"Cultivation Without Limits" Volumes 1-7 (Complete) Author: Xuan Kun

Author: Xuan Kun
Publisher: Xianchuang Culture

[Note] 18+ work, though seemingly light-colored. Each volume contains over 100,000 words, the entire book approximately 800,000 words. Volume

One: The First Major Sect - Prologue: The Mysterious Great Ancient Mountain

This is a very inconspicuous little village, one of countless small villages on the land of China, named Luo Family Village. The village has over a hundred households and more than five hundred people. Except for the wives who married from afar, everyone is surnamed Luo; there isn't a single other surname, which is quite a peculiar sight. Actually, it's not that the people of Luo Family Village are xenophobic, but the village is too remote. Even getting a wife requires the entire village to contribute money. Unless a girl is unable to marry, who would want to come to this small village?

The rice seedlings planted outside the village were already nearly two feet tall, swaying slightly in the breeze. Various seasonal vegetables grew around the houses. A mountain stood before the village, and a small river flowed behind it. A few women were washing clothes and vegetables by the riverbank, while several strong men, carrying cheap, homemade bows, came down from the mountains, laden with fat rabbits or small animals. If it weren't for the tax collectors shouting as they passed by, Luo Family Village would have seemed like a secluded paradise.

A dozen or so seven- or eight-year-old children, leading toddlers, ran and laughed through the village, seemingly carefree, perhaps catching insects in the fields or fish in the river.

A chubby eight- or nine-year-old boy was pushed out of the group and forbidden to follow. Although he had been bullied, a faint smile remained on his face, as if he were forever without worries.

The chubby boy shuffled home, still smiling sweetly despite his displeasure at being abandoned by the other children.

"Kid!" a voice called out beside him, startling him. He'd been walking alone; why was someone calling him? Was he haunted? His father, after a few drinks, often told him never to answer if someone called him while he was home alone or walking, or he'd be possessed. The thought filled the chubby boy with dread, and he turned and ran away, his once-smiling face now filled with fear.

"Is my voice really that bad?" An old man in a blue robe and cloth shoes, wearing a tattered straw hat, muttered to himself as he watched the running child. His snow-white hair peeking out from under the hat revealed his advanced age, yet he was ruddy-faced and showed no signs of old age. His posture was straight and upright, showing no trace of age.

The chubby boy, flustered, focused only on running and forgot his footing. He stepped on a small round stone, twisted his ankle, and fell to the ground, drawing blood from his chin and elbow. A child of the mountains, he could withstand the falls; this minor injury didn't make him cry. However, the pain from his twisted ankle filled his eyes with tears, which he stubbornly refused to let fall. The child remembered his father's words: a true man sheds blood, not tears.

The old man in the green robe walked over and reached out to grasp the child's ankle. The child felt a comforting warmth in the old man's hand, and even the pain lessened considerably.

"Child, why are you running? I didn't hit you," the old man said, gently rubbing the child's sprained ankle.

"How should I know? There was no one around just now, but you suddenly appeared. How could I not be afraid?" the child said defiantly.

The old man smiled slightly, thinking to himself, "I was just a little out of sight, how could you have seen me?" He didn't say anything more, rubbed the child's feet a few times, and then let go. "Alright, you're fine now."

The chubby child stood up and jumped a few times. Sure enough, his feet didn't hurt at all. However, the scratches on his body were still bleeding. The child looked at them but didn't seem to care. For a child in the mountains, getting a few scrapes and cuts was commonplace. The old man, however, felt a pang of pity seeing the blood staining his indistinguishable white and gray shirt. He reached out from behind... The old man took out a small paper packet from his bundle. Inside was some green powder. He used his long little fingernail to pick out a tiny bit and sprinkled it on the child's wound. The child pouted; this old man was really stingy. Usually, when someone had a minor injury, everyone would give them herbs, and they could use them however they wanted. Unlike this old man, who was so stingy. But the child didn't know how precious the medicine was. He didn't know that when the medicine touched the child's wound, it scabbed over in an instant. Perhaps by tonight, the scab would fall off and the wound would be invisible.

"Child, let me ask you something," the old man said after putting the packet away.

"What do you want to ask, sir? There's nothing in Luo Family Village that I don't know," the child said, trying to sound mature.

The old man chuckled. This child was quite interesting. "Isn't there a mountain called Da Gu Mountain nearby?"

"Da Gu Mountain? Oh, I've heard adults say that it's haunted, and no one who goes in ever comes out." The child exclaimed in surprise. For children his age, places described by adults as haunted were always places they dared not venture into, even though they all had that adventurous spirit flowing through their veins.

"Then do you know where that mountain is?" the old man asked.

"This is it," the child said, pointing to the mountains at the north end of the village. In Luo Family Village, the east, west, and south directions are freely accessible, with no large wild animals, though there are plenty of small animals like rabbits, providing the villagers with occasional snacks. However, the north is absolutely forbidden territory. Even the bravest person wouldn't venture north, let alone into the mountains. It's not that any large wild animals have ever come down from the mountains, but rather that anyone who has gone north has never returned. Over the decades, no fewer than a hundred people have disappeared into those small mountains to the north. For these ordinary people accustomed to a simple life, it's definitely forbidden territory.

The old man smiled slightly. Finally, they had found the land. There was still time; they would have to wait here for two or three years before someone else reaped the rewards.

"Feng'er, it's already noon, why aren't you home cooking?" A burly middle-aged man carrying a hoe walked over and called to the chubby little boy. Children from poor families die young, and this chubby boy had lost his mother at a young age. His father had to make a living, and although the boy was only nine, he was adept at washing clothes and cooking. Though small, he was a mountain dweller, not fussy about such things. As long as the food was cooked, it didn't matter if the clothes weren't perfectly clean; as long as the sweat and stench were gone, he was more than happy.

"Father, this old man is asking me for directions," the boy said, trying to sound grown-up.

"What do you know about directions, you little brat? Go home and cook!" The burly man raised his hand to strike, but the boy wasn't afraid. His father had used this trick since he was a child, but never actually landed a slap.

"Don't blame the child, I stopped him," the old man said.

"Where did you come from, sir? Aside from weddings and other important occasions, no outsiders have ever entered Luo Family Village," the burly man asked.

"I come from Sichuan. I've always loved traveling to strange and unusual places. I've read about a place called Da Gu Mountain in ancient books. The books describe it as incredibly magical, and I've always wanted to explore it. But alas, I'm getting old, and my body can't handle it anymore," the old man said.

"Sir, Da Gu Mountain is indeed nearby, but I advise you not to even consider it. Over a hundred people from Luo Family Village went into the mountain, and none of them returned alive. You're already so old; it's not easy for you to go into the mountain again. Why don't you rest at my house for a few days and then return the way you came?" The man smiled, revealing a set of white teeth.

"That would be wonderful. I won't stand on ceremony," the old man laughed. He hadn't planned to leave anyway. He just wanted to see if the legendary fruit existed in the mountain. If it did, he would wait here for two or three years until it ripened, pick it, and leave. If not, he would rest at the man's house for a few days, leaving some silver behind. Thousands of miles was a bit too much for even someone with his semi-immortal body, who could travel a thousand miles a day on the wind.

The man invited the old man into his home. The chubby boy was already clumsily cooking at the stove, preparing only ordinary food to fill his stomach.

"This young man, Luo Feng, is no good at cooking, I'm sorry to have made you laugh, sir. Please have some water first, sir. I'll braise the wild game. We also have some homemade fruit wine, please don't mind," the man said with a smile.

"Not at all, a bite to eat is enough for me," the old man said, waving his hand. But the man still insisted on taking several pieces of marinated pheasant and rabbit meat from the earthen jar. Although it wasn't considered a delicacy by the old man, it made the chubby boy named Luo Feng's mouth water. His eyes were fixed on the few pieces of meat that didn't look very appetizing, and his mouth kept smacking as if he had already stuffed the wild game into his mouth.

“His mother died early, which has been tough on this child,” the man said, cutting off a piece of meat and tossing it over. The chubby boy caught the piece with remarkable agility, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it in a few gulps.

“May I ask your name, sir?” the man asked while arranging the cured meat.

“My name is Qingyang,” the old man replied.

“My name is Luo Datian,” the man said, then announced his own name. He had only left the village a few times since childhood and barely knew any of the common surnames, let alone that Qing was one of them.

Luo Datian chopped the cured meat and then brought out a small jar of homemade fruit wine from the cellar. He placed it on the dilapidated wooden table that seemed ready to collapse at any moment. The three of them—an old man, a middle-aged man, and a young boy—sat cross-legged on the earthen bed. The young boy ate his rice while his eyes darted around, watching the two drinking. When they weren't paying attention, he secretly reached out with his chopsticks, picked up a small piece of meat, quickly stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it without chewing. Then he lowered his head and ate his rice.

Although the food and wine were poor, Qingyang ate with great relish, finishing his plate in no time. The small jar of fruit wine was also empty. Luo Datian wanted to get another jar, but Qingyang stopped him. Qingyang understood that although these farmers lived a hard life, they would never neglect those who stayed at their lodgings, even strangers. Although the fruit wine was homemade, it was a precious thing that they rarely drank.

Luo Datian was a straightforward person. If Qingyang told him not to take it, he wouldn't. It wasn't that he was stingy, but rather that he was just being shrewd. After dinner, it was already dark. Luo Datian chatted with Qingyang about the outside world for a while. It was completely dark by then. The chubby boy was fast asleep in a corner of the earthen bed. He was dreaming about something fun, and a smile appeared on his face, revealing two cute little dimples.

Farmers have little to do at night, so they go to bed early to prepare for the next day's work. They dig for a few bites of food from the ground. Luo Datian called out, bringing out two quilts. He gave one to Qingyang, while he shared the other with the chubby little boy, Luo Feng. The man was extremely strong, and since he was using Luo Feng's small quilt, he doted on his son, draping most of the quilt over him, leaving half of his own muscular body exposed . Fortunately, it was early summer, and although the night was cool, it wasn't too cold.

Luo Datian was tired from a day's work, and after a little wine, he soon fell fast asleep. Qingyang looked at the strong man, then at the quilt, and smiled. He hadn't used a quilt in over a hundred years. With a flick of his finger, the quilt flew up and covered Luo Datian. Then Qingyang sat cross-legged, and after a while, he seemed to stop breathing, as if made of mud.

Night had fallen, probably around midnight. Qingyang opened his eyes in the pitch-black hut. In the darkness, his eyes shone like stars, a truly beautiful sight.

Like a ghost, Qingyang floated lightly, his body seemingly weightless, passing through the broken window. Once outside, he flicked his finger, and a flash of light appeared beneath his feet, and he was airborne. Beneath his feet was a strange, two-and-a-half-foot-long short sword. Without any apparent movement, Qingyang flew towards Mount Dagu. As

soon as he entered Mount Dagu, Qingyang felt a chill run down his spine, as if countless demons and monsters were watching him from the forest below, ready to drag him down at any moment. "This Mount Dagu truly is a place where rare and exotic beasts gather. It possesses such a malevolent aura. Those with slightly lower cultivation levels probably wouldn't dare enter," Qingyang thought to himself.

The Great Ancient Mountain stretches for thousands of miles. Although it is vast, Qingyang, riding his longsword, searched for nearly half of it in just one night. Qingyang was not in a hurry, as the legendary fruit would not ripen for another two or three years. Although he had not found anything today, he could find almost everything in another five or seven days. As the sky began to lighten, Qingyang rode his flying sword back to Luo Family Village. Just as he landed in the small courtyard, he saw Luo Datian pushing open the door and coming out.

"Why didn't you sleep a little longer, sir?" Luo Datian asked when he saw Qingyang standing in the courtyard. "I'm getting old, how can I sleep so much?

I woke up early. I've been a bit tired these past few days, and my bones are aching, so I came out to walk around." Qingyang said with a smile.

"Then please, sir. I still have work to do in the fields. When I wake up, I will find you some food." Luo Datian didn't say much. He picked up a hoe from behind the door and went to work in the fields. As a farmer, he didn't waste any words. He had no valuables in the house, so he wasn't afraid that the old man would run away with his belongings.

The following night, Qingyang once again rode his flying sword, and after five days, he landed in a small valley in the mountains. Before him stood a giant tree, tens of feet tall, with strangely shaped leaves resembling human heads, each ten feet long and two feet wide—truly enormous. The patterns on the leaves were also like human faces, some crying, some laughing. This giant tree bore only three fruits, a bright yellow, the most beautiful yellow in the world, shaped like jujubes, but much larger, at least five feet long and nearly five feet wide.

"What a tree! It flowers once every three hundred years, bears fruit once every three hundred years, and matures once every three hundred years. It's truly a wonderful thing!" Qingyang stared at the giant tree, almost going mad. According to an ancient book he had stumbled upon, this kind of tree had been sought by a cultivator eight hundred and ninety-seven years ago. However, for some reason, he returned wounded without picking any fruit, only managing to utter the name of the tree and its fruit before dying. It was unknown what had injured him.

As Qingyang gazed at the tree, a human face slowly rose behind him. The face seemed to be suspended by a rope, swaying from side to side. Its mouth was slightly open, revealing a long, thin, forked tongue like a snake's forked tongue, aimed at the back of Qingyang's head.

Qingyang's short sword flashed, slashing backward with a whoosh, for he had been alerted by the tongue's extension.

A clang rang out as the short sword struck the foot-long tongue, producing a metallic sound. The face cried out in pain, retracting its tongue. It then lurched forward, charging towards Qingyang, who couldn't turn around in time. Four long teeth, each two feet long, protruded

from its open mouth. Qingyang dodged, the face brushing past him with a rustling sound, tearing his robe with a sharp tear.

Qingyang then saw clearly that it was a large blue snake with a human head. Could it be the legendary Human-Faced Serpent? How did this thing appear here? Could it also be plotting something like this?

Having missed its first attack, the Human-Faced Serpent immediately coiled into a snake formation, hissing continuously at Qingyang, its raised upper body swaying constantly, ready to strike the intruder again at any moment.

