more Divine Lightning Breath.


    Plus, after how Gu Chuyao had put it, he would seem pretentious to reject her gift. Since it was a trivial thing, he might as well just accept it, and it wasn¡¯t as though it was particularly worthy of note anyway.


    Meanwhile, Mystique fled into a dark forest and fell, only his upper body remaining. His face was extremely pale from blood loss, and he looked on the verge of death.


    ¡°Damned disciple of the Heavenly Domain!¡± His face filled with hatred at the thought of the fellow whose body had turned golden.


    Forget the lower half of his body being injured-it was entirely lost to him!


    ¡°You failed your mission?¡± a cold voice called out.

 Chapter 31 - Nether Demon Temple!

    Chapter 31 Nether Demon Temple!


    At the sound of this voice, fear flashed in the demon Mystique¡¯s eyes. Although he could not kneel on the ground after losing his lower body, he could still lie there.


    ¡°Greetings, Temple Master!¡±


    In the dim forest, a shadowy figure floated in the air, but it was impossible to see what they looked like.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you a question. Where¡¯s the captive I wanted?¡±


    ¡°Temple Master!¡± Mystique¡¯s entire body was trembling in terror. ¡°It¡¯s not that my subordinates didn¡¯t try their hardest-other people arrived to help the disciples!¡± He quickly told the Temple Master all about the battle with Su¡¯en.


    ¡°A freak who cultivates both sword techniques and body-tempering ones?¡± The voice in the darkness sounded puzzled. ¡°Could it be that you ran into a prodigy from the Heavenly Domain? Impossible. Prodigies would be at least Spirit Convocation Realm experts, not an early-stage Golden Core Realm expert. Unless the Heavenly Domain has a new genius among their ranks.¡±


    Not daring to make a sound, Mystique could only lie on the ground with his head lowered and wait for the Temple Master¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Gu Chuyao is the daughter of the Second Elder of the Purple Star Sect. She¡¯s just one step away from becoming the Heaven Lord. If we can kill her, it will deal a heavy blow to the future of the Heavenly Domain! It¡¯s a pity, how long we¡¯ve readied ourselves for this mission. The Nether Demon Temple was prepared to be exposed to help you stop Gu Chuyao¡¯s guardian from interfering.¡± The voice was cold and emotionless.


    ¡°It¡¯s my subordinates who are incompetent. I am yours to punish, Temple Master!¡±


    ¡°Forget it. You weren¡¯t the first choice to carry out this mission to begin with. If not for the fact that there were no other options¡­ ah, well.¡± The Temple Master¡¯s words trailed off into a sigh.


    On the ground, Mystique wiped the sweat from his forehead. Under normal circumstances, to assassinate a prodigy like Gu Chuyao, one needed to be at least a Spirit Convocation Realm expert. However, the Heaven Domain had been cracking down on the Nether Demon Temple in recent years, and many demons had been captured and killed. Even now, the temple¡¯s operations were still compromised, leaving it to Mystique to carry out the mission.


    ¡°After this incident, the Heavenly Domain will be investigating us even more closely. Go back and take some time to recover. Don¡¯t let them discover who you are!¡±


    With that, the dark figure vanished. Only then did Mystique allow himself to breathe. When the Temple Master appeared, he had thought he was doomed. After failing such an important mission, even if he wasn¡¯t killed, he would be punished severely! But the Temple Master hadn¡¯t intended to punish him after all-a massive relief.


    ¡°Someone else from the Nether Demon Temple must have been arrested recently!¡± Swallowing, Mystique made a wild guess; it was the only reason he could think of. Otherwise, he would be dead by now! But at the same time, his hatred for Sunn only intensified.


    The first thing on his mind was to wait for his injuries to recover, and be fully prepared before finding that brat again and tearing him


    apart!


    After a day traveling on the Purple Star Sect¡¯s cloud shuttle, Su¡¯en was back in the Heavenly Domain.


    Originally, with the speed of the cloud shuttle, they would have reached their destination in about half a day. But stopping at a couple of cities in between had wasted some time; the journey wouldn¡¯t have been so slow otherwise. He recalled that Gu Chuyao had called for a break when they passed by one of the big cities. Su¡¯en wondered if she had done it on purpose.


    ¡°Senior Su, I think it¡¯s fair to say we¡¯re friends now. If I come looking for you in the future, you won¡¯t turn me away, will you?¡± Gu Chuyao shouted from the cloud shuttle.


    ¡°Of course not!¡± Su¡¯en replied with a smile after getting off the cloud shuttle. After spending a day together, he had gotten a better understanding of Gu Chuyao¡¯s character. In essence, she was a very simple person, whose thoughts weren¡¯t hard to read: if someone was nice to her, she would be nice to them. Of course, if anyone got on her bad side, it wouldn¡¯t end well for them-but who would dare to provoke the daughter of an elder?


    After turning around, Su¡¯en flew toward the Dao Sect.


    ¡°I wonder if Ye Lingyun and Chen Ziling are back yet?¡± In between Su¡¯en¡¯s contemplation, his True Qi kept flowing.


    ¡°Greetings, Senior!¡±


    When Su¡¯en landed in the Daoist Square, a few disciples who were studying cultivation techniques noticed him, their eyes lighting up. They all leaned in closely. Although Su¡¯en was not yet the Sect Master, to the rest of the disciples, he was no different from one.


    ¡°Has Senior Ye returned yet?¡± Su¡¯en asked.


    The disciple thought for a moment before answering. ¡°She came back this morning with a new disciple. I think her name is Chen Ziling.¡±


    ¡°I see. Good. Continue cultivating!¡± After receiving an answer, Su¡¯en patted the disciple on the shoulder and left.


    ¡°Has Senior become stronger again?¡± a disciple asked suddenly.


    ¡°Although Senior looks as easygoing as ever, why do I always feel pressure coming from him?¡±


    ¡°You feel it too? So do I!¡±


    The other disciples nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing to be stronger?¡± said the disciple whom Su¡¯en had patted on the shoulder. ¡°The Heavenly Domain Ceremony is coming soon. With Senior, who knows, the Dao Sect¡¯s ranking might increase a little this time. In the future, if we encounter disciples from other sects in the Heavenly Domain, we won¡¯t be looked down upon!¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡±


    II


    11


    Su¡¯en had no idea that he had become the subject of discussion amongst the other disciples after leaving. At this moment, he had already arrived at Ye Lingyun¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°Senior!¡±


    Chen Ziling was swinging her legs on a branch of an ancient tree in the courtyard. Excitement filled her eyes when she saw Su¡¯en, and she jumped down and ran over to him.


    ¡°How are you? Have you gotten used to living here?¡± Su¡¯en asked with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, the spiritual energy here is very rich and soothing!¡± Chen Ziling replied obediently.


    Her reply surprised Sulen. Put bluntly, the spiritual energy in the Dao Sect was considered scarce compared to the rest of the Heavenly Domain. However, this was Chen Ziling¡¯s first time entering the Heavenly Domain, so it was expected that she would consider it a substantial change. If she had visited one of the high-level sects, she might change her mind about the Dao Sect¡¯s supposedly dense spiritual energy.


    After a moment of calculation, Su¡¯en asked, ¡°Good to know you¡¯re adapting well. Where¡¯s your senior?¡±


    ¡°Senior Ye waited for a while after coming here with me this morning. When she realized that you hadn¡¯t returned, she told me to stay here as she went out to look for you!¡± Chen Ziling answered honestly.

 Chapter 32 - Senior, I Will Definitely Not Disappoint You!

    Chapter 32 Senior, I Will Definitely Not Disappoint You!


    ¡°That girl!¡±


    Su¡¯en looked touched. It seemed that his junior had been worried about his safety, so she had left the Heavenly Domain to search for him. There were a total of four entrances to the Heavenly Domain. He had taken the Purple Star Gate¡¯s cloud shuttle back, so he hadn¡¯t returned from where he had first left, and he and Ye Lingyun hadn¡¯t bumped into each other there.


    ¡°Stay here and practice your cultivation. I¡¯ll go find your senior.¡± With that, Su¡¯en flew towards the exit of the Heavenly Domain.