Qingyang floated in the air, his two-and-a-half-foot-long short sword hovering beside him, emitting a soft buzzing sound. The moment the flying sword struck, the Human-Faced Serpent became even more uneasy, its body twisting and turning, its palm-sized blue scales rubbing together with a rustling sound.

"A spiritual object must be guarded by a spiritual beast; the ancients were right." Qingyang laughed heartily. "It's fine to have your beast guard this treasure for me for a few years." Qingyang muttered to himself. This human-faced serpent was not weak. Even if he could kill it, it would probably take three days and three nights to fight it. Qingyang was confident that among all cultivators in the world, whether righteous or evil, there were very few whose strength could surpass his. Even if someone else came, they would probably have to get past this human-faced serpent. He had already memorized the path. As long as this human-faced serpent could block him, he could come on his sword. Qingyang was not worried about the human-faced serpent swallowing the fruit. Spiritual herbs should not be picked by spiritual beasts if they are not ripe. He knew this simple principle.

Qingyang stopped talking, stepped onto his flying sword, and turned to fly back towards Luofeng Village. He didn't want to be a wild man in the perilous Dagu Mountain for three or four years. There were too many strange things in Dagu Mountain, and the strength of that senior from back then was no less than his own. Qingyang was aware of this.

Qingyang used the excuse that he had caught a cold and his body was getting weaker, so he shouldn't travel long distances. He also knew some medicine and wanted to stay in Luojia Village to recuperate for a while. Few outsiders came to the village, and since Qingyang was literate and knew medicine, the villagers naturally welcomed him. Strong men from one household helped, and women from another brought him food. In two or three days, they built a decent thatched hut for Qingyang, enough to shelter him from the rain.

Qingyang settled down in the small Luojia Village. In his spare time, he taught the village children to read and write, or treated the villagers' minor ailments. Unlike the traditional private tutors who taught the children the Hundred Family Surnames and Thousand Character Classic, Qingyang taught them very difficult texts, mostly Taoist scriptures like "The Mysterious One communicates with the Primordial One, the Three Primordial Elements are in harmony. Obtaining the Mysterious One is life. The Void One communicates with the Dead One, the Three Primordial Elements are out of harmony. Receiving water is death." It's true, Qingyang had entered the Taoist sect at a young age, and his literacy skills were acquired after entering the sect. Teaching him the Hundred Family Surnames was truly a challenge. It was difficult for him, but little did he know that what Qingyang taught so casually was the introductory manual of the Xuan Kong Sect. For ordinary people, learning it was as difficult as a fool's dream. But Qingyang taught it so casually. Those children were at the age of playing, and they didn't know the value of this manual. They didn't study it seriously. After more than a month, none of them remembered it. Well, no, there was one. That was the chubby Luo Feng, who always had a smile on his face and a pair of cute dimples. For some reason, he was very interested in what the old man was teaching. He listened very carefully and always asked Qingyang to teach more.

Qingyang was no ordinary cultivator; he was a highly respected figure in the Xuan Kong Sect, a senior figure whom even the sect leader would address as "Uncle-Master." The introductory techniques he casually taught weren't without purpose. If he could acquire the techniques, what a reward it would be, and if he could also gain a good disciple—wouldn't that be wonderful? Luo Feng showed some talent for these techniques, which drew Qingyang's attention even more. Qingyang would often teach Luo Feng more advanced techniques individually, and Luo Feng learned very quickly. Within hours of being taught, he could recite them fluently and would ask questions. Qingyang answered all his questions, but the various meridians and acupoints left Luo Feng dizzy and confused. Qingyang smiled slightly. Having only just learned a little bit of the basics, without a master's guidance, how could he so easily memorize those countless meridians and acupoints? Even just the concept of the primordial spirit was enough for a seasoned cultivator to explain for three days and three nights.

"The Taiji transforms into Yin and Yang, Yin and Yang give rise to the Four Symbols, and so on, until countless changes occur. Master, what is the meaning of this sentence?" The much taller Luo Feng smiled and chased after Qing Yang,

who had just finished teaching him characters, asking, "And also, what about 'One begets Two, Two begets Three, Three begets all things'?" "Luo Feng, I won't explain much to you now. Just memorize what I've taught you and be able to write it down. In a year or two, your master will explain it to you in detail, okay?" Qing Yang said. This clever and cheerful little Luo Feng was now Qing Yang's chosen disciple. A cultivator shouldn't be too old, otherwise their temperament would become unstable, and they would easily be in danger. Qing Yang didn't want such a good disciple to be ruined by a single mistake.

"Master, but I want to learn more characters," Luo Feng said. Luo Feng had always carried the book he had picked up outside the village, a book he had always treasured. He didn't know who had left it behind. Unfortunately, although Luo Feng now knew over a thousand characters, the text in the book was obscure and difficult to understand, with many unfamiliar characters, making it hard for him to read smoothly.

"Then take this. Write down any unfamiliar characters and ask the teacher for help." Qingyang said, taking out a thin booklet he had written in grass juice a few days ago and handing it to Luo Feng. It contained the complete set of Xuan Kong Sect's introductory mental techniques and introductory swordplay.

"Thank you, teacher," Luo Feng said with a smile as he accepted the book.

Episode 1, Chapter 1: Horrifying Beasts

Qingyang still went to Dagu Mountain every night to check on the How Tree. Within a month, no fewer than ten kinds of strange beasts had gathered under that tree, each one more bizarre than the last. The earliest one, the human-faced snake, was already squeezed under the tree, but it still desperately protected its territory, preventing the other monsters from advancing. However, it was now covered in wounds. Qingyang wasn't in a hurry. These monsters were all quite strong, and Qingyang wasn't confident he could snatch anything from their mouths. Letting them fight each other was fine. Qingyang knew very well that these monsters would inevitably have a great battle when the fruit was about to ripen. The winner would be king and could pluck the spiritual treasure. After such a battle, their strength would be greatly diminished. If he couldn't even defeat a monster that had been greatly weakened, then he, Qingyang, would have no face to return to the Xuan Kong Sect.

Another year passed in the blink of an eye. The monsters fighting under the tree intensified, and their numbers grew to over twenty. Fortunately, none of them could fly, allowing Qingyang to calmly observe the daily battles and the increasingly yellow fruit on the tree from the air.

Xiao Luofeng hadn't been idle this year either, having thoroughly studied the introductory incantation and sword manual written by Qingyang. The village children still didn't like playing with this ever-smiling child, but Xiao Luofeng now discovered he had gained extra strength and was much more agile than before. However, he couldn't connect this phenomenon with the difficult incantations he had to recite dozens of times a day. Although he could read and memorize the strange book he had found, he couldn't understand its meaning. That strange book remained a secret in Luofeng's heart, and he couldn't ask Qingyang for an explanation until Qingyang fulfilled his promise.

The children didn't want to play with Luo Feng, and he gradually distanced himself from them. Besides, although he was only ten years old, he was quite strong, so he made a small bow and went into the mountains every day to shoot small animals. Although his accuracy was poor, he could bring back a rabbit or a wild bird once or twice out of ten.

One day, after lunch, and since the teacher didn't teach in the afternoon, Luo Feng read the booklet several times and found it boring. He picked up his small bow, slung his arrows over his shoulder, and went out. He circled the small hill to the south for an hour but didn't even catch a bird. The villagers had already hunted down most of the small birds and animals near the village; those that could be eaten with wine were either used as snacks or pickled. He had to walk more than ten more miles to find some rabbits or other small animals. Luo Feng thought for a moment, then looked north. That was a place no one had ever been to before. Perhaps if he didn't go towards the mountains, there wouldn't be any problems. Luo Feng thought to himself, although he was more mature than other children his age, he was still a child after all. Now that he had gained some strength and agility, it was inevitable that he would think he was the most important person in the world. So he lifted a large rock weighing several tens of kilograms a few times to warm up his body and bolster his courage. "Look how strong I am!" he thought.

Luo Feng tightened his quiver behind him, touched the small knife at his waist that could only be described as a piece of iron, took a few deep breaths, and sprinted towards the north mountain. After crossing the small river, he reached the foot of the mountain. No one had ever set foot on the north mountain, but there were plenty of rabbits and pheasants, and they were quite foolish. In just a short while, Luo Feng had hunted five rabbits and three pheasants. He happily ran home with the game. When his father returned, he thought Luo Feng had gone deep into the mountains. He gave him a few words of scolding, but that was it. His son was old enough to understand, so Luo Datian didn't care anymore. A ten-year-old boy would be of marriageable age in a few years, and he should have his own ideas.

Luo Feng dared not say he had gone to North Mountain, otherwise his father's slap would land on his bottom again. Having tasted the sweetness, or perhaps more accurately, the deliciousness, Luo Feng secretly slung his bow and arrows over his shoulder and set off for North Mountain again the next day, carrying his little tattered knife. Just as he stepped onto the mountain, a large, fat rabbit, easily three feet long, emerged from the grass. Little Luo Feng was startled; he had never seen such a large rabbit before. Three feet long, it must weigh about thirty or forty pounds. If he could catch it, it would be enough for him and his father to eat for several days. Looking at the fat rabbit, Luo Feng seemed to see a large bowl of rabbit meat laid out in front of him, where he could eat his fill. Luo Feng's mouth watered instantly. He quietly took a few steps closer, nocked an arrow, and fired. Perhaps it was his... The bow and arrow were of poor quality, or perhaps the rabbit was too big and its skin too thick. The arrow, however, was quite accurate, striking the rabbit squarely in the rump. The rabbit, in pain, saw Luo Feng, his eyes red and drooling, drop the bow and arrow and pounce on it. Startled, the large, fat rabbit kicked its legs, sending Luo Feng tumbling head over heels, his mouth full of grass. The rabbit, hit hard, took off running, limping despite the arrow in its rump, but still moving quickly. Luo Feng rolled to his feet and chased after the rabbit. If he could drag such a large rabbit back to the village, even the adults would look at him differently. Thinking this, Luo Feng's smile widened, his dimples deepened, and he chased even faster.

Luckily, Luo Feng was agile; an ordinary person would have lost the lame rabbit long ago. Although Luo Feng hadn't caught the rabbit, he had managed to keep a close watch on it. In his frantic pursuit and excitement, he unknowingly ventured deep into the North Mountain, the notorious Great Ancient Mountain.

When Luo Feng, caught up in the chase, finally realized where he was, he was completely lost. To put it bluntly, the little guy was lost. The mountain was dense with trees and overgrown with weeds; there were no traces of human activity here, so there were no well-trodden paths. Besides, Luo Feng had been so focused on chasing the rabbit that he hadn't been paying attention to the way. He wasn't a seasoned hunter who frequented the mountains, so getting lost was quite normal.

Luo Feng was only ten years old, and now he was in an unknown place. He felt panicked, tears welling up in his eyes. He looked around; all he saw were unfamiliar trees, as if he were in a foreign land.

Fortunately, Luo Feng was clever enough to hit a tall tree. Climbing trees was an essential skill for the children of this mountain. Little Luo Feng spat a few times into his palm and quickly climbed up. The lower half of the tree had very few leaves and was bare, but the upper half was covered with branches and was very lush. It took Little Luo Feng half a day to clear a space, but when he saw it, he almost cried. Of all places to chase, he had to chase himself into a mountain hollow. Not to mention how tall the tree was, even if it were twice as tall, he could still see the other side of the hill.

Luo Feng sat on the tree and began to sob. He cried for a long time before stopping. Then he looked around. Lost, Luo Feng didn't know which way he was. There was a higher mountain. He thought that if he climbed that mountain, he could see the village. He remembered what his teacher had taught him: "Only by standing high can one see far." Little Luo Feng wiped away his tears, slid down the tree, and headed towards the mountain. He had thrown away his bow and arrows. Now, all Luo Feng had left in his hands was a small, broken knife that probably couldn't even kill a rabbit. But with a knife in his hand, Luo Feng felt a little safer. He kept walking, alternating between his legs, and hurried towards the mountain.

Suddenly, the hairs on Luo Feng's body stood on end. A strange sense of danger made him stop in his tracks and turn his head to the side. A bizarre-looking monster was staring at him from about two zhang away. The monster looked like the big spotted pig that his third aunt raised, only its snout was longer, and it had a giant horn over four feet long on its forehead. The tip of the horn was forked, like a snake's tongue, and its point was extremely sharp.

Although Luo Feng was a semi-hunter, the biggest prey he had ever caught was a three-foot-long fat rabbit. He had never seen such a ferocious beast before. The monster snorted, suddenly lowered its head, and charged at Luo Feng. If that sharp horn hit Luo Feng, even if he had ten lives, it wouldn't be enough to kill him.

Although Luo Feng was terrified, he wasn't completely paralyzed by the ferocious beast. The monster moved incredibly fast, covering the two-zhang distance in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, Luo Feng reacted quickly enough, leaping upwards as the beast pawed the ground. The beast, clearly experienced in the jungle, had hunted many prey and was extremely skilled. Its thrust missed, and then its head snapped upwards with its long horn. Luo Feng screamed in agony as the forked horn ripped open large gashes, feet long, from both his thighs. Blood gushed out like water, filling the air with a stench that turned the beast's boar-like eyes red.

The boar-like monster snorted a few times, pawed the ground, and charged again at Luo Feng, who lay on the ground with a severe leg injury.

Luo Feng was so frightened that he cried out, forgetting to close his eyes and wait. He just watched as the powerful monster lowered its forked horn and charged towards him. Just as the monster's forked horn was about to pierce Luo Feng's abdomen, with a soft "plop," a hairy, sharp object, over two zhang long and a foot thick, emerged from the ground and pierced the monster's belly. The sharp object, thinner at the top and thicker at the bottom, jolted the monster up. The monster screamed, then fell silent. The object had pierced the monster's heart—truly accurate and ruthless.

The ground churned, and a large bulge appeared. Luo Feng was underneath this bulge. This bulge sent Luo Feng tumbling down for over ten zhang before stopping. Blood flowed from his wounds. Fortunately, no vital organs were injured; otherwise, Luo Feng would have bled to death.