    ¡°When can I reach a realm that allows me to fly in the sky?¡± Chen Ziling¡¯s eyes were filled with envy and yearning as she watched Su¡¯en¡¯s figure grow further and further away in the sky. Flying freely in the sky had always been her greatest dream; unfortunately, only those who had reached the Golden Core Realm could do so.


    How many years would she have to cultivate before becoming like her senior?


    After leaving the Heavenly Domain, Su¡¯en searched along the route he had taken before.


    Two hours later, he finally found Ye Lingyun. She was riding a spirit horse across the grassland, her eyes filled with worry.


    ¡°Junior!¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s voice traveled down from the sky.


    Ye Lingyun quickly stopped the horse and looked up. When she saw that it was Su¡¯en, she relaxed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you came out here looking for me. Do you have no faith in me, or were you worried about my safety?¡± Su¡¯en asked as he floated to the ground, smiling.


    ¡°I do have faith in you, but I was a little worried, is all.¡± Ye Lingyun fiddled with a lock of hair by her ear. ¡°After all, you weren¡¯t back after a whole day.¡±


    ¡°I took the Purple Star Sect¡¯s cloud shuttle back. They faced some delays, so they returned a little late!¡± Su¡¯en said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back now.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Ye Lingyun nodded.


    Because they weren¡¯t in a rush, the two of them slowly walked back to the Heavenly Domain on the grassland. It also gave them a chance to admire the scenery along the way.


    As they walked, Su¡¯en told Ye Lingyun about the battles that had transpired yesterday.


    ¡°The Nether Temple. What kind of sect is it?¡± This was the first time Ye Lingyun had heard of this sect; it wasn¡¯t a familiar name.


    ¡°It¡¯s an assassination organization established by the Sky Demon Sect in Jingzhou. It was established specially to assassinate the most talented disciples of the Heavenly Domain,¡± Su¡¯en explained. He had learned this information from Gu Chuyao.


    ¡°If you leave the Heavenly Domain by yourself in the future, you must be vigilant. Don¡¯t be blind to trust every random stranger asking you for help. Over the years, many disciples in the Heavenly Domain have died because they let their guards down,¡± he reminded.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Ye Lingyun nodded, then asked, ¡°Since the demon you fought is still alive, won¡¯t he come back to look for you?¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t get that chance anytime soon.¡± Su¡¯en smiled and shook his head blithely. ¡°Even for us cultivators, it¡¯s hard to come back swinging after losing half your body. Unless you have healing medicine refined by a high-level sect, you can¡¯t just automatically recover from such injuries, not without decades. But if he dares to come so many years later, I¡¯ll show him what true cruelty looks like.¡±


    Hearing her senior¡¯s boastful words, Ye Lingyun couldn¡¯t help but laugh. But she believed that he wasn¡¯t joking: with his cultivation speed, he would probably be at the Spirit Convocation Realm in a few decades, maybe even the Nascent Soul Realm.


    ¡°I almost forgot. This is for you.¡± Something occurred to Su¡¯en; he casually took out a new cultivation technique book and a small purple bottle.


    This cultivation technique was the Divine Lightning Sword Technique that he had recorded down, and the small purple bottle was the Divine Lightning Breath that Gu Chuyao had given him. Previously, he hadn¡¯t given the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to Ye Lingyun because the aura of Divine Lightning was too rare. If one didn¡¯t encounter a special blessed land, one would not be able to cultivate the technique to perfection.


    But it was different now. A thousand wisps of Divine Lightning was enough for Ye Lingyun to cultivate the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to the second level!


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Ye Lingyun asked. Where her senior was concerned, she knew that he was preparing to give her something as soon as he reached for the items.


    ¡°This cultivation technique is called the Divine Lightning Sword Technique. It¡¯s a low-grade Heaven Realm cultivation technique, and the sword technique which I used to cripple the cultivation of a Nether Saber Sect elder,¡± Su¡¯en said. ¡°There are a thousand wisps of Divine Lightning Aura in this small bottle. It¡¯s enough for you to cultivate the technique to the second level.¡±


    Low-grade Divine Lightning? Ye Lingyun¡¯s beautiful eyes widened. Without realizing, her jaw hung slightly slack. High-grade Earth-rank cultivation techniques were already considered rare in the Heavenly Domain, but some powerful sects still had one or two.


    However, Heaven Realm cultivation techniques were different. A stage meant a world of difference, and a Heaven Realm cultivation technique couldn¡¯t be compared to an Earth Realm cultivation technique. Currently, other than the few high-level sects, there were no records of the remaining sects having Heaven Realm cultivation techniques.


    During the Chen family¡¯s martial arts contest, she had felt that the sword technique used by her senior was powerful. She had guessed that its grade should be above her Golden Lightning Sword Technique-maybe medium-grade or high-grade, but not a Heaven Realm cultivation technique!


    ¡°This cultivation technique is a sword technique cultivated by the Divine Lightning Sword Master of our Dao Sect. If you cultivate it to perfection, you can connect with the divine lightning in the sky!¡± Su¡¯en said.


    ¡°Connect with¡­?¡± Ye Lingyun asked, looking at the small purple bottle in her hand. ¡°Senior, what level have you reached?¡±


    y


    ¡°I¡¯ve already cultivated the technique to the perfected third major level!¡± From Ye Lingyun¡¯s question, Su¡¯en knew what she was thinking. If he said that he had only cultivated the technique to its first level, his junior would probably reject him, and it would take half a day to change her mind. He might as well say that he had cultivated the technique to perfection.


    As expected, Ye Lingyun said no more after hearing his reply.


    ¡°The Heavenly Domain Ceremony is coming soon. Work hard in your cultivation. Our Dao Sect can¡¯t always be at the bottom. It¡¯s time we rose in the ranks!¡±


    After giving the two items to Ye Lingyun, Su¡¯en turned and looked into the distance. In the horizon were mountains and dangerous terrain. Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes blazed with determination.


    The look in his gaze was inspiring and contagious. A sentiment of a different sort blossomed in Ye Lingyun¡¯s heart, and she tightened her grip on the small purple bottle in her hand. ¡°Senior, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t disappoint you!¡±

 Chapter 33 - Declaration of Peace by the Nether Saber Sect!

    Chapter 33 Declaration of Peace by the Nether Saber Sect!


    [Ding!)


    [The transfer has succeeded!]


    (Triggered Twentyfold Critical Critical Compensation!]


    (Obtained Divine Lightning Aura*20,000)


    The system prompt sounded in Su¡¯en¡¯s mind.


    Twentyfold? Still acceptable, he supposed. At least, better than a tenfold Critical Compensation.


    He had only cultivated the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to its first level and still needed about 11,000 Divine Lightning Breaths. If it had been a tenfold Critical Compensation, he would still need about 1,000 more points to cultivate the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to perfection. However, there was no more Divine Lightning Breath in the Dao Sect.


    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to use up all this Divine Lightning Breath. I¡¯ll give the rest to my junior.¡±


    Traveling at a moderate speed, they both reached the Heavenly Domain.


    ¡°Senior, this is a letter from the Nether Saber Sect.¡± A disciple approached them once they had returned to the Daoist Square. ¡°The Nether Saber Sect?¡± Su¡¯en gave a slight frown. Were they demanding an explanation, or issuing another special challenge? He had crippled a Golden Core Realm elder, and entering the Golden Core Realm was considered a formidable achievement amongst the Nether Saber Sect¡¯s ranks.


    ¡®What does it say?¡¯ Su¡¯en asked.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t opened the letter yet. Senior, take a look!¡± The disciple brought the letter to Su¡¯en. After he opened the letter and briefly scanned its contents, it disappeared on its own.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk. How typical of the Nether Saber Sect.¡±


    Su¡¯en smacked his lips. The Nether Saber Sect had expressed their apologies for an elder of theirs interfering with a dispute between disciples, but they had already lost the elder in questions. They hoped that both sides would not harbor any further hatred. Essentially, the equivalent of an apology. However, from beginning to end, the letter mentioned nothing about compensation.


    ¡°Looks like the Nether Saber Sect is still a little unhappy with me for crippling one of their elders!¡± Su¡¯en muttered to himself.