The earth churned, and a round, dark creature emerged from the ground, its several claws protruding into the earth. It was a black spider, five or six zhang in size. Luo Feng was utterly terrified. He'd seen spiders before; they were common in the mountains. But he'd never dreamed of such a large spider. Now, one appeared before him. If it weren't for the throbbing pain in his leg, Luo Feng would have thought he was still dreaming. The

spider extended a transparent tube, over six feet long and as thick as a finger, from its mouth. The tube suddenly pierced the horned monster still clinging to its leg. Then, the monster seemed to turn into a sticky liquid, flowing through the tube into the giant spider's mouth. Even its hard, weapon-resistant horns turned to liquid and were sucked into its mouth.

Little Luo Feng's mind was completely blank. He just stared wide-eyed at the spider, his eyes unmoving, utterly terrified.

In the blink of an eye, the spider devoured the monster, which was larger than an ordinary fat pig, leaving only some stiff hairs floating on the ground. The monster was only seven or eight feet long, hardly enough to fill the gaps between the five or six feet long spider's teeth. The spider's massive body nimbly turned, turning its head towards Luo Feng, and its mouth made a hissing sound.

The strange sound occurred again. At the spot where blood had flowed to the ground beside Luo Feng's leg, a small green sprout emerged from the ground, wriggling its body. In an instant, it had grown to more than a foot tall, green and quite pleasing.

The small green sprout kept wriggling. When the spider saw the sprout, it seemed to have seen something terrifying, hissing and making strange noises, but its feet wouldn't budge.

In a short while, the green sprout had grown to over ten feet tall, its entire body smooth and bare, without even a single leaf. Only a small bud, over a foot in size, grew atop the calyx at the top. When the bud bloomed, its three petals were over three feet in diameter, each petal displaying seven colors.

Even though Xiao Luofeng was stunned, he couldn't ignore the breathtakingly beautiful flower, and perhaps the spider felt the same way.

From its base, the flower extended over a dozen fine, hair-like roots, gently reaching towards the spider. The spider remained motionless, allowing the delicate roots to wrap around its body and pierce its softest spot beneath its abdomen.

As soon as the roots entered the spider's body, the flower became even more vibrant, its seven-colored petals seemingly shimmering with light. The spider collapsed to the ground with a thud, its body shriveling until only a pile of shapeless fragments remained. After the spider was destroyed, the flower's vibrant color faded, and then it withered. Luo Feng opened his mouth, but nothing came out; he had lost too much blood, his face almost translucent. The fact that he could still half-support himself was a testament to his physical strength.

The flower withered, leaving behind a fist-sized green fruit. The green flower stem quickly dried up, and the fist-sized green fruit, like an inflated pig's bladder, grew rapidly, soon reaching the size of a watermelon, its entire body jet black, shimmering with a black luster.

From sprouting to withering and bearing fruit, the entire process took no more than half a quarter of an hour. Luo Feng had never seen such a strange thing before. His whole body was already stiff, and his mouth was wide open as he stared blankly at the black fruit.

The strange plant, bearing fruit, seemed to know who had given it blood to grow, and now it was time to repay the favor. Its withered stem crackled, yet it still managed to shove the green fruit to Luo Feng's mouth. Luo Feng finally came to his senses, knowing full well that the fruit came from the flower absorbing nutrients from the spider's body, and he couldn't possibly eat it. But his body was stiff and numb, devoid of feeling, and his mouth wouldn't close. The fruit was shoved into his mouth, and with a touch of his teeth, a small opening was made in the fruit's delicate skin. A dark, fragrant liquid flowed into Luo Feng's mouth. The liquid was sweet and smooth, filling Luo Feng's mouth—no, his entire body—with fragrance. The sweet, heart-melting taste made Luo Feng momentarily forget that the liquid might have come from that hideous, disgusting spider. His throat bobbed as he swallowed the entire liquid.

Luo Feng swallowed the black fruit, skin and all, whole. The flower withered and turned into powder, scattering in the air. If it weren't for the lingering fragrance in his mouth, Luo Feng would have thought he was hallucinating.

After the fruit entered his body, aside from the wound stopping bleeding, Luo Feng experienced no other changes. The extraordinary strength or ability to fly and escape that one would gain from consuming such a strange fruit did not appear in Luo Feng. He was just a child, with childlike dreams, but he didn't think too much about such things.

The wound on his leg stopped bleeding, but it hadn't healed, though it wasn't very painful anymore. Having lost a lot of blood, Luo Feng suddenly stood up. Just as he stood up, he heard someone calling him from behind. Turning around, he saw Mr. Qingyang appear beside him.

"Sir, when did you arrive?" Luo Feng asked with delight. Nothing was more joyful than encountering human presence when lost, especially not Mr. Qingyang.

"I just found you. What are you doing here?" Qingyang was surprised. He never expected that Luo Feng, a child, could survive in the perilous Dagu Mountain. But then he noticed the two wounds on Luo Feng's legs. "How did you get these?" Qingyang asked, taking out the small medicine packet again to apply medicine to Luo Feng's wounds.

"I was injured by a monster that looked like that." Luo Feng gestured and described the horned, pig-like monster, also mentioning the giant spider to Qingyang.

"What? You encountered that spider? How did you survive?" Qingyang's expression changed several times. He had encountered several of those giant spiders in the jungle. Although they weren't particularly powerful, they could probably eat this child more easily than walking a few steps.

Luo Feng shook his head to indicate that he didn't know, but he still described the flower and the black fruit. Even with Qing Yang's knowledge, he was greatly surprised. Although the monsters of the mysterious Great Ancient Mountain were numerous and he could only recognize a few, he did know that strange flower. It was a rare flower called Blood-Guiding Orchid. This flower did not sprout and grow like ordinary flowers in spring. Instead, it could only sprout and grow when the blood of a person or animal dripped on it, regardless of the season, and it would recognize the person who dripped the blood as its master. If there was anything near the flower... If any other movable animal exists, the flower will completely absorb the animal's essence into its fruit and automatically deliver it to the recipient. Unfortunately, the growth cycle of this flower is only a hundred breaths, making its lifespan quite short. Once, a righteous person accidentally obtained the seed of this Blood-Attracting Orchid. After dripping blood on it, he successfully absorbed a monster that had captured and was causing trouble among the people. After eating the fruit, the person's strength increased rapidly in less than ten years, and he joined the ranks of masters. Unfortunately, this extraordinary hero later died at the hands of evil people.

Qingyang scrutinized Luo Feng more closely. Aside from occasional flashes of brilliance in Luo Feng's eyes, there was nothing unusual about him. Qingyang touched Luo Feng's brow with his finger, releasing his true essence. The internal energy emanating from Luo Feng's tiny meridians was extraordinary, completely different from that of a ten-year-old child. Within his dantian, like a vast ocean, surged a power entirely unlike that of a human. If properly trained and able to harness this power, young Luo Feng would undoubtedly become a master.

Qingyang couldn't help but marvel at the child's good fortune; the Blood Orchid could actually absorb such a powerful monster. However, Qingyang was puzzled. He had seen spiders before, and while they were strong, they never reached this level. Could this spider be different from others? Qingyang was right. Those exotic spiders were common in the jungle, but this one had eaten a strange fruit, making it far stronger than ordinary spiders. Otherwise, the horned, pig-like monster wouldn't have been captured so easily, without even casting a web.

A rustling sound came from the jungle behind them. Qingyang's eyes flashed, and he saw a golden shadow flash in the distance, disappearing and reappearing only a dozen steps away. Its speed was so fast that even Qingyang couldn't keep up. Startled

, Qingyang reached out and grabbed Luo Feng, the prospective disciple. A flash of blue light appeared beneath his feet, and his flying sword carried him to a height of about ten feet. The golden light grazed Qingyang's sword, making his feet feel a chill. He thought to himself, "Such speed!"

The golden light bounced off a tree and landed on the ground, revealing a small golden snake, only as thick as a finger and about two feet long. The snake's angular, triangular head was topped with a fleshy crest resembling a rooster's comb. Qingyang gasped. The Three-Step Crescent was a nightmare for cultivators like them, incredibly poisonous. Even a slight scratch from it would result in death within three steps.

"I never imagined that Mount Dagu would harbor such a wondrous beast; it's truly rare in this world," Qingyang sighed, shaking his head. Mount Dagu was undoubtedly a treasure trove for cultivators, but one had to be alive to escape. Even with Qingyang's strength, he had almost perished from the Three-Step Crescent. A cultivator of slightly lower strength would likely have already died. Mount Dagu was full of strange beasts, but who could have imagined that this seemingly ordinary mountain would be such a treasure trove? If Qingyang hadn't seen it by chance, he probably wouldn't have discovered it until his death.

Looking at Luo Feng, his mouth was agape, blood trickling from the corners of his lips. It was even wider than when he had seen the monster. While the little golden snake might have startled Qing Yang, to Luo Feng it was merely a bit more attractive and faster. What truly left Luo Feng speechless was Qing Yang carrying him through the air. Although various myths and legends circulated in the village—things like a monkey somersaulting 108,000 li or a pig flying on clouds—they were just legends. Little Luo Feng had fantasized about flying through the clouds, but it was just a fantasy. Today, however, he had actually flown into the air by human power. How could he not be astonished by what had actually happened?

Episode 1, First Major Sect, Chapter 2, Shocking Change in the Small Village:

"Don't panic. You'll be able to fly in the air like me someday." Qingyang smiled as he looked at Luo Feng, tapping the back of his head with his finger. A slight stimulation of his true essence jolted Luo Feng awake.

"I... I can fly in the air like you, sir?" Luo Feng asked.

"That's right, because you'll be my disciple from now on, and I'll teach you." Qingyang laughed heartily. If Luo Feng's aptitude was good before, then after eating the Blood-Inducing Orchid fruit, his aptitude was absolutely top-notch. Anyone who discovered such a disciple would beg to take him under their wing.

"Let's go, I'll take you back first. After this matter is settled, I'll explain everything to you in detail." Qingyang said with a smile, now referring to himself as his master.

Upon hearing that Qingyang wanted to take him as a disciple, Luo Feng was overjoyed. The thought of flying in the sky like Qingyang made Luo Feng's heart pound with happiness. He just kept giggling foolishly along the way, as if he were in a daze.

The closer they got to Luo Family Village, the more unpleasant Qingyang's expression became. Luo Feng, lost in his foolish laughter, didn't notice the change in Qingyang's expression. Qingyang quickened his pace. From afar, he could already sense that something had happened in Luo Family Village. As they got closer, he could smell the faint scent of death.

Luo Family Village, a small village that was never particularly noisy but always had some voices, was now deathly silent. Upon entering the village, three or five children who had been playing outside lay across the roadside, their faces pale, still clutching windmills made by their parents.

Qingyang pressed down on his sword and landed beside one of the children. The child's face was calm, still holding the smile he had while playing. Qingyang reached out and turned the child over, only to find a fist-sized patch of flesh on the back of the child's neck that was mangled beyond recognition. No blood flowed from the rotten flesh; it was deathly pale. The spine had been shattered, and the brain and blood had been completely sucked out. Turning all the children over, they all had the same wound, the same wounds, all of them had their blood and brains sucked out, clearly the work of one person.

"Soul-Sucking Fang." Qingyang gritted his teeth, squeezing out three words. These three words represented a top figure in the evil path. Soul-Sucking Fang specialized in sucking people's brains. He was mysterious and incredibly powerful. The righteous path had been hunting him for over eighty years, yet no one had ever seen his face. Unexpectedly, he had come to Mount Dagu today, not even sparing these ordinary people. Qingyang held a high position and rarely interfered in such conflicts, but he couldn't ignore the appearance of Soul-Sucking Fang. Moreover, Soul-Sucking Fang wouldn't have come to this godforsaken place without reason; he was most likely after He Ruguo.

Luo Feng's face turned deathly pale. His childhood friend lay so pitifully before him; it would be strange if he looked well.

As they walked toward the village, they saw people lying across the fields and village entrances. There was the great-grandfather who always told Luo Feng folk tales and scared him; Luo Fei, who was only in his twenties but whose seniority was so great that Luo Feng had to call him Great-Grandfather; and the uncle with the stiff beard who would pinch Luo Feng whenever he saw him, hug him, and kiss him hard, his stubble making Luo Feng cry out. But now they could no longer tell him stories, no longer force him to call him Great-Grandfather, no longer prick him with their beards. Luo Feng's tears had dried up. Although Qingyang had seen countless deaths and was indifferent to worldly affairs, this hellish scene still made him grit his teeth. "Soul-Sucking Fang, today I, Qingyang Zhenren, will deal with you, you three-eyed horse king!" Qingyang roared inwardly.

Luo Feng sat weakly beside his father, who had been murdered while cooking. His hand was still clutching the wooden spatula, and his face bore an expression that seemed to be a mixture of anger and resentment—perhaps anger at Luo Feng for not coming home to cook for him.

"Dad, get up! Your son didn't come home to cook for you, why are you hitting me? Dad, I almost caught a big, fat rabbit today! Get up and come with me! That rabbit was huge and fat, enough for us to eat for days!" Luo Feng's hoarse voice pushed Luo Datian, but the strong man lay pale on the ground, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. No matter how much Luo Feng pushed, he didn't respond.

Luo Feng's tears had long since dried, and his young heart was shattered. What flowed from his eyes was no longer tears, but bright red blood. If he hadn't just eaten the Blood Orchid fruit, he probably would have already fainted from grief. Luo Feng wished he could go with his father, but his mind remained perfectly clear.

"Luo Feng, don't be sad anymore. Come with me from now on," Qingyang said calmly, his tone as still as water. Having entered the Daoist sect from a young age, Qingyang wasn't good at comforting people; his tone was flat, but a anger that hadn't flared for decades was burning within him. The pitiful sight of little Luo Feng, tears streaming down his face, made Qingyang's heart ache even more.

Luo Feng didn't speak. He picked up his father's hoe, worn smooth by years of use, from behind the door and began digging in the yard. Qingyang wanted to help, but Luo Feng stared at him with a blank look, forcing Qingyang to withdraw his hand.

Luo Feng continued digging, hoe after hoe. Exhausted and drenched in sweat, it took him an hour to dig a pit four feet long, two feet wide, and three feet deep. With all his might, Luo Feng dragged Luo Datian into the pit. He tearfully took off his own clothes, looked at Luo Datian for a few moments, and then covered Luo Datian's face with them. He then scooped up black soil and carefully covered Luo Datian's body with it.

Luo Feng knelt before the grave until nightfall before standing up. "Master, are you very powerful?" Ten-year-old Luo Feng's tone was frighteningly calm.

"I am a master; there are very few who surpass me," Qingyang said.

"Teach me," Luo Feng said.

"I can, but you must calm your mind first. Teaching you Dao techniques in your current state is dangerous," Qingyang said.

"Yes, I will calm down," Luo Feng said.

Except for Luo Feng, who escaped the calamity, all the hundreds of villagers perished. The number was so great that even with Qingyang, a true immortal, there was no way to bury them all. They were practically isolated from the world, but there was no fear of any plague spreading. Qingyang took Luo Feng to Dagu Mountain and found a safe place near Heru Village to stay, guarding the ripening of the Heru fruit.

Over the months, Luo Feng underwent a dramatic change. Although he had lost a lot of weight, his adorable smile returned to his face. His dimples were shallower, but he was still as cute as ever.

In his immense grief and sorrow, Luo Feng unintentionally absorbed a portion of the Blood-Drawing Orchid's fruit, granting him astonishing strength, perhaps even surpassing that of an adult. His eyes also changed; upon closer inspection, a seven-colored glint could be seen within his dark pupils, much like the three seven-colored petals of the Blood-Drawing Orchid, utterly captivating.

Qingyang never taught Luo Feng any Taoist arts, yet within a few months, Luo Feng had mastered excellent archery. Nearby beasts fled at the mere sight of him, lest they become his prey.

Luo Feng gazed in the direction of Luo Family Village, a faint melancholy in his eyes. Qingyang landed behind him and coughed. Luo Feng abruptly turned around, his melancholy vanishing, replaced by a cheerful, smiling child. The upheaval in Luo Family Village had profoundly changed this innocent and adorable child.

"Master, what's wrong?" Luo Feng asked, noticing Qingyang's unusual expression.

“Luo Feng, the He Ruo fruit is about to ripen. Don’t go out and wander around these days. Other cultivators have come, and some bald Buddhist monks have also arrived, but they haven’t found this place yet,” Qingyang said.

“Master, why do we have to wait? Even if the fruit isn’t ripe, we can just pick it. At worst, the effect will be less.” Luo Feng said.

“How can we do that? This is a rare gift from heaven. Its growth must have its reasons. Acting rashly will surely ruin everything,” Qingyang said.

Before Luo Feng could speak, the roars of beasts came from not far away. The monsters guarding the He Ruo tree were fighting again. This happened every day, but this time it seemed much more intense.

“Master, the sound seems a bit off. Should we go and check?” Luo Feng asked.

“You stay here. I’ll go. There’s an array protecting you here, so nothing will happen. But it’s hard to say if you go out,” Qingyang said.

"I really want to go with you to see some of the monsters in Dagu Mountain. Some of them are really beautiful," Luo Feng said. Qingyang had taken him there once before, and Luo Feng clearly saw a bird over ten feet long with fiery red feathers circling in the trees. It was quite beautiful.

"But I really want to see that beautiful bird again," Luo Feng said.

"Bird? You mean that red bird? You silly child, that's a bird called Spirit Fire. Even your master doesn't dare to mess with that kind of bird. I avoid it if I see it. If I bring you along, what if the fruit really ripens? How am I supposed to snatch it? There are plenty of monsters under the tree. Your master will just steal whatever opportunity I can, be a villain for once," Qingyang chuckled. Nothing made him happier than seeing Luo Feng's genuine smile. He was growing more and more fond of this disciple—obedient, sensible, and clever.

"Then I won't bother Master. I'll wait for you to come back here," Luo Feng said.

"That's my good disciple." Qingyang said with a smile, patting Luo Feng's shoulder. Luo Feng didn't like people touching his head; whenever his head was touched, Luo Feng's little face would immediately turn into a frown. That was something his father would often do. Qingyang was quite tactful.

When Qingyang arrived above the How Tree, a commotion had already broken out below. A large group of strange beasts, whose names were hard to decipher, were fighting fiercely today. A golden shadow flashed, and Qingyang quickly dodged. It turned out to be that small, three-inch-long, highly venomous snake. It had been thrown up by some monster, its belly ripped open, its entrails spilling out. It looked like it was going to die. Qingyang sighed in regret. If he could have such a spirit beast guarding the mountain, it would be worth more than a dozen patrolling disciples.

Qingyang had to constantly change positions. The pot was open below, and the situation above wasn't much better. Ferocious Peng birds or spirit fire birds that could breathe scorching spiritual fire were fighting each other in the sky. Two of the three fruits that originally grew on the Heru tree had rotted and turned black, leaving only one fruit that was bright yellow. Although the monsters were fighting fiercely, no matter which monster was on the verge of death, it would not touch the Heru tree. The Heru tree was very stable, but that fruit was swaying on the tree, clearly about to ripen and fall.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, and a bizarre-looking bird, resembling a dried-up corpse, flapped its equally withered wings and charged towards Qingyang, the bystander who intended to reap the benefits. Its long, pointed beak gaped open, revealing rows of small, sharp teeth, ready to devour. Qingyang's flying sword moved swiftly, and he also lunged diagonally. Just as the strange bird was about to pass, it was pecked by another bird, several times larger than an eagle, which tore a large hole in its body. Although Qingyang dodged the attack of the strange bird, he almost crashed into the flames breathed by the spirit fire bird. Qingyang had to be extremely careful, dodging these strange birds in the air. Although his movements were chaotic, he managed to avoid serious injury. Qingyang was secretly alarmed; where did so many monsters or spirit beasts come from? Could it be that all the spiritual creatures of the land of China had gathered here?

Qingyang found it strange. In recent days, he had noticed cultivators from various sects coming to the area, but now that the He Ru fruit was almost ripe, why hadn't they appeared? Although there were fewer competitors, it made Qingyang even more uneasy.

The battle raged for two whole days. The bright yellow He Ru fruit fell from the tree and landed on the ground. In an instant, chaos erupted. Many of the monsters had died or been injured in the two days of fierce fighting. Some of the weaker ones had survived, but they kept their distance, no longer daring to covet this spiritual fruit. However, there were still more than twenty monsters guarding the area, some flying in the sky and some running on the ground. These twenty-odd spirit beasts either flew down from the sky or leaped up from the ground. Those that remained were all powerful, and jumping several meters high was not difficult for them at all.

Qingyang, also urging his flying sword forward, had just taken off when he was struck by the giant eagle. It was as if he had crashed into a mountain. The eagle's feathers were like iron, and the impact caused Qingyang's blood to surge, forcing him to fall back several steps. The giant eagle didn't fare any better, plummeting vertically downwards for about ten feet before coming to a stop. Although it was only a brief moment, these monsters and spirit creatures were incredibly fast, and a whole horde of them charged towards the Hehe Fruit. Even if Qingyang had fired his flying sword now, he probably wouldn't have been able to prevent the Hehe Fruit from falling into the monsters' mouths.

Bang! With a loud crash, the monsters huddled together in mid-air, and a yellow shadow flew out from the pile. It was the spirit beasts colliding with each other, forcibly squeezing the fruit out. Fortunately, the fruit was sturdy enough; otherwise, it would have been smashed.

As luck would have it, the fruit was flying towards Qingyang. Overjoyed, Qingyang swiftly moved his flying sword and shot towards the fruit. The lagging giant eagle also swooped down fiercely, determined to seize it. As an elder of the Xuan Kong Sect, Qingyang naturally possessed many flying swords and magical treasures. He reached into his Qiankun bag and pulled out the Water Cloud Shield, throwing it at the giant eagle. Although the Water Cloud Shield was an ordinary item, the several-foot-long, flowing water shield was more than enough to slow the giant eagle. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qingyang grabbed the fruit. Before he could even put the fruit back into his Qiankun bag, several spirit birds turned and swooped down on him. Qingyang let out a strange cry. Although he was quite strong, he was still overwhelmed by the sheer number of Chinese spirit birds. He immediately turned and fled, flying a short distance before plunging downwards. As soon as the spirit birds descended, the monsters on the ground pounced on them, causing chaos and a mouthful of dog hair. Qingyang nimbly circled around the Great Ancient Mountain a few times, finally shaking off the birds and beasts. He examined the Hehe Fruit thoroughly before reluctantly putting it into his Qiankun Bag. If the fruit hadn't been inedible, Qingyang probably would have eaten half of it first. After carefully storing the Hehe Fruit, he flew towards Luofeng.

Just as he was about to return to the mountain gate with Luo Feng, a figure flew away. Then, in Qingyang's eyes, a hand as white as jade reached for He Ruguo. Qingyang could even see the inch-long, crystal-clear, shimmering fingernails on that hand—Qi Shu. What a beautiful hand! Although the hand was fast enough, Qingyang was a true cultivator; how could he allow what he had gained to be snatched away? His hand swiftly retracted, and with a whoosh, his sleeve was ripped open by the beautiful hand, leaving a large wound on his arm.

Before Qingyang could catch his breath, the sound of wind rushed behind him. The person was already behind him! Qingyang was startled; this person's skill was definitely not inferior to his, and in terms of speed, they were probably even slightly superior.

Qingyang's clothes billowed, and he released his true energy, managing to slow the person's advance. With a leap, his flying sword turned and stabbed behind him, allowing Qingyang to turn around as well.

With a ding, the man flicked his finger, and Qingyang's flying sword flew back instead. "Qingyang Zhenren truly lives up to his reputation as the number one expert of the Xuan Kong Sect. I admire you." A very neutral voice rang out, sounding like a woman's voice, but upon closer listening, it revealed a masculine ruggedness.

Floating ten feet in front of Qingyang was a figure in flowing white robes, with beautiful long hair cascading down to his waist. A ghost-face mask covered his face, and his legs were pulled back, making him appear extremely dashing.

Although the person was dressed in white robes and shoes, a faint aura of blood emanated from him. Qingyang's pupils contracted. "Soul-Sucking Fang?"

"Qingyang Zhenren has good eyesight," Soul-Sucking Fang said calmly.

"I suppose those righteous people have already fallen victim to your wickedness." Qingyang's voice grew even colder.

"Righteous? Master Qingyang, what a joke! What is right and wrong in this world? It's all about strength. If someone with the strength of a righteous sect has the same strength as you, can't they also call themselves righteous?" The Vampire Fang chuckled, its laughter somewhat feminine, yet sounding like the wild laughter of a burly man.

"Hmph, the world has its own judgment on right and wrong. How dare you, a heretic, spout such nonsense?" Qingyang sneered.

"Judgment? Haven't you righteous people done your fair share of petty theft? And you've probably done your fair share of coveting other people's treasures, haven't you? Fifty years ago, the Blood Blade Sect was wiped out by your righteous sects. I'm afraid your Xuan Kong Sect also benefited, didn't you?" The Vampire Fang said indifferently.

Qingyang's face flushed red. Indeed, the Blood Blade Sect had been destroyed, and their Xuan Kong Sect had contributed significantly. The Blood Blade Sect's Blood Mad Blade had fallen into Xuan Kong Sect's hands. Qingyang disapproved of this kind of opportunistic behavior under the guise of justice. That's why, despite the sect leader's repeated pleas for him to return to the sect, he hadn't intervened. However, powerless to stop it, he simply chose to remain silent.

"Today, I won't hold a grudge against you. But hundreds of mortals in Luo Family Village at the foot of the mountain died after you drained their brains. That debt must be settled. Even if I don't settle it today, I fear that when heavenly tribulation descends, you, Soul-Sucking Fellow, will not escape." Qingyang wasn't good at arguing, so he brought up Luo Family Village.

"What in this world isn't a world of survival of the fittest? It's an honor for them to have their brains drained. Today, I'm eliminating powerful enemies for True Person Qingyang. Otherwise, if you righteous sects were to fight amongst yourselves, who knows who would have gotten the Hehe Fruit? Shouldn't you be thanking me?" The Bloodsucking Demon spoke calmly, but Qingyang seemed to see a faint smile on the Demon's face through the demon mask. With a thought, Qingyang understood the Demon's thoughts. Although there were experts from the righteous path who came this time, there were probably few who could compare to Qingyang. Eliminating them one by one would save trouble. After Qingyang snatched the Hehe Fruit from the monsters' mouths, they would come to him to pick the ripe peaches. It was much safer than facing so many monsters. What a clever plan!

“Spiritual objects are meant to be obtained by those who are destined to receive them. I, Qingyang, am that destined one. To expect me to hand over this fruit to you is a fool’s dream.” Qingyang said coldly, “I, Qingyang, am willing to risk my cultivation to uphold justice and fight to the death with you, you monster.”

"What a fine 'the destined one obtains it'! If I were to snatch this fruit from your hands, wouldn't I also be the destined one?" Soul-Sucking Fang laughed, then his voice turned cold. "What a high-sounding 'acting on behalf of Heaven'! What virtue or ability do you, Qingyang, possess to act on behalf of Heaven? Do you think your righteous path can represent the will of Heaven? What a joke!" As soon as Soul-Sucking Fang finished speaking, his figure flashed and he was already in front of Qingyang. His five fingers, like claws, reached out to grab Qingyang's face with astonishing force, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder. His other hand, however, silently reached for the inconspicuous small bag at Qingyang's waist. The Qiankun Bag was said to be able to hold everything in the world, which was quite an exaggeration. It was not difficult to hold many items, and it was indeed a rare treasure. Although Soul-Sucking Fang's attack was silent, how could Qingyang allow the Qiankun Bag to fall into his hands? He twisted his body to dodge, and with a flick of his elbow, he blocked Soul-Sucking Fang's claws that were moving with wind and thunder.