    The sect was, admittedly, rather clever. The rules of the Heavenly Domain were clear: Any elder who attacked a disciple had already violated the law. If the Nether Saber Sect still wanted to take revenge, the entire sect would probably be chased out of the Heavenly Domain. Similar incidents had happened before.


    Although the Nether Saber Sect promised not to disturb me anymore, I still need to increase my cultivation. Su¡¯en¡¯s gaze grew serious. If my cultivation level reaches the Spirit Convocation Realm, I won¡¯t have to worry about the Nether Saber Sect at all.


    He needed to become stronger!


    In this world, cultivation was everything. One whose cultivation was weak had no pride to speak of. Abiding by the rules was one thing, but why not be the one to make the rules in the first place?


    After taking a deep breath, Su¡¯en decided to continue his seclusion. This time, he had to cultivate the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to perfection!


    With that in mind, Su¡¯en headed for his courtyard. However, before going into seclusion, he had to take care of matters involving Chen Ziling. Between their natural talent, Chen Ziling held the edge. If he nurtured her well, she might become the backbone of the Dao Sect in the future.


    Su¡¯en found Chen Ziling and led her to a new courtyard about the size of his own.


    ¡°This is the high-grade Profound-rank sword technique of the Dao Sect: the Mystic Lightning Sword Technique. When you¡¯re more or less done cultivating it, I¡¯ll give you a higher-level cultivation technique.¡± Su¡¯en took out a cultivation technique book.


    High-grade Profound-rank!


    Chen Ziling was full of excitement. She hadn¡¯t imagined that she would be able to cultivate such a high-level sword technique as soon as she entered the Dao Sect. The highest-level cultivation technique amongst her family was only a Yellow Rank one! As expected of a sect in the Heavenly Domain, their cultivation techniques were of a much higher level.


    And her senior had said that there would be higher-level cultivation techniques in the future. Wouldn¡¯t that mean an Earth-rank cultivation technique?


    ¡°There are many medicinal pills and spiritual plants in this spatial ring. It should last you through your cultivation for more than half a year.¡±


    Su¡¯en took out another ring. The Meru Ring was a ring with special properties of space: it could store items that were larger than itself, because it was made from Meru Stone. The Meru Stone¡¯s unique trait was akin to a void, allowing items to enter another space and be stored there. It was even said that spiritual plants would not lose their medicinal properties after being placed inside for a long time.


    Lifeless things like pills and spiritual plants could be stored inside, but not living creatures. Once, someone had specially placed some creatures inside and released them all at a certain time. The result? All of them had died, with no survivors. From then on, no one put their pets in their spatial rings anymore. Of course, there were some who didn¡¯t believe the tale and still chose to put their pets inside-to their eventual regret, of course.


    This spatial ring was quite precious in the secular world, but almost everyone had one in the Heavenly Domain.


    ¡°Senior, are you going into seclusion again?¡± After Chen Ziling took the items, she stared at Su¡¯en with wide eyes.


    ¡°How did you know?¡± Su¡¯en was surprised.


    ¡°That¡¯s what you¡¯ve been doing most of the


    year.¡±


    ¡°How clever.¡± Su¡¯en patted her head, feeling her sleek, dark waves of hair. ¡°As for how long it will take for you to enter seclusion, I don¡¯t know, but you have to work hard at cultivating. I hope that when I come out of seclusion, you will have already broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm.¡±


    ¡°I will, Senior, don¡¯t worry!¡± Chen Ziling replied with a smile.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Su¡¯en smiled back, nodded, and left Chen Ziling¡¯s courtyard.


    There was still half a year until the Heavenly Domain Ceremony. He needed to become more powerful, or he wouldn¡¯t be able to compete with the true prodigies of the high-level sects. After the position of the Heaven Lord had alternated between different sects for so many years, one could imagine how many resources they had accumulated, and what kind of realm their disciples would be at!


    Su¡¯en shook his head, pushing the thoughts from his mind, and took out the system¡¯s compensation for the Divine Lightning Breath.


    A total of 20,000 ingots were placed in a purple box. With so many wisps of Divine Lightning Breath together, even contained in the box from the system, he could still feel their powerful, destructive aura.


    ¡°My seclusion begins now!¡±


    Su¡¯en opened the purple box a fraction and channeled the Divine Lightning Sword Technique, slowly guiding the Diving Lightning Breath into his body.


    Wisps of lightning entered his vast Energy Sea, rushing towards his sword embryo like lightning in the sky, and getting absorbed bit by bit. As more and more lightning entered the sword embryo, the latter¡¯s illusory figure began to slowly materialize.


    A terrifying aura gradually appeared around Su¡¯en-accumulating strength, just like a caterpillar that was about to break out of its cocoon and become a butterfly!

 Chapter 34 - Perfected Divine Lightning Sword Technique!

    Chapter 34 Perfected Divine Lightning Sword Technique!


    Again, a month flew by. Nothing much had happened in the Dao Sect in the past month. Due to the Heavenly Domain Ceremony, most of the disciples of every sect were in seclusion, hoping to participate as representatives of their sect.


    The Heavenly Domain Ceremony was only held once every 800 years, with strict age restrictions on eligibility: Only the younger generation, those of 30 years old and below, were qualified to participate. Many people would be lucky if the ceremony happened during their time; it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The higher a sect placed in the rankings, the more rewards they would receive, such as special blessed lands.


    In his room, Su¡¯en sat on his bed. He had consumed more than half of the Divine Lightning Breath in the box in front of him, and a powerful aura of destruction continued to flow from him.


    Suddenly, Su¡¯en opened his eyes, and the terrifying sword Qi in his gaze erupted. The newly-obtained Energy Suppression Disc beside him trembled violently, and huge cracks spread across its surface-more, and more, until the wheel shattered.


    ¡°My cultivation has succeeded!¡± Su¡¯en murmured. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.


    At this moment, a white sword embryo which had already taken shape was floating above his Energy Sea: the Divine Lightning Sword Embryo!


    Using his thoughts, Su¡¯en channeled a large amount of Divine Lightning Sword Qi from the sword embryo-tens of thousands of them, constantly revolving around the embryo. The sheer quantity of Sword Qi nearly made his Energy Sea collapse.


    ¡°If I was at this cultivation level when I encountered the demon back then, I would have been able to kill him instantly!¡±


    Su¡¯en opened his eyes and withdrew the fearsome aura from his body, reverting back to his unassuming appearance. Previously, he had only mastered the first level of the Divine Lightning Sword Technique and could only control dozens of Divine Lightning Sword Qi. Now, there were tens of thousands of them-an undeniably qualitative change.


    Su¡¯en had thought it would probably take three months to cultivate the technique to its perfected realm, even with sufficient Divine Lightning Breath. However, he hadn¡¯t expected that the more lightning the Divine Lightning Sword Technique absorbed, the faster his cultivation speed would be. Towards the end of his cultivation, he had no longer needed to actively absorb the Divine Lightning Breath, since the sword embryo would automatically do the work for him.


    This was why he had been able to cultivate the Divine Lightning Sword Technique to perfection in a month.


    ¡°It seems that the hardest part of cultivating the Divine Lightning Sword Technique is the first level: condensing the sword embryo!¡±


    Su¡¯en understood now. In the Heavenly Domain, many martial arts were only difficult to cultivate towards the end. But not the Divine Lightning Sword Technique; its beginning was the most challenging phase. The early stages of cultivation depended on a cultivator¡¯s grasp of the technique, while the later stages were dependent on resources.


    Tightening the lid of the box in front of him, Su¡¯en slipped it into his spatial ring and stood up. He had only spent a month cultivating the Divine Lightning Sword Technique, giving him the time to go out and see if he could encounter any opportunities. He had already cultivated these two high-level cultivation techniques to their perfected realms, but his own realm was still too low, only in the early-stages of the Golden Core Realm.


    It was too slow to cultivate by merely absorbing the spiritual energy in the Heavenly Domain! With his aptitude, he would probably need decades of cultivation to advance by a mere realm.


    Su¡¯en left his room.


    ¡°What?¡±


    As soon as he walked out of the door, he sensed someone outside the courtyard. He thought for a moment, then disappeared and reappeared outside the gate.