A thunderous roar erupted from between the two figures' arms. Qingyang was struck, his body trembling as he staggered back several dozen feet before regaining his footing on his flying sword. The Soul-Sucking Fang, however, paused slightly before lunging again. In close combat, Qingyang, a traditional cultivator, was slightly inferior to the unorthodox Soul-Sucking Fang. Clearly, the Soul-Sucking Fang understood this, insisting on close-quarters combat. The

Soul-Sucking Fang was incredibly fast. Qingyang wanted to unleash his magic weapon, but it was too late. He could only take out a three-foot-long sword from his Qiankun bag. Before he could even draw the sword, the Soul-Sucking Fang's jade-like, crystalline hands were already upon him.

The longsword, still in its sheath, blocked in front of him. The Soul-Sucking Fang's hands gripped the sword, twisting it with a cracking sound. The scabbard, forged from black iron, had shattered, revealing the gleaming longsword.

The Soul-Sucking Demon cried out in alarm. A flash of cold light appeared before his eyes, and the longsword spun in Qingyang's hand, slicing around the Demon's hand once. Then, with a flick of the wrist, the sword slashed toward the Demon's neck. Although the two were only an arm's length apart, and the three-foot-long sword was difficult to wield, it was incredibly agile in Qingyang's hands. The thrusting motion was changed into a slashing motion. The Soul-Sucking Demon did not dare to underestimate him. Having been cut again, he naturally stepped back to check his injury.

Episode 1, First Major Sect, Chapter 3: Fierce Battle Against Ghosts

A red mark appeared on the Soul-Sucking Fang's crystal-clear, white hand, cut by Qingyang's longsword. A few drops of blood seeped out. Although it was a superficial wound, it was not serious. With a flick of its wrist, the Soul-Sucking Fang sent the blood droplets shooting towards Qingyang like arrows. Qingyang held his longsword horizontally, and the blood droplets struck the blade's spine with a crisp clang. The longsword trembled violently. Before Qingyang could unleash the magic weapon he had just taken out, a white shadow flashed before his eyes, and the Soul-Sucking Fang pounced again. The distance was too close, and Qingyang dared not easily release his magic weapon or talismans, lest he be caught in the crossfire. He could only raise his sword to meet the attack.

The Soul-Sucking Fang appeared incredibly dashing, a true master, but in a fight, he was utterly shameless. He pressed himself tightly against Qingyang, his once pristine white hands now blood-red. His longsword slashed at Qingyang, producing a crisp, metallic clang. Qingyang's sword was no ordinary weapon; capable of slicing through gold and jade, splitting mountains and cleaving rocks—it was comparable to a high-grade flying sword—yet it was no match for the Soul-Sucking Fang's blood-red hands. The Soul-Sucking Fang's

deadly blood-red hands targeted Qingyang's vitals. His attacks were ruthless, completely lacking the composure of a master, even targeting his groin. Although a cultivator like Qingyang abstained from women his entire life, his virginity remained; every morning after waking, his manhood would be erect. If struck by the Soul-Sucking Fang, even a True Immortal like Qingyang would likely fall from the sky, writhing on the ground clutching his groin.

Master Qingyang's face flushed with rage, but the Soul-Sucking Fang was incredibly agile, darting back and forth. Although Master Qingyang wielded his longsword with impenetrable skill, the Soul-Sucking Fang always managed to find an opening and strike him. In close combat, Qingyang was no match for the Soul-Sucking Fang. After a quarter of an hour and over a thousand exchanges, Master Qingyang had five deep, bone-piercing wounds inflicted by the Soul-Sucking Fang, blood gushing forth. With

a clang, the Soul-Sucking Fang actually managed to grip the longsword with its left hand. Qingyang twisted the sword, slicing the Soul-Sucking Fang's hand into a bloody mess, but the Soul-Sucking Fang held on tightly, refusing to let go. Its right hand suddenly gripped Master Qingyang's chest, nearly ripping out his heart.

Qingyang loosened his grip on the sword seal, his fingers twitching slightly as he struck out with a Daoist incantation towards the Soul-Sucking Demon. The Demon twisted its body, releasing Qingyang's sword and, like a fish, slid down Qingyang's shoulder to his back. Qingyang's Daoist incantation struck the Demon's right leg, causing it to cry out in pain.

Enduring the excruciating pain in its leg, the Demon coiled itself around Qingyang like an octopus. With a slight movement of its head, a piece of its mask lifted, revealing a disproportionately large, blood-red mouth, with a pair of long, sharp teeth on both the upper and lower jaws. No one knew what kind of technique the Demon practiced to have such long canines; if it weren't for its remaining flexibility, it would likely have been mistaken for a zombie.

The Soul-Sucking Fang hissed and bit down hard. Qingyang Zhenren released his true essence, creating a powerful gust of wind around him that ripped the Fang's clothes into strips. The Fang's snow-white skin was torn in several places, and copious amounts of blood were dispersed into a mist within the Great Ancient Mountain. The Soul-Sucking Fang was definitely stronger

than Qingyang, but Qingyang's desperate efforts were proving difficult for the Fang to withstand. Yet, it still managed to bite down on the back of Qingyang's neck. Qingyang recoiled, and a large chunk of flesh was torn away, blood gushing out. A large expanse of neck bone was clearly visible. Had the bite been any deeper, it might have severed Qingyang's neck and sucked his brain.

"Ah!" Qingyang roared, but he was powerless against the Soul-Sucking Beast coiled behind him. His true energy could severely injure the beast, but not kill it. The beast was determined to suck out Qingyang's brain, which was as nourishing as Tang Sanzang's flesh to it. The

beast tossed its head, its large, blood-stained fangs lunging at Qingyang's wound again, determined to succeed. Qingyang, in a

desperate attempt, twirled his sword, the tip aimed at his chest. The sword passed right through him, but Qingyang managed to avoid a fatal blow. Though severely injured, he was not in mortal danger.

The Soul-Sucking Demon never expected Qingyang to use such a ruthless move, willing to pierce his own body with his sword to severely injure him again. Caught off guard, the longsword also pierced through his body. A surge of righteous energy emanated from the sword, impacting the cold and bloody true essence within the Soul-Sucking Demon's body.

The Soul-Sucking Fang let out a monstrous howl, slamming its palm into Qingyang Zhenren's back. Qingyang Zhenren was thrown backward with a whoosh. The longsword that had pierced Qingyang Zhenren's body, a full foot long, was embedded in the Soul-Sucking Fang's flesh. Had the Soul-Sucking Fang not twisted its body at the last moment, its heart would likely have been pierced by the sword, and then shattered by the true energy. Even ten lives wouldn't have been enough to save it.

Qingyang Zhenren wanted to turn and pursue again, but it was too late. Although the Soul-Sucking Fang was severely injured by Qingyang Zhenren's sword, its injuries were still slightly less severe than Qingyang Zhenren's.

Qingyang Zhenren unleashed a burst of true energy, and with a snap, the longsword broke clean at the base. It was a pity such a fine divine sword was wasted. Qingyang Zhenren swung his left hand and struck the broken edge, sending the sword flying out from behind him with a whoosh.

As he retreated, clutching his chest wound, Soul-Sucking Fang never expected Qingyang Zhenren to make such a move. He watched as the handleless blade pierced his body, passing through him below his right breast. Soul-Sucking Fang, a wicked figure who had drunk too much blood, coughed up a mouthful of blood. He activated his true energy to seal the wound. At this moment, Qingyang Zhenren had already turned around, and the two were less than seven or eight zhang apart.

Soul-Sucking Fang realized he had lost the initiative. Firstly, he had created distance between himself and Qingyang Zhenren. At this distance of seven or eight zhang, a master like Qingyang Zhenren could easily unleash such a powerful Daoist attack. Faced with such a long-range, high-powered attack, Soul-Sucking Fang knew he was no match for Qingyang Zhenren. Secondly, his own injuries were likely far greater than Qingyang Zhenren's. Although he had bitten Qingyang Zhenren, it hadn't caused any serious damage, while the longsword had exchanged one injury for two serious wounds. By any measure, he was going to come out worse off today.

"The green hills remain unchanged, the green waters flow forever; I will surely come to repay Qingyang Zhenren's great kindness today another day," Soul-Sucking Fang said fiercely, then turned and ran. Soul-Sucking Fang's overall strength was already far greater than Qingyang Zhenren's, and now that he was running for his life, Qingyang Zhenren could only watch helplessly.

"Next time I come to find you, it won't be me," Qingyang Zhenren said hatefully, watching Soul-Sucking Fang disappear into the distance.

Episode 1, Chapter 4: Qingyang Sect

When Master Qingyang returned to their temporary residence covered in blood, Luo Feng was startled and rushed forward to support him.

"Master, what happened to you?" Luo Feng asked anxiously.

"It's nothing. I encountered an enemy and suffered some minor injuries. Luo Feng, stay here for a while while I treat your wounds," Master Qingyang said, stroking Luo Feng's head, his hands stained with blood that streaked a few strands of Luo Feng's long hair.

Luo Feng nodded obediently and sat down to the side. Looking at the horribly injured Qingyang Zhenren, he saw Zhenren take out over a dozen items—some fragrant pills that could be smelled from afar, others strange powders. In the time it took to eat a meal, Qingyang Zhenren hastily bandaged his wounds. Although the injuries were severe—enough to kill an ordinary person—he had spiritual medicine on him, coupled with his unparalleled martial arts skills. With this simple treatment, returning to the Xuan Kong Sect wouldn't be a problem.

"Luo Feng, let's go," Qingyang Zhenren said, having finished packing. Hearing the roars of wild beasts outside, he knew the monsters, having lost their prey, were now searching for them. Qingyang Zhenren, heavily injured, didn't want to cause any trouble.

"Shall we leave now?" Luo Feng asked, looking towards Luo Family Village.

"Yes, let's leave now." Master Qingyang knew that Luo Feng was reluctant to leave the small village that had raised him for ten years, but now that there was no one left there, what use would it be for Luo Feng to stay?

Luo Feng didn't say anything more. He looked in the direction of the village for a while, then knelt down and kowtowed more than a dozen times in a row in the direction of the village before standing up. Although the soil in the mountains was very soft, the force of kowtowing more than a dozen times still made Luo Feng's head dizzy.

Before Luo Feng could even regain his senses, he felt a sudden lightness as Qingyang Zhenren pulled him into the air, flying southwest. It took Luo Feng a long time to recover from his dizziness. The dozen or so kowtows he had just performed were incredibly powerful. Now that he was fully awake, the cold wind at high altitude dissipated, and the mountains, rivers, and scattered houses below seemed minuscule, as if the earth itself were beneath his feet. But then, his mind went blank, and he swayed. If Qingyang Zhenren hadn't been holding him, he would have plummeted from that unknown height and been turned into mincemeat.

Luo Feng's mind was now completely blank; the village upheaval and the mountain monsters were all forgotten. His face was deathly pale. Qingyang Zhenren merely smiled slightly. Back when he himself had been pulled into the sky by his master, he was even worse off than Luo Feng, almost vomiting his bile. This Luo Feng was far more capable than he had been back then.

Luo Feng's eyes remained open for over a quarter of an hour. He finally closed them, but his heart was still uneasy. He felt as if his feet were sinking into nothingness, as if he might fall at any moment. His hands involuntarily gripped Qingyang Zhenren's robes tightly, but the thin yet sturdy garments offered Luo Feng no sense of security.

Although Qingyang was hailed as a True Person, capable of traveling a thousand miles a day, he couldn't fly day and night. Luo Family Village was thousands of miles away from Shu, practically in the south and north of China respectively—it wasn't an easy journey.

Qingyang Zhenren was already severely injured. Although he had temporarily suppressed his injuries with spiritual medicine, he dared not use the extremely energy-draining sword-flying technique too often. After flying for three or four hours and covering nearly a thousand miles, he dismounted and landed on a small town.

The town wasn't very large; it was merely a stopover for traveling merchants. The slight distribution of goods was enough to attract a few people, and with enough people, it naturally formed a small town. The town stretched from east to west, only slightly larger than an ordinary village, and had a crudely constructed wall for defense against bandits. Despite its small size, the town had plenty of teahouses and taverns, but lacked inns.

Luo Feng had never left Luo Family Village since childhood; his greatest journey had been when he accidentally wandered deep into the Great Ancient Mountains. Entering the town this time, he had completely forgotten the terror of flying high in the sky, wishing he had eight eyes to see the outside world.

Master Qingyang let Luo Feng look around, then led her by the hand into a tiny tavern. They ordered two bowls of vegetarian noodles, one for each of them. Master Qingyang picked at the noodles one by one, while Luo Feng, who had never eaten this kind of noodle before, carefully took a bite. The taste was far superior to the coarse rice noodles she ate at home; soft and smooth, it was truly a delicacy.

With the delicious food, Luo Feng forgot all about the town's scenery and quickly devoured the large bowl of vegetarian noodles. Then, he lay on the table, looking pitifully at Master Qingyang. Master Qingyang, having cultivated for over a hundred years, didn't need much food. He only ate a little of the bowl before stopping. Just as he pushed the bowl away, Luo Feng snatched it back and quickly finished it off, leaving not even the broth. His belly was round and full, and when he burped, the noodles that had just slid down his throat almost came out. Luo Feng couldn't bear to spit out such delicious food, so he tightly closed his mouth and swallowed hard, suppressing the rising food.

Master Qingyang took Luo Feng to a clean inn to stay in. Aside from Luo Feng being awakened several times by nightmares and breaking out in a cold sweat, nothing else happened.

The next day, Master Qingyang led Luo Feng out of the city on foot, found a secluded corner, and took to the skies on their swords. Even though cultivators are far stronger than ordinary people, they cannot casually reveal their strength in front of mortals. This is an unwritten rule in the cultivation world, the origin of which is unknown.