    ¡°Greetings, Senior!¡±


    Standing guard outside the door was another disciple from the labor hall. Su¡¯en¡¯s appearance startled him, and he quickly bowed.


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Su¡¯en asked.


    After hearing Su¡¯en¡¯s question, the disciple panicked, going tongue-tied.


    Noting this, Su¡¯en said reassuringly, ¡°There¡¯s no rush, take your time to explain.¡±


    Looking at his gentle senior, the disciple slowly recovered his composure. ¡°Two weeks ago, the Purple Star Gate sent two items over, meant specifically for you. But you were in seclusion, so I didn¡¯t dare to disturb you and could only stand guard outside the door.¡±


    The disciple¡¯s voice still trembled as he spoke, but he looked at Su¡¯en curiously. The former because of the overwhelming pressure radiating from his senior in such close proximity; the latter because he was wondering why Su¡¯en was connected to the Purple Star Sect. Generally speaking, the few high-level sects rarely interacted with the other sects, let alone the weakest of them all, the Dao Sect.


    ¡°What things did they send?¡± Su¡¯en was puzzled-was this Gu Chuyao¡¯s doing?


    The disciple hurriedly took out two boxes from his spatial ring and handed them to Su¡¯en.


    Valuable gifts, as expected! Su¡¯en thought. The material of the boxes was nothing ordinary. One glance was enough to tell that they were made of palm wood, specially crafted to preserve their contents.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll be on my way,¡± the disciple said. Although he was a little curious about what was in the box, he knew it wasn¡¯t his place to ask such questions.


    ¡°Yes. Go to the Pill Pavilion and buy three Blood Essence Pills for yourself. Put them on my tab,¡± Su¡¯en said, smiling.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior!¡± The disciple was overjoyed. He had hesitated when he had received the items, unsure if he should deliver them to his senior himself or leave it to someone else. In the end, he had chosen to complete the task personally, only for his senior to have been in seclusion, so he had no choice but to wait at the door.


    The disciple had thought that waiting at the door for half a month would cost him much cultivation time, but he hadn¡¯t expected his senior to be so considerate as to allow him to collect three Blood Essence Pills! The Blood Essence Pill was a third-grade medicinal pill-a valuable cultivation resource to him, since he was at the Foundation Establishment Realm and could only receive one pill every month.


    After the disciple left, Su¡¯en returned to his courtyard and opened the box the Purple Star Sect had sent.


    ¡°Divine Spirit Pill? A seventh-grade medicinal


    pill?¡±


    One of the boxes held a pill bottle. Su¡¯en opened it and sniffed the familiar scent, before realizing it was a Divine Spirit Pill. It was a seventh-grade medicinal pill that contained more spiritual energy, and was more valuable than the Foundation Establishment Pill.


    And there were ten of them in this bottle!


    ¡°As expected of a high-level sect. The Purple Star Sect is so generous-ten seventh-grade medicinal pills at once!¡±


    Su¡¯en gave a heavy sigh. Because the Dao Sect had once produced a Heaven Lord, they had been able to obtain a few pills from the Medicine King Sect in the past. But not anymore, since the sect was too weak. Between his contemplation, Su¡¯en opened the other box.

 Chapter 35 - Senior! Isnt This Too Precious?

    Chapter 35 Senior! Isn¡¯t This Too Precious?


    Inside the other box was a cultivation technique book, titled ¡®Return to One Sword Technique¡¯.


    ¡°Low-grade Earth-rank?¡±


    Su¡¯en was surprised when he saw the grade of the cultivation technique. But when he thought of the Purple Star Sect, he collected himself. When considering the strength of the sect, this low-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique wasn¡¯t that remarkable coming from them.


    ¡°So is this from Gu Chuyao, or that elder?¡±


    On the cloud shuttle, Gu Chuyao had given him a bottle of a thousand wisps of Divine Lightning Breath. In his opinion, she had already repaid him for saving her life.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Su¡¯en shook his head. Since he couldn¡¯t figure the situation out, he decided not to think about it. The items had already been sent over, so he would just accept them. They were an opportunity of sorts, anyway.


    ¡°Ye Lingyun should still be in seclusion, so I won¡¯t disturb her. I¡¯ll give this to Chen Ziling! This should be considered doing my duty as a senior.¡± Su¡¯en was lost in thought. Previously, Ye Lingyun had been his only choice for who he could give items to, but now that there was Chen Ziling too, he couldn¡¯t just ignore her. Plus, Chen Ziling was also very talented; her potential was worth nurturing.


    With that in mind, Su¡¯en flew toward Chen Ziling¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°First form of the Mystic Lightning Sword Technique: Lightning Slash!¡±


    Even before reaching her courtyard, Su¡¯en heard Chen Ziling casting a sword technique. He disappeared from where he was and appeared within the walls of the courtyard.


    Leaves fell around them as Chen Ziling cultivated her sword technique. She was looking lively: dressed in a purple gown, dark hair flowing. She had managed to figure out the technique in a month, without anyone¡¯s guidance.


    Chen Ziling¡¯s petite figure leaped into the air. The long sword in her hand kept flashing and vanishing as sword shadows appeared and landed on the stones used for cultivation.


    ¡°What are these stones in the Heavenly Domain made of? They¡¯re so hard. If they were the stones in my house, they would have been cut in half!¡±


    Chen Ziling wiped the sweat off her forehead, slightly winded. Although she had broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, she was only at its early-stages. Her Qi and blood essence were not tempered enough, so she couldn¡¯t cultivate for extended periods of time.


    Suddenly, there was the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.


    ¡°What?¡±


    Chen Ziling felt someone behind her. She tightened her grip on her sword and pointed it at them. When she saw Su¡¯en on the wall, her wary expression turned to surprise.


    ¡°Senior! Why are you here? Why did you run up the wall instead of coming through the front door?¡± She hurriedly walked over to Su¡¯en.


    ¡°I saw that you were engrossed in your cultivation and didn¡¯t want to disturb you. And I wanted to take a look at your cultivation progress for the past month.¡± Su¡¯en landed in the yard.


    ¡°Senior, I¡¯ve broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm!¡± Chen Ziling circulated all the True Qi in her body, trying to display her realm.


    ¡°Indeed you have. You¡¯ve also mastered the technique decently well. It may be of a low-level, but I can¡¯t find any problems in your execution.¡± Su¡¯en smiled and nodded. It was true-in all seriousness, he might have underestimated Chen Ziling¡¯s potential. Apart from being talented, she also had a sound understanding of cultivation. She might even catch up to him.


    ¡°After so many years of decline, perhaps the Chen family will prosper under you!¡± he said casually. There were records of the Chen family in the history of the Dao Sect. Although the Chens weren¡¯t the first family to follow the Dao Sect, they hadn¡¯t been late to do so, either; around the time of the last Heaven Lord. In the past, the Chen family had been very powerful, but it had gradually declined, like the Dao Sect. Albeit to a greater extent; the strongest cultivator in the Chen family was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm.


    ¡°I¡¯ll continue working hard!¡± At Su¡¯en¡¯s mention of reviving her family¡¯s status, Chen Ziling¡¯s eyes were filled with tenacity. Before coming to the Heavenly Domain, her father had told her a lot about the Chen family¡¯s history. She wouldn¡¯t waste this opportunity to cultivate in the Heavenly Domain.


    ¡°Hard work is a choice, but cultivation resources can¡¯t be chosen.¡± Su¡¯en smiled and placed the bottle of Divine Spirit Pills in Chen Ziling¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Thank you, Senior!¡± Chen Ziling accepted the bottle and hurriedly thanked him. Although she didn¡¯t know what her senior had given her, it had to be something to aid in her cultivation!


    ¡°This is a seventh-grade medicinal pill: the Heavenly Spirit Pill. Its medicinal power is gentle and rich. There are a total of ten pills. It should be able to help you cultivate to the Crystallization Realm!¡± Su¡¯en said slowly.


    ¡°What? A seventh-grade medicinal pill?¡± Suddenly, Chen Ziling was so frightened that her hand trembled. The bottle of pills in her hand almost fell to the ground, but fortunately, she tightened her grip at the last moment.


    In the Chen family, the pills she had used were only second-grade pills. To her, third-grade and fourth-grade medicinal pills were already very precious, let alone seventh-grade medicinal pills. Even if the Chen family sold all their assets, they might not be able to afford a pill of this grade!


    ¡°Senior¡­ isn¡¯t this too precious a gift?¡± Chen Ziling clenched the medicine bottle in her hand, afraid that it would fall to the ground.


    ¡°All medicinal pills, no matter how precious or how high-grade, are meant for consumption. Only then will their value be put to good use. As the saying goes: everything natural exists for a reason,¡± Su¡¯en replied with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t dwell on unproductive thoughts. Just relax and use my gift well.¡±


    ¡°Senior, I won¡¯t let you down!¡± At Su¡¯en¡¯s words, Chen Ziling looked serious.


    ¡°That¡¯s the right idea. Also, take this cultivation technique book.¡± Su¡¯en held out the ¡®Return to One Sword Technique¡¯ book to her. He had scanned the pages briefly; it was a cultivation technique that combined sword techniques and movement techniques. Very suitable for those who gravitated towards sword techniques.


    Chen Ziling reached out to take it. However, when she saw the grade of the martial arts, she was shocked. Her eyes filled with disbelief.


    The technique was of a low-grade Earth-rank!


    Repeat: a low-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique!


    What was happening today? First a seventh-grade medicinal pill, then an Earth-rank cultivation technique.


    Chen Ziling felt like she was dreaming!


    ¡°Keep working hard. If any area of your cultivation isn¡¯t progressing, you can come and find me. I shouldn¡¯t be in seclusion for the time being,¡± Su¡¯en said.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Chen Ziling nodded, her face full of excitement. ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you, Senior!¡±


    Su¡¯en simply patted her shoulder and left.

 Chapter 36 - Hundredfold Critical Compensation: Flashing Sword Steps!

    Chapter 36 Hundredfold Critical Compensation: Flashing Sword Steps!


    After walking away, Su¡¯en heard excited shouts coming from the courtyard. He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, smiling broadly. His junior was so easy to please!


    At this moment, the system notification sounded.


    [Ding!)


    [The transfer has succeeded!]


    (Tenfold Critical Compensation activated!)


    [Obtained Divine Spirit Pill*100]


    (Ding!)


    (The transfer has succeeded!)


    (Triggered Hundredfold Critical Compensation!)


    [Obtained high-grade Heaven Realm cultivation technique: Flashing Sword Steps!)


    A hundredfold Critical Compensation?


    Su¡¯en froze, then his eyes lit up with surprise.


    What splendid luck! Another hundredfold Critical Compensation, appearing on the cultivation technique: a Heaven Realm technique once again!


    A hundred Divine Spirit Pills was a satisfying reward too, but he guessed that a tenfold Critical Compensation was the lowest the system would offer him. Not once had the Critical Compensations been multiplied less than ten times. However, the probability of a hundredfold Critical Compensation was lower. It all depended on luck.


    ¡°Look at this new low-grade Heaven Realm cultivation technique!¡±


    Eagerly, Suene took out the Flashing Sword Steps technique. If the original technique had been a movement one, the system would likely compensate him with a similar technique. He currently lacked a movement-type cultivation technique. What a timely gift from the Purple Star Sect!


    Su¡¯ene¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the cultivation technique in his hand. At the end, his breathing began to quicken.


    ¡°This technique seems to have surpassed the definition of movement techniques!¡± He calmed himself and allowed his spirits to settle.


    The Flashing Sword Steps Technique: one could instantly appear where the sword was, within a given distance. This cultivation technique had a total of ten levels. After advancing each level, the range of distance would increase substantially. Once the technique was cultivated to the tenth level, one could teleport almost anywhere within ten thousand kilometers.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a movement technique; it¡¯s practically teleportation!¡±


    Su¡¯en felt that he already understood how to use this cultivation technique correctly. Most people who cultivated cultivation techniques wanted to avoid others¡¯ attacks while fighting. However, the Flashing Sword Steps Technique allowed one to not only dodge attacks, but also retreat entirely from dangerous places.


    However, it wasn¡¯t easy to cultivate the Flashing Sword Steps Technique to the perfected realm; it was a martial art that demanded extremely high comprehension. Whoever used this cultivation technique needed to have a certain understanding of the attributes of space, and their sword would have to be a treasure artifact with spatial attributes. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be able to use the technique successfully.


    He could rely on his own understanding of cultivation techniques, but what about the treasure artifact he needed? There was a treasure artifact in the Dao Sect, but no one else could use it except the sect master, and it didn¡¯t have spatial attributes.


    ¡°Looks like I need to go to the Weapon Refining Sect!¡±


    Su¡¯en frowned. The Weapon Refining Sect was the only sect in the Heavenly Domain that specialized in refining weapons. Although artifacts could be forged, they were too expensive. If he wanted to buy one, he didn¡¯t know if the Dao Sect¡¯s financial resources could bear the cost!


    Suddenly, thinking of something, Su¡¯en tapped the side of his head.


    Why did it seem like he had forgotten something?


    Initially, he had planned to go to the other sects in the Heavenly Domain to see if he could encounter some opportunities there, only to give up when he realized that they might not let him in. But he had forgotten that the Weapon Refining Sect was different. This was a sect that specialized in selling weapons; they would not forbid strangers from entering. Apart from some restricted places, they could enter and exit freely! ¡°If I¡¯m lucky, I should be able to encounter the opportunities left behind by some seniors!¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes were filled with hope. There might be many opportunities hidden in the Weapon Refining Sect. After all, with its specialization, it would be normal to hide some precious opportunities in the sect¡¯s territory, right?


    But what was really impactful was this: it was said that the Weapon Refining Sect had lost many weapons during the Heavenly Domain¡¯s era of power. While resisting attacks from their enemies, the weapons had been damaged, and hadn¡¯t been able to regain their original grade even after forging and repairing them. Therefore, some weapons had been buried. Su¡¯en had been thinking of finding these buried weapons, giving them to the other disciples, and then acquiring whatever powerful weapons the system compensated him with.


    With that in mind, Su¡¯en¡¯s heart was hopeful that he would find opportunities on his trip.


    ¡°I hope that my trip to the Weapon Refining Sect won¡¯t disappoint me!¡± Su¡¯en muttered under his breath, then took to the air and left the sect.


    He flew in the direction of the Weapon Refining Sect.

 Chapter 37 - Greenhill House, Obelisk!

    Chapter 37 Greenhill House, Obelisk!


    The Weapon Refining Sect was located in the middle of the Heavenly Domain, where some of the stronger sects were still qualified to reside. The Weapon Refining Sect wasn¡¯t as prestigious as some high-level sects, but many sects didn¡¯t have their kind of strength.


    Su¡¯en was still swallowing pills as he flew through the air. Divine Spirit Pills were different from Foundation Establishment Pills; one did not need to be in seclusion to completely absorb its medicinal power.


    Suddenly, while in flight, Su¡¯en felt the breath in his body loosen. His Golden Core seemed to have strengthened a little, and the speed at which he produced True Qi had increased again.


    When he was cultivating the Divine Lightning Sword Technique, his cultivation had been on the verge of breaking through. Now, after eating some Divine Spirit Pills, he had succeeded.


    He had reached the mid-stage Golden Core Realm!


    Although my progression is a little slow, the Heavenly Domain Ceremony is coming soon. I hope that I can break through to the Spirit Convocation Realm in time.


    Su¡¯en squinted in thought. The Spirit Convocation Realm was also known as the Life Realm. Everyone had a soul, but compared to the physical body, its existence was fragile, even invisible. After mortals who didn¡¯t practice cultivation died, their souls would dissipate in the world within seven days. No one knew where they went-the legendary Netherworld, perhaps, before being reincarnated.


    However, one¡¯s spirit in the Spirit Convocation Realm was formed from one¡¯s Golden Corey, condensed in the Golden Core Realm. After reaching the Golden Core Realm, every cultivator had their own Golden Core. However, if they wanted to break through to the Spirit Convocation Realm, they had to nurture their Golden Core into a Spirit Body first.