After a few days, Luo Feng had become accustomed to flying in this way and was no longer too afraid. During flight, a power that did not belong to him stirred within him, making Luo Feng inexplicably excited.

Luo Feng followed Qingyang for six days. In the distance, a towering mountain peak appeared before them, reaching into the clouds. Qingyang Zhenren pointed to the peak and said, "That is the mountain gate of my Xuan Kong Sect."

Flying closer, Luo Feng could see the mountain's shape more clearly. It was quite thick at the base, then suddenly narrowed towards the middle, like a fist extending its middle finger to the sky.

"This mountain looks rather strange," Luo Feng laughed.

"That's the Middle Finger Mountain. The Xuan Kong Sect's mountain gate is located at that finger," Qingyang Zhenren said.

As they drew closer, the mountain became clearer. The base was manageable; although the slope was steep, a goat shepherd could still climb it. But the middle finger-shaped mountain would be difficult even for a monkey to ascend.

Qingyang Zhenren didn't land at the foot of the mountain as Luo Feng had imagined. Instead, he rushed towards a higher place. The mountain peak was shrouded in mist, half of which resembled a middle finger. In the blink of an eye, Qingyang Zhenren carried Luo Feng into the mist. Luo Feng sensed that Qingyang Zhenren wasn't flying in a straight line, but rather zigzagging.

"Master, are you lost? Why are you walking so crookedly?" Luo Feng asked.

"Every sect has its own protective formation at its mountain gate, which cannot be easily touched. At best, one will be injured and forced to retreat; at worst, one's life will be in danger. If you go out to cultivate in the future, you must never easily break into the mountain gate," said Master Qingyang. "The Xuan Kong Sect's protective formation was created by its founder, Master Qingxuan Zhenxian. Even though no one in our sect knows how to break this formation, we only know how to enter and exit. Master Qingxuan was truly the number one genius in cultivation, but unfortunately, he died in the tribulation of ascension. Heaven is jealous of geniuses." Master Qingyang sighed at the end. Luo Feng was not even a beginner at the time, so he did not heed Master Qingyang's advice.

A moment later, his eyes lit up, and he had broken through a cloud of mist. On the steep, chilling mountain peak, one platform after another, either man-made or naturally formed, were distributed on the mountain. Each platform was more than ten feet apart, which was quite a strange sight.

Sword lights flashed intermittently around the mountain peak, revealing Xuan Kong Sect disciples traveling on their swords. Upon seeing Qingyang, they all bowed, glancing at the child Qingyang had brought with them, their eyes filled with a mixture of envy and jealousy.

Qingyang Zhenren merely nodded to them, then flew almost vertically into the sky, reaching about halfway up the mountain. When the summit was within sight, he abruptly stopped on a naturally formed platform.

The platform was about ten acres in size. On one side, a bamboo pipe, as thick as an arm, extended from the mountain wall, from which flowed streams of water, as thick as fingers, down into a small ditch on the platform. On the side against the mountain, there was also a cave, seemingly naturally formed, without any signs of human intervention.

As Qingyang Zhenren led Luo Feng into the cave, it suddenly lit up—the luminous pearls embedded in the cave ceiling had illuminated. It was unclear how Qingyang had managed to make these natural luminous pearls light up on their own.

The cave was about twenty zhang long and wide, quite spacious. There were only a dozen or so exquisitely crafted futons on the ground, nothing else of value—extremely simple.

"Disciple, wait here for me for a few days. Practice the Daoist and sword techniques I gave you a few more times. I need to go to the inner chamber to heal my injuries," said Master Qingyang.

"Uh… Master, I don't mind you going to heal, but what will I eat if you're gone for several days?" Luo Feng asked.

Master Qingyang thought for a moment and realized he had forgotten that Luo Feng didn't know the sword-controlling technique and couldn't find food on his own. He walked out of the cave, and Luo Feng followed. He saw Master Qingyang pick up a golden hammer in an inconspicuous corner. Luo Feng then noticed that a small golden bell was hanging on the cliff wall in that corner.

Master Qingyang struck the small golden bell twice, producing a clear and melodious sound. A moment later, a rustling sound came from below, followed by a flash of yellow light. A large, golden monkey, taller than a person, nimbly flipped up the cliff face. The monkey, almost human-like, bowed several times to Master Qingyang, its dark eyes frequently glancing at Luo Feng, clearly more curious about this stranger.

"Xuan Nu, this is my disciple. You should take care of his daily life," Master Qingyang said.

The monkey understood Master Qingyang's words, nodded, and boldly began to scrutinize Luo Feng, making Luo Feng's skin crawl. He, a child from the mountains, had never seen such a large monkey before.

"Master, this monkey…" Luo Feng pointed at the monkey, unsure what to say. Clearly, he had reservations about the monkey taking care of him.

"Xuan Nu is the guardian spirit beast of my Xuan Kong Sect. It's always responsible for delivering meals to newly accepted disciples. Those disciples who can fly eat in the dining hall on their own," said Master Qingyang. "Don't worry, it's very loyal and won't cause you any harm."

Hearing Qingyang's words, Luo Feng's heart calmed down a little, but he still kept his distance from this monkey, lest he displease it and be thrown off the mountain while his master was away. The mountain was so high that if he fell, he probably wouldn't even have his bones found.

After arranging things for Luo Feng, Master Qingyang went into the inner room to heal his injuries. The battle with the Soul-Sucking Fang had definitely caused serious injuries, and it would probably take three to five days to heal them, especially the bite wound on the back of his neck. Although the spiritual medicine suppressed it, he still felt a tingling and numb sensation from time to time.

With Qingyang gone, Luo Feng was suddenly left with nothing to do. The large monkey, however, showed no sign of leaving, simply squatting on the ground watching Luo Feng. Luo Feng returned the gaze, and the two stared at each other for an hour or so before Luo Feng was awakened by the rumbling of his stomach. It

wasn't that Luo Feng was hungry; before heading up the mountain, he had eaten a full half-pound of beef, so he wouldn't feel hungry even if he didn't eat for a day. Luo Feng was looking for a place to relieve himself, but where could he find a latrine in Qingyang's cultivation residence?

Luo Feng searched around but couldn't find a place to use the latrine. He leaned over the edge of the platform and looked down. Below, Xuan Kong Sect disciples occasionally flew by on their swords. Aside from the inherent danger of defecating there, if he accidentally threw his waste at their heads, he'd be in serious trouble.

Luo Feng, who had been holding it in for ages, started to have a stomachache and was farting one after another. If he couldn't find a place to use the latrine soon, he was afraid he would soil his pants.

"Um... Brother Monkey," Luo Feng said helplessly, turning to the monkey for help. "Where can I find a latrine?"

The monkey grinned, as if smiling, and flipped off the platform. A moment later, it came back up carrying a toilet on its back and a handful of toilet paper in its mouth, placing the spotlessly clean toilet in front of Luo Feng.

Luo Feng came from the mountains, and before, even when he needed to use a latrine, he would either use the makeshift one at home or simply burrow into the grass and relieve himself there. He had never used such a gleaming toilet.

As if knowing Luo Feng's thoughts, the monkey sat on the toilet, mimicking defecating, then pointed at Luo Feng, then at the toilet, finally making Luo Feng understand how to use it. (

Episode 1, First Major Sect, Chapter 5: Such a Bastard)

Although Master Qingyang was a respected elder of the Xuan Kong Sect, he was usually low-key and did not allow them to disturb him. Although he encountered some disciples of his sect during his return to the mountain, and the child he brought back was seen by those disciples and reported to the sect leader and senior disciples, the sect leader and senior disciples did not dare to come to Master Qingyang's place of cultivation without his permission. They could only wait patiently, but they were also smiling bitterly to themselves. Master Qingyang was extremely talented and was the last disciple accepted by their grandmaster. He was about the same age as the sect leader, but his strength was much stronger. He should be called the number one expert in the Xuan Kong Sect. It was just that Master Qingyang was so old when he accepted a disciple. Did they have to call his disciple "senior disciple" when they met him?

Luo Feng spent three days bored on the platform. His needs were taken care of by the monkey named Xuan Nu, who provided him with fruits and other necessities, enough to keep him full. He had studied the Sword Technique dozens of times, memorizing it backwards. With nothing to do, he would think of the tragic events in the village, and his usually cheerful face would darken with worry. To pass the time, Luo Feng would often lie on the edge of the platform and look down, watching with envy the graceful figures flying below, dreaming of one day flying in the sky himself.

One day, while idly looking down, a few drops of saliva inadvertently dripped from Luo Feng's mouth. He wiped the drool away, but then froze. He saw four people in the distance, riding flying swords, clumsily carrying a bamboo chair towards him. A little girl in red was sitting on the chair. He initially thought they were just passing by, but as they drew closer, he realized they were coming for him.

The monkey, startled by the sight of the five figures, squeaked and nimbly flipped off the other side of the platform, disappearing in a flash. Luo Feng tried to call after it but couldn't, filled with panic.

The four boys, who were only fifteen or sixteen years old, fawned over the girl in red. The girl seemed to have lacked something in the womb; her eyes were large, but always turned upwards, mostly white with little black, whether due to a problem or an arrogant air, was unclear. Her nose was straight, but the tip was slightly curved, making it a hooked nose. Her mouth was small and cherry-like, but the cherry shape was too distorted, as if it had been thrown to the ground and stomped on. Her face was an unnatural pink, but fortunately, Luo Feng had seen some of the world during his time at the sect with Qing Yang and knew that it was covered in a substance called "yin zhi" (姻脂).

"So you're that old codger Qingyang's disciple?" the girl asked disdainfully, her head tilted back. Her voice was terrifying, like a hen that hadn't been properly slaughtered, hoarse and unpleasant. Even Luo Feng, who had witnessed man-eating monsters in the Great Ancient Mountain, was terrified.

"Yes, that old codger Qingyang you mentioned is my master," Luo Feng answered honestly.

"Hmm, then your skill must be very strong. Little Sanzi, go test him." The girl nodded, and a boy who wagged his tail like a stray dog and circled around her bowed and scraped for a while before walking towards Luo Feng.

The boy had probably been following the girl for too long and had picked up some bad habits; his eyes were rolled upwards. He didn't even glance at Luo Feng. With a flick of his sword, a flying sword shorter than a regular longsword floated in front of him. Without a word, he launched his attack, the longsword trembling in the air before shooting towards Luo Feng.

Luo Feng wasn't even a beginner, how could he possibly withstand that flying sword technique? In a matter of moments, the new clothes he'd just acquired in the small town were torn to shreds, and his body was covered in bloody welts.

"Uncle-Master, this little guy is really pathetic." After humiliating Luo Feng with his flying sword for a while, the young man got bored and put away his sword, then fawned over the girl. This girl was the only daughter of the current Xuan Kong Sect leader, Master Qingmu, whose Daoist name was Qing Ling'er. The young man and the other four boys were only third-generation disciples, so naturally they had to call her Uncle-Master.

"Hmph, I thought that old codger Qingyang had taken on some amazing disciple, but he's nothing special." Qing Ling'er said disdainfully, her hands behind her back.

“That’s right, that’s right. Why would you, Uncle Master, need to make such a fuss over something so useless? With your True Wood stage cultivation, you only need to guide the disciples in their cultivation. We can handle this little matter.” said the boy called Xiao San.

Speaking of this, we must mention the classification of cultivation levels among cultivators. The highest level is the True Immortal level, which can ascend at any time. There are probably very few people who can cultivate to this level. Since the day cultivators appeared, very few people have reached this level, and they are absolutely not to be trifled with. Below that is the True Person level, like Qingyang, who is definitely a top-tier figure. Following that are True Spirit, True Wood, True Green, True Profound, True One, and True Same. Only those who have reached the True Person level will have "True Person" added after their name. Those below the True Person level are addressed by their given name. Even among those with the same level of cultivation, there will be differences in strength. For example, although the leader of the Xuan Kong Sect is also a True Person, he is far inferior to Qingyang.

Luo Feng had just arrived at the Xuan Kong Sect and had only learned some basic Daoist and sword techniques. Master Qingyang hadn't had time to explain much to him yet, so how could he know that there were so many different ways of cultivating? He had no idea what that little Sanzi was talking about. He was just lying on the ground, staring intently at the arrogant Qing Ling'er. Although the little Sanzi hadn't used his full strength, he had still injured him quite badly. If it weren't for the power that wasn't his own subtly protecting him, he would probably be unconscious by now. Little Luo Feng really couldn't understand why this trouble had come knocking on his door when he was new here and hadn't caused any trouble.

The four boys surrounding Qing Ling'er ridiculed Luo Feng with their most vicious words, but Luo Feng just lay on the ground without making a sound, leaving them with no fun. Another boy then kicked Luo Feng. Although the boy had been cultivating for some time and his flattery skills were almost perfect, his internal energy was not yet fully developed. However, even a kick was not something a child like Luo Feng could withstand. His body, weighing several dozen kilograms, was kicked into the air and crashed into the mountain wall before rolling down, covered in blood and unconscious.

The young man never expected his kick to have such an effect. He quietly reached out and touched Luo Feng, only to find that Luo Feng was no longer breathing. Although Luo Feng had only fainted, the young man had no idea and thought he had killed him with his kick. His face turned pale with fright. Usually, with Qing Ling'er backing him up, beating up those lower-level disciples was commonplace. However, those disciples had already learned some Daoist techniques before entering the mountain, and their internal energy had reached a certain level, making them strong. But Luo Feng was different. Qingyang Zhenren was not only concerned with protecting his own power, and besides, Luo Feng was still young and had not yet reached the age of cultivating internal energy, so he could not withstand the young man's attack.

"Master... Uncle-Master, he seems to be dead," the young man stammered.

Qing Ling'er's expression changed. It didn't matter if he acted arrogantly or injured his disciple; as long as he could be healed, it would be fine. With their father's backing, they could just turn a blind eye. But this accidental killing would likely bring his father's punishment.