    The Spirit Body born from the Golden Core was as weak as an ordinary soul, which was why Spirit Convocation Realm cultivators worked hard to temper their souls. Only after tempering the soul to a certain level would it take a physical form. After which, one would advance to the Nascent Soul Realm. By then, cultivators would be able to let their souls-which were no longer as fragile-leave their bodies.


    The power of some demons¡¯ souls was what allowed them to possess others¡¯ bodies; they could break out of their own bodies without fear of the sun. These souls were like newborn babies, which was also why this realm was called the Nascent Soul Realm.


    While he was deep in thought, Su¡¯en finally arrived at the Weapon Refining Sect. The sect was built on a volcano, and magma would constantly spew out from below. At the same time, one could see many people waving hammers and forging weapons on some mountains.


    This was the Weapon Refining Sect, the number one weapon refinement sect in Jingzhou, only rivaled by the Tempering Valley in the East.


    ¡°So it¡¯s true. The Fire Breath Paradise is below the Weapon Refining Sect.¡±


    Su¡¯en looked around. From his perspective, the whole of the Weapon Refining Sect seemed to be made of flame. Every time he breathed, he could feel his insides burning. Although blessed lands with special auras were practically the exclusive territory of high-level sects, special sects like the Weapon Refining Sect were still qualified to obtain some of these lands from said sects.


    Su¡¯en flew down toward the entrance of the sect, where many people were streaming in and out: those who wanted to buy, trade, or repair weapons. Most, if not all of them, were disciples of the Heavenly Domain. He couldn¡¯t see the secular people of the outside world among them.


    After taking in the scene, Su¡¯en entered the Weapon Refining Sect. The hall for welcoming guests was not only large, but lavish. There were all kinds of buildings in the hall, each clearly expensive. Weapons that emitted light floated above the hall. They were used for display, and there were many treasure artifacts among them.


    The purpose of Su¡¯en¡¯s visit was to buy a treasure artifact, and see if there were any opportunities around. He began to walk around the Weapon Refining Sect.


    The land owned by the sect was massive, about tens of thousands of miles, and the range of his Opportunity Guidance was only about ten miles. So he needed to move around.


    An hour later, Su¡¯en stopped, his eyes bright with surprise. A white dotted line appeared in his vision.


    In the last hour, Su¡¯en had searched almost everywhere he was permitted to enter in the Weapon Refining Sect, with no traces of any white dotted line. He had been ready to give up if he found nothing here.


    When he first arrived, he had thought that a powerful sect with such large territory, like the Weapon Refining Sect, should have many opportunities around. But the reality had been different; it had taken him so long just to discover one opportunity. But when he thought about it, it made sense. This was the Heavenly Domain, and those who were granted entry were talents from all over Jingzhou. With so many prodigies and geniuses of extraordinary abilities, most of the opportunities would have been snatched up by them long ago.


    With that in mind, Su¡¯en followed the direction of the white dotted line.


    The location of the opportunity was very remote; he saw fewer and fewer people as he walked. Finally, he followed the dotted line into an attic that sold weapons.


    The Weapon Refining Sect was no different from other sects: while its focus was refining weapons, it also had many schools. Each school had its own fixed location for making weapons, and venues for selling them. And weapons from different schools weren¡¯t quite the same either.


    The loft that Su¡¯en had entered was called Greenhill House-a rather delicate-sounding name.


    S


    Su¡¯en examined his surroundings. There were so few people in this attic that it was practically empty. He looked at the weapons on display. Although there was a variety of them, they had one thing in common: they were massive.


    Absolutely massive!


    Especially the huge sword hanging in the middle of the shop,the hilt was taller than Su¡¯en. What kind of stature would one need to have to wield it?


    The build of the weapons was indeed surprising, as was their lack of aesthetic appeal. The place was named ¡®Greenhill House¡¯, but the weapons here were all so big. How had that happened? One didn¡¯t need to ponder the reason for the slow business here.


    ¡°Welcome to the shop, sir. What would you like to buy?¡± a middle-aged man asked, walking over with a smile. There were so few customers here, the shop owner¡¯s enthusiasm came as no surprise. He probably didn¡¯t want to let a potential customer slip through his fingers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have a look around myself first.¡± Su¡¯en searched where the white dotted line led him, before finally stopping at one particular weapon.


    It resembled a sword, and an ordinary one at that. There was nothing special about it, but it was too big, just like the door panels in his courtyard.


    On the weapon was one word: Obelisk!

 Chapter 38 - Treasure Artifact: Evergreen!

    Chapter 38 Treasure Artifact: Evergreen!


    ¡°This is what the system led me to?¡± Su¡¯en suddenly felt a deep suspicion towards the system. From the weapon¡¯s appearance alone, it was perfectly ordinary. However, since the system had guided him here, there had to be something special about it. He just hadn¡¯t discovered it yet.


    ¡°This sword isn¡¯t half bad.¡± Su¡¯en forced the words out of his mouth.


    The middle-aged man glanced at Obelisk and paused in consideration. There was nothing distinctive about the blade, as far as he could tell, but if the customer liked it, who was he to disagree? After all, it had been a long time since Greenhill House had successfully sold anything, and they couldn¡¯t carry on like this.


    ¡°You have good taste. This sword is called Obelisk, and it¡¯s a rare superior-grade spirit artifact.¡± The middle-aged man began to market the sword to Su¡¯en. ¡°This sword was forged with an extremely hard diamond rock, and we¡¯ve conducted many tests on it. When clashing with weapons that are also spirit artifacts, the blade won¡¯t take any damage! And it¡¯s very cheap, too: only 200,000 medium-grade spirit stones!¡±


    After hearing the shop owner advertise the sword, and its price, Su¡¯en was tempted. It seemed affordable enough; a high-grade spiritual artifact normally cost 500,000 medium-grade spirit stones, more if the weapon was of a higher-grade.


    Su¡¯en¡¯s reaction had left the middle-aged man at somewhat of a loss. He had had no other choice: this huge sword had sat in the building without being sold for decades. Mostly because it looked too ordinary for the taste of the disciples in the Heavenly Domain. Not to mention that the blade itself, beyond being harder than usual, wasn¡¯t much to boast about. He wondered which blacksmith master in the sect had been the one to forge it. The higher-ups hadn¡¯t bothered to reforge it, since the time it would take to reforge this weapon would be equivalent to that needed to reforge two weapons of the same grade.


    Therefore, Obelisk had always been placed here with the intention of selling it at a low price.


    ¡°It¡¯s cheap indeed. I¡¯ll buy it,¡± Su¡¯en said, smiling.


    His words made the middle-aged man light up with joy. Someone finally wanted this weapon which was as large as a door!


    ¡°Do you have any treasure sword-like weapons?¡± Su¡¯en asked.


    ¡°You want to buy a treasure artifact?¡± Instantly, the middle-aged man became even more energetic. Even spiritual energy couldn¡¯t compare to a treasure artifact. During the forging process, strange stones with special auras and unusual functions would be added to the weapon. It was this that made low-grade treasure artifacts more than ten times more expensive than ordinary high-grade artifacts.


    ¡°More specifically, a treasure artifact like a long sword with spatial attributes,¡± Su¡¯en added.


    ¡°Yes, of course!¡± the middle-aged man agreed hastily, hurrying to lead the way. ¡°Follow me. This way, please! You¡¯re very lucky. There happened to be a new batch of weapons here two days ago, including the spatial-attribute treasure artifact you¡¯re looking for.¡±


    Su¡¯en followed the man to the weapons-selling counter. The middle-aged man produced a sword case.


    When he opened it, Su¡¯en saw a long, gray sword lying inside. It was about five feet long, with a blade that was longer and narrower than usual. Unlike the other weapons, it matched the name ¡®Greenhill House¡¯.


    The middle-aged man saw Su¡¯en glance at the long sword inside, then at the weapons around him. Embarrassed, he pretended not to see and said, ¡°This sword is called Evergreen. It¡¯s a low-grade treasure artifact, with a spatial anomaly stone on its hilt. Its special ability is to hide in the void. It won¡¯t be discovered, unless you encounter an opponent with an exceptionally strong divine sense.¡±


    Su¡¯en picked up the treasure artifact called Evergreen and examined it carefully. The sword had been sealed using some special method; no aura flowed from it. So it appeared very ordinary. But the Dimensional Stone at the hilt seemed to be watching him. If he looked at it long enough, he might start to wonder if someone was staring back at him.


    ¡°How much is it?¡± Su¡¯en set Evergreen down. He wasn¡¯t particular about the sword he chose-so long as it was a longsword-type weapon with spatial attributes This would allow him to use the Flashing Sword Steps! The special ability of the sword was almost useless to him, but the ability to hide his body¡¯s aura could be considered a win, too.


    ¡°Five million medium-grade spirit stones!¡± the middle-aged man offered.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Su¡¯en wasn¡¯t a clueless buyer; five million was more or less the standard price. He handed the middle-aged man 5.2 million medium-grade spirit stones.


    The shop owner was elated that Su¡¯en had no intention of bargaining, and had bought the sword upfront. What were the chances a customer would walk in by themselves, and have the means to purchase a treasure artifact?


    It seemed that the young man in front of him was no ordinary fellow! Even if he was from an ordinary sect, he was probably a true disciple.


    Amidst his contemplation, the middle-aged man placed the two swords in their cases and handed them to Su¡¯en.


    ¡°Pleasure doing business with you. You¡¯re welcome to visit again!¡±


    The middle-aged man saw Su¡¯en off with a smile and introduced himself as Wang Changlin.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Su¡¯en nodded, then turned and left. Since he had already obtained the opportunity and bought a spatial-attribute treasure artifact, there was no need to stay here. Right now, he wanted to go back and discover what exactly made this ordinary-looking Obelisk an opportunity!


    ¡°What a fine day!¡± After Su¡¯en left, Wang Changlin leaned back in his chair at Greenhill House and muttered to himself, looking deeply pleased. Selling a treasure artifact would earn him some rewards, which would enable him to live in comfort for the next few years.


    Before long, another young man came in. He didn¡¯t pause, instead walking straight to the spot where the huge amount of money had been placed. When he saw which weapons were missing, his expression changed and he asked quickly, ¡°Where¡¯s Obelisk?¡±


    ¡°Obelisk? Someone just bought it,¡± Wang Changlin replied casually.


    He had seen this young man a few days ago He had looked around the place and bought nothing, but he seemed to be interested in Obelisk. Perhaps he hadn¡¯t had the money to buy it at the time.


    ¡°Someone just bought it?¡± The young man looked dismayed. For some reason, he had the feeling that that weapon suited him. Now that someone else had snatched it up, he had a gnawing feeling in his heart that he had lost something


    Seeing the young man walk out of the door in frustration, Wang Changlin was a little puzzled. Customers usually didn¡¯t spare Obelisk a second glance, but today, two customers had expressed interest in it.


    Was there something special about that weapon that he hadn¡¯t noticed?

 Chapter 39 - High-Grade Treasure Artifact!

    Chapter 39 High-Grade Treasure Artifact!


    After returning to the Dao Sect in the Heavenly Domain, Su¡¯en activated his Energy Suppression Disc. Then he took out the huge sword Obelisk.


    The weapon was too big. It was taller than his entire body when upright. How was he supposed to wield it in battle, dragging it around using the strength of his True Qi?


    After studying the sword for a while, Su¡¯en found nothing unusual about it. It was just an ordinary high-grade spirit artifact with no distinctive features.


    Su¡¯en had wanted to drip blood onto the weapon to activate it, but thought better of it. Weapons with the level of spirit artifacts were usually imbued with spirituality. If he succeeded in activating the sword with a drop of blood, it would repel other users even after the blood had been cleaned away. Unless he, the owner of the blade, was dead.


    After circling Obelisk a few times, Su¡¯en narrowed his eyes. Something about this sword didn¡¯t feel right. He made a wild guess: Could it be that the sword itself was subpar, but the opportunity resided inside of it?


    After a moment¡¯s thought, he decided the idea was plausible. After all, Obelisk was so big that it didn¡¯t look like a sword. Instead, it looked like a sword case containing a weapon.


    That line of thought led to another, and Su¡¯en took out the low-grade treasure artifact he had just bought-Evergreen-and held it in his hand.


    Obelisk was made of a very hard material, but it was only a spirit artifact. Evergreen was a treasure artifact.


    He dripped a bead of blood from his fingertip onto Evergreen. He needed to bind the blade with his blood and successfully activate the power of the treasure artifact.


    The blade vibrated briefly, made a sound, then quickly absorbed Su¡¯en¡¯s blood.


    For a moment, Su¡¯en felt a connection to Evergreen. It felt natural in his hand, as if the sword were a part of his body he could wield at will.


    After the recognition was complete, Su¡¯en injected his True Qi into the blade. Light poured from Evergreen, as if it had come alive. It made for a strange scene.


    Su¡¯en grabbed Evergreen and slashed at Obelisk with all his might. The sound of weapons clashing rang out as cracks appeared across Obelisk.


    ¡°Of course a sword forged from diamond rock would be able to block an attack from a treasure artifact.¡± Su¡¯en was a little taken aback, but he continued to slash at Obelisk.


    There was a sharp crack as Obelisk finally shattered.


    ¡°I knew it! What I was looking for is hidden inside!¡± Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes widened.


    Inside the now-broken Obelisk was a sword case. It was black from head to toe, but it emitted a white light.


    ¡°A hidden trick. Interesting!¡± Su¡¯en took out the concealed sword case and opened it. However, he had only opened the case a fraction when two completely different auras burst out of it: a wave of heat and cold. Unprepared, Su¡¯en felt as if his entire body was being torn apart. He hurriedly circulated his True Qi to suppress the two auras.


    ¡°Treasure artifacts!¡±


    Su¡¯en was ecstatic. 200,000 medium-grade spirit stones for two treasure artifacts-what an excellent deal!


    Only a treasure artifact could emit such power!


    After calming down, Su¡¯en opened the sword case. Two blades lay inside: one blue, one red. The blue blade kept radiating cold air; it was obvious that it was an ice-attribute treasure artifact. As for the red blade, flames danced along its surface. A fire-attribute treasure artifact, then.


    ¡°Both are high-grade artifacts!¡±


    Again, Su¡¯en¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief at the sight of three stones on each blade. These strange stones with special properties were extremely powerful; only the material of the weapons was hard enough to withstand their power. Such materials were in short supply, which was why treasure artifacts were so much more expensive than spirit artifacts. The number of stones each grade of spirit artifact could accommodate were as follows: one for low-grade artifacts; two for medium-grade artifacts; three for high-grade artifacts!


    The price of a high-grade treasure artifact was almost ten times that of a low-grade treasure artifact. In other words, the Dao Sect now had a valuable treasure artifact!


    ¡°That purchase was truly a win!¡± Su¡¯en looked at the two long swords in the sword case with blazing eyes.


    Names were inscribed on both swords: Icicle and Inferno.


    If Wang Changlin knew that there were two high-grade treasure artifacts hidden in Obelisk, he would probably want to beat Su¡¯en to death. The value of high-grade treasure artifacts far exceeded low-grade ones. Even if Wang Changlin sold dozens of low-grade treasure artifacts, he would still fall short of the profit from a high-grade treasure artifact.


    ¡°These two swords are both high-grade treasure artifacts. If I give them both away, I should be able to obtain a compensation of equivalent value.¡±


    At the thought, Su¡¯en tightened his grip on the sword case. The value of a high-grade treasure artifact was unimaginable, and the two blades came with more than five special stones in total.


    ¡°As long as it triggers a hundredfold Critical Compensation¡­¡±


    Su¡¯en¡¯s breaths grew rapid and shallow. In the Heavenly Domain, there were all kinds of weapons: mortal artifacts, spirit artifacts, treasure artifacts, great artifacts, holy artifacts, and divine artifacts. One level above treasure artifacts were great artifacts, a type of supernatural weapon that could control the weather and suppress other weapons. Even in the Heavenly Domain, only the high-level sects and some powerful sects had them-for now, at least.


    At the Heavenly Domain¡¯s height of power, the various sects had all had their own great artifacts. However, as time passed, most of these great artifacts had disappeared, either due to war or because the cycle of inheritance had been broken.