The group looked around, and seeing no one was paying attention, they turned and left in perfect unison, as if nothing had happened. They agreed that if anyone asked, they should say they had gone to the back of the mountain to bully Xuan Nu, and absolutely not mention that they had been to Qingyangping, the place where Qingyang Zhenren cultivated. Just

as Qing Ling'er and the others left, Luo Feng's body twitched a few times, and he slowly woke up. Although his body was a little sore, he was mostly unharmed, thanks to the Blood-Guiding Orchid fruit.

Luo Feng didn't get up. Instead, he rolled over and lay on the ground, staring blankly at the persistent mist in the sky. He couldn't understand why he was being bullied. In Luo Family Village, such trouble was rare. Even his second uncle's shrewish wife wouldn't do something like this.

A yellowish head popped out from the edge of the cliff. It was the big monkey that had appeared after seeing Qing Ling'er and the others leave. It seemed it had been bullied quite a bit too.

The large monkey squeaked twice, offering Luo Feng a plump, fragrant peach, and then took one from its tail and began to gnaw on it.

Luo Feng smiled at the monkey, feeling that the people were less endearing than the monkey. The monkey grinned back at Luo Feng.

After eating the peach, Luo Feng took off his clothes and took a cold shower under the tap to wash away the blood. He then pointed to his badly tattered clothes at the monkey, which squeaked twice, jumped out, and returned a while later, furtively carrying a set of blue clothes. Judging from its appearance, it was likely stolen.

The next day, Master Qingyang came out of the inner room. With his keen eyesight, he could naturally see that Luo Feng had been bullied, but he sighed and patted Luo Feng's head.

"Disciple, that girl came to bully you while I was away, didn't she? After I teach you some magic, try to avoid her whenever you see her," said Master Qingyang.

"Master, why?" Luo Feng asked.

"That girl's father is the head of the Xuan Kong Sect. Although I am of a higher seniority than him, I still have to give him some face. And that girl doesn't usually commit any major offenses, just bullying her fellow disciples. She acts like she's going to die if you scold her even slightly. It's really a headache," Master Qingyang said helplessly.

Luo Feng seemed to understand, but he nodded. Luo Feng had thought about leaving this awful place, but when he thought of the tragedy that had befallen Luo Family Village, he gritted his teeth until they bled. Although he was young, he knew that opportunities were rare and hard to come by. If he left, he was afraid it would be difficult to find a powerful expert like Master Qingyang again.

After Qingyang Zhenren had healed most of his injuries, he was able to teach Luo Feng some Taoist arts and explain the introductory techniques. It generally took one to two years of practice to achieve minor mastery of true essence, and three to four years to be able to fly on a sword.

With the aid of the Blood-Guiding Orchid Fruit, Luo Feng's cultivation speed was naturally extraordinary. In just a few months, he had already achieved minor mastery of true essence. Although he couldn't yet control a flying sword, climbing this Middle Finger Mountain was more than enough for him. He truly moved with incredible speed; even the monkey couldn't match Luo Feng's agility.

Over the past few months, sect leaders and senior disciples have come to visit Master Qingyang. Although Luo Feng is young, his seniority is surprisingly high, allowing him to sit on equal footing with these high-ranking members of the Xuan Kong Sect. Luo Feng seems to have forgotten the unpleasantness, his face still beaming with a smile, making him quite endearing. With this charming smile alone, Luo Feng has acquired quite a few good things. However, in Master Qingyang's eyes, they are all low-grade goods, which seem unsuitable for Luo Feng's current cultivation level. His cultivation is simply too low; he has only just stepped into the lowest level of the True Unity Realm. However, reaching such a level within a few months is still rare.

Logically, with Luo Feng's current skills, he should be able to learn sword control techniques. Although there are countless cultivation sects in the world, most still practice flying swords. The most mysterious and advanced flying sword technique belongs to the Shu Mountain Sword Sect, but unfortunately, the Shu Mountain Sword Sect is always very secretive and rarely appears before the world.

Although some cultivation sects use other magical artifacts as means of transportation, they are a minority; flying swords are still the mainstream.

For reasons unknown, Master Qingyang never taught Luo Feng flying swordsmanship. Instead, he went out several times to find people skilled in fist and foot techniques, as well as those with low-level sword and saber skills among cultivators. Since joining the sect, Luo Feng's best friend has been that big monkey. Master Qingyang holds a very high position and seniority; his Qingyang Plain is practically a forbidden area, rarely visited by disciples. Even those high-ranking members who come once or twice, if they don't see Qingyang, they retreat. Luo Feng rarely interacts with the disciples, so his understanding of the Xuan Kong Sect is extremely limited. He learns whatever Qingyang teaches him, rarely speaking, and this is further enhanced by the strange power of the Blood Orchid Fruit. Luo Feng's progress was extremely rapid. Although with his current skills, he was already a top-tier martial arts master, even a powerful one, in the martial arts world, when Qing Yang was away, that brat Qing Ling'er would occasionally come and bully him with her followers. Although Luo Feng's skills were already quite formidable, he was still far inferior to these cultivators who had only achieved minor success in their cultivation. When those people came to bully him, Luo Feng would not fight back or make a sound. He would just cover his head and let them beat him. Luo Feng's submissive attitude made Qing Ling'er and the others lose interest, and they rarely came to bully him anymore. They probably found something new and interesting.

Time slips through one's fingers like water; six years have passed in the blink of an eye. The chubby little Luo Feng is now sixteen, nearly six feet tall, equivalent to about 1.7 meters in today's standards—a grown young man. These past few days, Master Qingyang has only taught him swordsmanship, giving him a mediocre flying sword. The rest of the time has been spent teaching him close-combat skills, some from martial arts sects, others he figured out himself. It seems Master Qingyang suffered a loss at the hands of the vampire and wants to make up for it with Luo Feng.

Close combat is generally looked down upon by cultivators, but once you're in close quarters, its power becomes apparent. Flying swords can't maneuver fast enough, and magical treasures can't be used. Although most cultivators have close-combat defensive treasures, if the strength is equal, and the cultivator lacks experience, they're simply at a disadvantage. After all, cultivators with Master Qingyang's level of cultivation are rare.

After teaching Luo Feng close-quarters combat and weaponry, Master Qingyang called him into the inner room. Entering for the first time, Luo Feng curiously looked around. The inner room was even smaller, only about two zhang in diameter. Besides a meditation cushion for practice, the rest of the room consisted of bare stone walls.

Master Qingyang sat on the cushion, glanced at Luo Feng standing there, and then took out another cushion from his Qiankun bag. This Qiankun bag, supposedly capable of holding everything but actually quite small, was a coveted item for Luo Feng, even though he didn't have much to store.

For the past few years, Master Qingyang and Luo Feng had lived together, so they weren't particularly concerned with the formalities between master and disciple, and were quite casual. Luo Feng almost considered Qingyang his father rather than his master.

"Luo Feng, are you dissatisfied that I haven't taught you any Daoist arts?" Master Qingyang asked casually.

"How could that be? Master has his reasons for not teaching me," Luo Feng said with a smile. Although he hadn't been in contact with the outside world for six years, Luo Feng still had a smile on his face. He ate mostly fruit and rarely ate meat. Although he wasn't as fat as before, his smile was still as gentle as a spring breeze, and his two dimples were still there, making him a very handsome young man.

"Back then, it was only after talking with that Soul-Sucking Demon that I realized that all along, we righteous sects have been too focused on relying on external forces and magical treasures. Although we have been constantly cultivating our bodies, we are still somewhat inferior to those evil sects. After some contemplation, I believe that the body is the essence, and magical treasures and formations are just tools," said Master Qingyang.

"Hmm, according to Master, doesn't that mean the evil sects' cultivation methods are the righteous path?" Luo Feng asked.

"No, no, although the heretical sects follow the righteous path, their cultivation methods are contrary to the natural order. They are crooked and heretical, insufficient for greatness. I have reread our sect's Profound Void True Explanation, and it is in no way inferior to those of the heretical sects. If one focuses on cultivation, prioritizing the body, perhaps unexpected results will be achieved. We have all neglected the essentials for the trivial. It's a pity that that brat Qingmu is so arrogant and self-righteous, unable to listen to my advice," Qingyang sneered. "

Master means..." Luo Feng asked.

"My meaning is that you should minimize your reliance on external forces. That is, avoid using those magical treasures and the like if possible. Magical treasures are good, but ultimately they are still external forces," Qingyang Zhenren said.

"Master, besides a plethora of martial arts skills, I haven't learned the Profound Void True Explanation you mentioned. I don't even have a Daoist title yet. Even if magical treasures were placed before me, I couldn't use them," Luo Feng said.

"This is for you." Master Qingyang said, taking out a sheepskin booklet, no bigger than a palm but two inches thick, from his Qiankun bag. How thick is two inches? A finger is about two inches thick. More importantly, the sheepskin had somehow been treated by Master Qingyang, making it thinner than paper, with nearly a thousand pages.

"The original Xuan Kong Zhen Jie is beyond your reach, even I can't see it. What's circulating now are all copies. This is a copy I made for you. The Xuan Kong Zhen Jie isn't long, only forty-six pages. The rest is what I recorded bit by bit from the very beginning of my cultivation," Master Qingyang said.

As soon as Master Qingyang spoke, Luo Feng immediately felt the sheepskin booklet in his hands weigh more than a thousand pounds, and his hands trembled slightly as he held it.

"Now listen carefully. I will explain the introductory Dao techniques and sword techniques I taught you earlier to help you get started. As for the Xuan Kong Zhen Jie, you'll have to figure it out yourself. How much you understand on your own is what matters," Master Qingyang said.

"Yes, Master," Luo Feng said. Although Master Qingyang told him to comprehend it on his own, he believed it was for his own good. No matter how detailed the teaching was, the profound mysteries that could only be understood intuitively could not be conveyed through words.

"Xuan Kong is the microcosm of the world and the universe, and also the sense of the great universe. Thus, Xuan is the mystery of heaven and earth and all things, and also the primordial chaos of heaven and earth. It can also be interpreted as the theory of oneness. This primordial is the beginning of all things, starting from the time before Yin and Yang were separated. It begins with one and ends in immeasurable. Emptiness is emptiness, which is nothingness and formlessness. Emptiness is nothingness, yet it encompasses all things. The world has a hundred forms, but in reality, it is formless. This emptiness is originally nothingness, yet it contains the endless emptiness from ancient times to the present, and all things of the past and present are also included in it..." Master Qingyang closed his eyes slightly and explained the introductory mental method as if talking to himself. Although it was the introductory method, Luo Feng listened as if he were listening to a heavenly book. When he heard Master Qingyang speak of the realm of knowing everything in heaven and earth, he was filled with longing.

A moment later, Master Qingyang finished explaining the beginner's manual, which was about a thousand words long. Seeing Luo Feng's blank expression, he didn't say much. If Luo Feng couldn't even comprehend this beginner's manual, he might as well send him down the mountain to become a martial arts master.

"Comprehend the beginner's manual in three days," Master Qingyang said calmly.

Luo Feng glanced at his master strangely. Master Qingyang had never made any strict demands on him before, so he must have a deeper meaning in saying this.

Luo Feng nodded, put the Xuan Kong Zhen Jie (a book on the profound emptiness) into his pocket, and went out. He sat cross-legged on the platform and carefully pondered the beginner's manual that Master Qingyang had just explained. Master Qingyang sat at the cave entrance, watching his disciple with great tension.

A day passed. At first, Luo Feng's long, steady breathing could still be seen, but later he became like a stone statue. The monkey that came to play with Luo Feng, having spent many years in the Xuan Kong Sect, knew a bit about this kind of cultivation. Seeing Luo Feng's state, it knew he had entered a state of complete absorption, so it didn't disturb him, quietly picking a large pile of fruit and placing it beside him before leaving.

Master Qingyang's face lit up with joy. His own aptitude was already considered excellent in the Xuan Kong Sect, but it had taken him two days to reach this state of complete absorption, while Luo Feng had only taken one day. The day when the student surpassed the teacher was just around the corner.

The oblivious Qing Ling'er, bored out of her mind, brought her four followers to cause trouble for Luo Feng again. Although they saw Luo Feng cultivating, they walked towards him nonchalantly, intending to kick him a few times to vent their frustration, just like before.

After taking only a few steps, Qing Ling'er and her four followers felt a chill. Turning their heads, they saw Qingyang Zhenren sitting at the cave entrance, his eyes gleaming coldly at them, looking like he was about to devour them. They shrank back in fear. With Qingyang protecting them, no one dared to approach easily. Even the

sect

leader, who had come once, was driven away by Qingyang's icy gaze.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. As the deadline approached, Qingyang Zhenren's heart pounded. Although countless people wanted to become disciples of such extraordinary individuals, choosing a truly good disciple was no easy task.

In another quarter of an hour, the three days would be up. At this moment, Luo Feng opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing within them, and a slight smile returned to his face.

Master Qingyang breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't made a mistake in choosing this disciple; he was truly a prodigy. He had grasped the introductory cultivation method in just three days. Although Master Qingyang said it would take three days, he was actually aiming for five. If he could comprehend it in five days, his aptitude would be exceptional.

Luo Feng circled his hand around his dantian, leaving trails of hazy blue light that formed a Tai Chi symbol.

"Good! Minor success in True Essence!" Master Qingyang exclaimed loudly. He hadn't expected Luo Feng to have such talent; achieving minor success in True Essence in just three days was something ordinary disciples would only achieve after two or three years of cultivation.

"I've absorbed most of the power of the Blood Orchid Fruit. If my True Essence doesn't reach minor success soon, that strange spider that was devoured by the Blood Orchid will be too weak," Luo Feng said with a smile. He then stood up, though still on the ground, looking as if he might fly away at any moment.

Master Qingyang nodded. Luo Feng was currently in a state of constant True Essence activation. If he could maintain this, his True Essence cultivation would be twice as effective.

"Looks like you're feeling good," Master Qingyang said, walking towards Luo Feng.