    ¡°Best that I wait until tomorrow. Ye Lingyun is in seclusion now, and Chen Ziling is probably working on her cultivation too.¡±


    Su¡¯en was tempted to give away the two treasure artifacts immediately, but after looking out the window at the sky, he thought better of it. There was no need to rush, as long as he gave them away eventually.


    With that in mind, Su¡¯en swallowed a Divine Spirit Pill and began his cultivation.


    In this world, cultivators didn¡¯t need sleep to rejuvenate themselves, since their cultivation helped them do just that. However, this only applied to those who cultivated True Qi; body-tempering cultivators still required sufficient sleep to ensure the subsistence of their bodies. If body-tempering cultivators didn¡¯t get adequate sleep, then their painstaking efforts to cultivate their flesh and blood would probably be in vain. In the end, the losses would outweigh the gains.


    If Su¡¯en cultivated True Qi and body-tempering cultivation techniques at the same time, he could boost the vitality of his flesh and blood using his cultivation of True Qi. Therefore, sleep wasn¡¯t a necessity for people who cultivated both types of techniques-Su¡¯en being one of them.


    He simply sat on the bed and allowed the Divine Spirit Pill to aid in his cultivation. Once the pill¡¯s medicinal power was completely absorbed, he would open his eyes and consume another one.

 Chapter 40 - Ye Lingyun in Disbelief!

    Chapter 40 Ye Lingyun in Disbelief!


    The next morning dawned in a stretch of bright sky, breaking the silent darkness with streams of sunlight throughout the Heavenly Domain.


    Su¡¯en pushed the door open and stretched. After sensing his current cultivation level, he glanced at his Energy Sea, where both his Golden Core and Sword Embryo were floating safely. However, his Golden Core had grown slightly.


    With the help of the Divine Spirit Pill, his cultivation level had increased significantly in just one night. At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be long before he broke through to a higher realm again!


    ¡°What a lovely day!¡±


    Su¡¯en strode out of the courtyard with a smile plastered on his face. There was only one thing on his mind: giving away the two treasure artifacts in his hands as soon as possible.


    After arriving in front of Chen Ziling¡¯s courtyard, Su¡¯en used his divine sense to sense where she was and found that she was in seclusion, still holding the Return to One Sword Technique in her hand.


    ¡°Since she¡¯s so engrossed in her cultivation, I shouldn¡¯t disturb her!¡±


    Seeing his junior hard at work, Su¡¯en nodded and gave a smile of approval at her diligence. Not only was she talented, she took her cultivation seriously, too. He had only given her the technique yesterday, but she was already cultivating it. Not bad. He was pleased by Chen Ziling.


    ¡°Maybe there is hope for the future of the Dao Sect!¡±


    Su¡¯en let out an impassioned sigh and left for Ye Lingyun¡¯s courtyard. As he walked, he wondered: what if Ye Lingyun was also in seclusion? If he couldn¡¯t give away the treasure artifacts, how would he obtain the Critical Compensation for the weapons? It wouldn¡¯t do!


    Still in thought, Su¡¯en promptly arrived at Ye Lingyun¡¯s courtyard door. He was about to knock, then considered that if Ye Lingyun was truly in seclusion, it was ultimately better not to disturb her.


    Just as he was about to leave, the door opened. Two gazes met in surprise.


    ¡°Senior?¡± Ye Lingyun sounded a little caught off-guard, but he could tell that she was happy to see him.


    ¡°Looks like your seclusion is over,¡± Su¡¯en said with a smile.


    ¡°Yes, I encountered some difficulties while cultivating my sword techniques. I was about to look for you, and it turned out you were outside my door.¡± Ye Lingyun blinked, the smile on her pretty face made even more radiant by the morning sun.


    Su¡¯en couldn¡¯t help but be entranced. He suddenly realized that his junior seemed to have become lovelier. Shaking his head, he pushed the thoughts aside and got to the matter at hand.


    ¡°I went to the Weapon Refining Sect yesterday and obtained a few weapons. Since you¡¯ve been using a low-grade spirit artifact, I thought that I could give one to you,¡± he said.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you come in, Senior? It would be embarrassing if the other disciples saw you standing at my door.¡± Ye Lingyun asked, still smiling.


    ¡°Alright!¡± Su¡¯en nodded and went inside.


    ¡°Would you like any refreshments, Senior?¡± Ye Lingyun had plenty of refreshments for guests at the ready, which wouldn¡¯t have been the case in the past.


    ¡°Sure, anything is fine.¡± Su¡¯en sat in a circular chair in the middle of the courtyard.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Ye Lingyun set about brewing a pot of spirit tea with a soothing fragrance.


    Su¡¯en took a sip of the tea and found its flavor rather pleasant. ¡°When did you learn to make tea?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been in seclusion recently, but I stopped halfway. When I encounter a challenge I can¡¯t resolve, I temporarily direct my mental energy to other things,¡± Ye Lingyun said softly. ¡°Making tea is a simple activity that can ease one¡¯s worries. It just so happens that it gives me something to serve you should you drop by, Senior. Or if I have nothing else to repay you with after you bestow another gift on me.¡±


    Hearing Ye Lingyun¡¯s words, Su¡¯en felt a little embarrassed. Her guess was spot-on! Every time he came over, he would leave immediately after passing his gift to her, since there was no need to stay.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about repaying me,¡± Su¡¯en said quietly. ¡°These items belong to the Dao Sect. You¡¯re as entitled to them as I am.¡±


    Ye Lingyun didn¡¯t believe a word of Su¡¯en¡¯s. If these items were truly property of the Dao Sect, how could they be so precious?


    Her senior was such a mystery-periodically producing valuable gifts out of nowhere. If they weren¡¯t pills, they were cultivation techniques. Today, he had brought weapons with him-of what grade, she didn¡¯t know.


    While Ye Lingyun was in contemplation, Su¡¯en held out the sword case. When he opened the case, a faint light surrounded it, and two completely different auras suddenly poured forth. If Su¡¯en hadn¡¯t anticipated this, the effects would have been even more earth-shaking.


    ¡°These are treasure artifacts!¡±


    Ye Lingyun¡¯s jaw dropped slightly, and her hand flew to her mouth, eyes filled with disbelief. Although treasure artifacts were not that rare, they were very precious. In the Dao Sect, only her master had such a sword, and it had been inherited from prior generations.


    ¡°High-grade treasure artifacts, to be precise!¡± Su¡¯en smiled and pointed at the hilts of both weapons, where three special stones were embedded, looking unassuming. Ye Lingyun¡¯s brain had suddenly ceased to function. If they were low-grade treasure artifacts, she might be able to accept them. Although the Dao Sect¡¯s financial resources were limited, a few low-grade treasure artifacts were well within their means of purchase. But these were high-grade treasure artifacts-not one, but two of them! The whole of the sect¡¯s finances might not be able to cover the cost of one.


    Ye Lingyun struggled to swallow the spit congested in her throat before looking at Su¡¯en. The light emitted by the treasure artifacts in the sword case was so intense that for a moment, she couldn¡¯t see his face clearly. Bathed in radiant light, Su¡¯en seemed so tall, so otherworldly.


    ¡°One is named Icicle, the other Inferno. They have ice attributes and fire attributes respectively. As you cultivate the Divine Lightning Sword Technique, you can try using Icicle¡¯s ice attributes too.¡±


    Su¡¯en closed the sword case containing the treasure artifacts and placed it in front of Ye Lingyun. ¡°Chen Ziling is only at the Foundation Establishment Realm. She can¡¯t release her True Qi yet, so these treasure artifacts won¡¯t be of much use to her now. So I¡¯m leaving them with you, and when she breaks through to the Crystallization Realm, you can pass her the other weapon!¡±


    If not for Chen Ziling, Su¡¯en would definitely have chosen to give both treasure artifacts to Ye Lingyun. But now, Chen Ziling had joined the Dao Sect, and her talent and grasp of cultivation techniques meant she was qualified to wield a treasure artifact of her own.


    ¡°Okay!¡± Ye Lingyun accepted the case, her heart still filled with shock.


    Amongst her birth family, high-grade treasure artifacts were so precious that only the most senior were qualified to use them.


    And she was holding two right now!