"Yeah, I feel full of power right now, like I could kill nine bulls with one punch," Luo Feng chuckled. At this moment, Master Qingyang was less than three steps away. Suddenly, Luo Feng threw

a punch at Master Qingyang. He moved his feet slightly, throwing the punch from three steps away, but by the time his fist was thrown, he was already in front of Master Qingyang.

Luo Feng was only at the Lesser Completion stage, having just stepped into the world of cultivation. He was currently only at the lowest level of True Essence cultivation. In Master Qingyang's eyes, the strength of his movements was no different from that of a toddler who had just learned to walk.

Master Qingyang, with his right hand behind his back and a slight flick of his left, caused Luo Feng's punch to strike the ground, creating a hole elbow-deep. Master Qingyang had just noticed a hidden power within Luo Feng's body, likely the power contained within the Blood Orchid fruit. Although Luo Feng had absorbed most of this power, he couldn't fully utilize it, as it wasn't something he had cultivated himself.

Luo Feng's punch missed, and he immediately launched another kick. His kicks were incredibly fast, unleashing eighty-one strikes in an instant, his legs becoming two blurry shadows.

*Thud*, Master Qingyang flashed behind Luo Feng. Luo Feng's vision blurred, and then he felt a light tap on his back, yet it felt like a thousand pounds had pressed down on him. Luo Feng landed on the ground in a split, fortunately, his legs were already stretched, though the impact to his groin caused him considerable pain.

"The Nine Profound Truths are divided into ten levels. Back then, even the Azure Profound True Immortal only reached the eighth level to attain True Immortal cultivation. Although he failed to ascend, he was still one of the top experts of his time. While I say you're not bad, you haven't even succeeded in cultivating the first level, yet you want to challenge my seventh level? How can you possibly succeed?" True Master Qingyang said

, both amused and exasperated. "Didn't you say that relying on one's own strength is far superior to what you do, relying on external forces? I just wanted to try," Luo Feng said, grinning as he stood up from the ground.

"I really don't understand. Are you too clever for your own good, or are you just plain stupid? The difference is huge! The gap between us, master and disciple, is so vast. Even if you train your body well, what's the use? You can't compare to me in speed or strength," True Master Qingyang said, amused.

Luo Feng remained silent, scratching his head and chuckling foolishly.

"Go cultivate. A trial tournament will be held next year. Disciples who reach the third level of cultivation, which is the True Profound level, will be allowed to go out for the trial," Master Qingyang said with a smile.

"Next year? Disciples are required to reach the third level within a year?" Luo Feng was dumbfounded. The Profound Void True Understanding only has eight levels. If he can reach the third level within a year, wouldn't he have the power of his master, Ancestor Qingxuan, in less than three years? And wouldn't he be able to break through the void and ascend to that mysterious immortal realm? This cultivation is too easy!

Qingyang, of course, could see through Luo Feng's thoughts. He stepped forward and tapped Luo Feng on the head, causing Luo Feng to cry out in pain. "You brat, how could you think so fast? The Xuan Kong Zhen Jie is full of profound mysteries, and its founder, the True Immortal Qing Xuan, was a genius. Back then, the righteous path declined while the evil sects rose, and the righteous were suffocated by the evil sects. Countless sects were uprooted. Ultimately, it's because our righteous path of cultivation emphasizes gradual progress. Those with slightly inferior aptitude might spend their entire lives without even glimpsing the slightest path. Back then, the ancestor Qing Xuan created the Xuan Kong Zhen Jie with his wisdom, allowing for extremely rapid progress." Even a disciple of average talent can reach the third level in three to five years. While their strength won't be high, it will be passable. However, it will be difficult to advance further. Back then, our Xuan Kong Sect put in a tremendous effort, reaching a peak of five thousand disciples. We suppressed the demonic forces with sheer numbers. In the last thousand years, the Dao has flourished and the demonic forces have diminished. Our Xuan Kong Sect has become much stricter in accepting disciples, resulting in fewer disciples. An average disciple can reach the third level in three to five years. If you can't reach it in a year, you might as well just kill yourself.” Master Qingyang said.

“In that case, there's no problem,” Luo Feng said, finally relieved.

This Xuan Kong Zhen Jie is truly a remarkable book. Although Luo Feng didn't receive even a single sentence of guidance from Qing Yang Zhenren, and Qing Yang Zhenren couldn't possibly offer any guidance, Luo Feng relied on his own comprehension to gradually explore the Xuan Kong Zhen Jie. While every disciple progressed through cultivation layer by layer, Luo Feng's method was different. To put it bluntly, he became Qing Yang Zhenren's guinea pig. Luo Feng didn't consume any Foundation Establishment Elixirs; he relied entirely on his own comprehension to gradually comprehend it. Although Luo Feng possessed exceptional talent, this was incredibly difficult for a disciple who only knew the basic Dao techniques. Along the way, the extremely bored Qing Ling'er would occasionally come to cause trouble. Nevertheless, Luo Feng still managed to cultivate the Xuan Kong Zhen Jie to the third level within a year, becoming extremely agile in sword flight. Qing Yang Zhenren also began teaching flying sword techniques, but Luo Feng paid more attention to cultivating his physical body. Now, the fist energy Luo Feng unleashed could almost solidify, and apart from its range, it was far superior to flying sword techniques in every other aspect.

With Luo Feng's current skills, Qing Ling'er's four followers were no match for him. However, when they came to bully him, Luo Feng still obediently covered his head and waited to be beaten. Even when his face was covered in blood, he would still wear a smile and not utter a sound. If Luo Feng had been the kind of person who accepted whatever came his way before, then after cultivating the Xuan Kong True Explanation, Luo Feng understood that the difference in strength was fatal. If he did not fight back, out of consideration for his fellow disciples, they would only punch and kick him a few times and then leave when they got bored. It wouldn't be fatal, and such petty fighting was nothing to him. If he fought back, then he would probably never have a peaceful day again.

Every time Master Qingyang returned from his outings, he would see Luo Feng's miserable state and sigh helplessly. That girl had been spoiled rotten and was now beyond anyone's control. She was almost twenty years old, but showed no signs of composure. Although she had cultivated the Xuan Kong True Understanding to the fifth level, reaching the Qing Mu level, it was all thanks to her father's embezzlement, using spiritual medicine and her own true essence to force her to reach that level. That was how her life would be; she would never amount to anything, and after living to be a hundred or two hundred years old, she would inevitably die of old age.

"Luo Feng," Master Qingyang said, "you should prepare yourself. The trial martial arts tournament is in thirty days. You are of a higher seniority and could have avoided that boring competition, but it would be better if you went up and exchanged blows with those disciples."

"Okay, sure," Luo Feng replied, then asked, "Master, I see that all the disciples here have some kind of Daoist name. For example, you're called Qingyang Zhenren, and that girl who's always causing trouble is called Qingling'er. Why don't I have one?"

"Daoist names in the Xuan Kong Sect can't be given randomly. Only when you cultivate Xuan Kong Zhen Jie to the fifth level and reach the True Wood cultivation level can your elders give you a Daoist name. Don't worry, judging from your appearance, you'll probably reach the True Wood level in less than ten years. Then I'll give you a Daoist name," Qingyang Zhenren said with a smile.

"I knew it. That's why Qingling'er never calls her followers by their Daoist names, but instead calls them Little Third and Little Fourth," Luo Feng muttered to himself.

For the remaining thirty days, Luo Feng did not cultivate the fourth level of the Profound Void True Explanation. He continued to cultivate the third level. Luo Feng had been doing this for the past year: after comprehending a level of Dao technique, he was never in a hurry, but rather he would thoroughly understand that level until his true essence circulated smoothly and without any hindrance before moving on to the next level. In addition, Luo Feng always comprehended on his own, so his understanding was much stronger than that of disciples who comprehended through their masters' lectures. Although both were at the third level of True Profound cultivation, Luo Feng was definitely several times stronger than disciples of the same level.

The trial martial arts tournament was approaching, and it would begin in three days. Luo Feng could see many disciples carrying things and flying towards the highest level, but they never dared to pass through Qingyang Plain. Only the spoiled Qing Ling'er dared to show off, and only when Qingyang was not around.

Luo Feng didn't know what was wrong with him. The competition was only three days away, but he wasn't nervous at all. He maintained a calm mindset, eating when he was supposed to and cultivating when he was supposed to, as if the competition had nothing to do with him.

A squeaking sound startled Luo Feng from his reverie. Generally, disciples with low cultivation levels should not be disturbed while cultivating, otherwise, at best, all their previous efforts would be wasted, and at worst, their internal organs would be injured, and they would never make any progress again. However, Luo Feng's foundation was so solid that even Master Qingyang was astonished, so he was not afraid of such disturbances.

Luo Feng opened his eyes and saw the big monkey jumping and hopping in front of him, gesturing with its paws as if it had something urgent. Seeing Luo Feng open his eyes, it grabbed him and left without saying a word.

"Xuan Nu, what's wrong with you?" Luo Feng asked curiously, but Xuan Nu couldn't speak, only gesturing rapidly. Luo Feng couldn't understand what was happening, but he knew Xuan Nu wanted to take him somewhere.

Luo Feng gestured for Xuan Nu to lead the way. He figured he wouldn't make much progress in three days anyway; he'd already reached his goal of the third level. He might as well relax for the remaining days. Rushing to the fourth level at this point would be unwise. Not being greedy and reckless was Luo Feng's style.

Xuan Nu's claws gripped the mountain wall, and it nimbly climbed down. Luo Feng leaped after it, using the protruding rocks and vines for support. His agility was even greater than Xuan Nu's.

Although Zhongzhi Mountain resembles a middle finger from above, it is extremely thick. Up close, its true shape is completely obscured; it is much thicker than ordinary mountains. The Xuan Kong Sect currently only has a little over three hundred disciples, occupying such a large mountain, making it sparsely populated with abandoned training grounds scattered throughout.

Xuan Nu led Luo Feng around half the mountain, descending nearly a hundred feet before stopping behind a protruding rock. He cautiously peeked forward, and Luo Feng, curious, also stuck his head out, but saw nothing but piles of grass, vines, and strange rocks. However, Luo Feng could sense an aura ahead that threatened his very existence, making him extremely uncomfortable.

Luo Feng's eyes were like torches as he carefully examined the mountain wall ahead, but apart from the increasingly intense dangerous aura, he could see nothing. After a while, a sharp rock protruding from the wall caught Luo Feng's attention; the rock seemed to have moved slightly.

Zhongzhi Mountain is a thousand feet high, so high that even birds cannot reach it. However, the spiritual energy on Zhongzhi Mountain is extremely rich, with many spiritual flowers and rare herbs. Similarly, there are also many strange insects. Sure enough, a giant centipede, a foot long, crawled over. Luo Feng has always kept his distance from such strange insects, as he was terrified by the monsters and insects of Dagu Mountain.

The centipede was completely black, clearly a highly venomous creature. Every year, there are reports of disciples being injured by venomous insects. Fortunately, the sect has a supply of spiritual medicine, and most disciples can be cured. However, every year there are always one or two unlucky disciples who die. But venomous insects like this black centipede are rare now. After all, no matter how many venomous insects there are, they cannot withstand the disciples' carpet-like hunting, either for medicinal use or refined into defensive magical artifacts.

This jet-black centipede was no ordinary creature. An ordinary disciple would immediately signal for a higher-ranking member of the sect to subdue it. A disciple of Luo Feng's level wouldn't even bother. Against such an insect, a flying sword or magical artifact of insufficient quality was useless; rashly attacking would only result in being contaminated by the venomous insect and losing its sentience.

The jet-black centipede, perhaps frustrated, crawled out from the crack in the wall. After a few steps, it probably sensed the danger and withdrew halfway. But then, the sharp rock Luo Feng had seen earlier moved. Its shadow flashed, and it retreated again. The centipede was gone; now it was hanging on the sharp rock, half its body submerged within it.

In a flash, Luo Feng seemed to see a row of small white shadows. Then the jet-black centipede vanished. A moment later, the sharp stone opened, revealing a row of thin, sharp teeth, only the size of a fingernail, yet gleaming with a chilling light. On each of the two rows of teeth grew a pair of long, shiny black fangs, about the size of a little finger. With a soft hiccup, a wisp of faint black smoke escaped.

"Could this stone have become a spirit?" Luo Feng glanced at Xuan Nu, who was also staring wide-eyed.

With a few soft popping sounds, the sharp stone shook and actually emerged from the stone wall. Only then did Luo Feng realize that it wasn't a stone that had come to life; it was clearly a monster. The beast was three feet long and as thick as a thigh, covered in fine scales that were similar in color to the stone. It looked like a short, thick snake. The serpentine monster had four legs, and its finger-length claws were incredibly sharp. The hard stone wall of the middle finger mountain was like tofu under its claws, which could easily grip the stone wall. Most strangely, the serpentine monster also had a pair of fleshy wings as thin as cicada wings, which were six or seven feet wide when spread out, completely disproportionate to its body.

"Heavens! What kind of monster is that?" Luo Feng exclaimed inwardly. Although he hadn't set foot on Zhongzhi Mountain in recent years, and even when he did come out for some fresh air, it was always with Xuan Nu leading the way, his knowledge was still considerable. Master Qingyang had vividly recounted his experiences over the years, and while Luo Feng hadn't seen it firsthand, he was theoretically an expert. Yet, he had never heard Master Qingyang mention such a monster.

The monster turned its head around, its fine scales rustling softly, creating a surprisingly pleasant sound.

Whether thirsty or hungry, the monster looked around several times, but didn't notice Xuan Nu and Luo Feng. Against the wind, even with the keenest sense of smell, it was impossible to spot Xuan Nu and Luo Feng, who were hiding well downwind.

The monster spread its fleshy wings and suddenly flew into the distance at incredible speed, resembling a high-flying eagle from afar.

Seeing the monster disappear into the distance, Luo Feng fell silent. He remembered that in Da Gu Mountain, though he hadn't seen it himself, his master had told him about those monsters guarding the place in search of fruit. He had never heard of this monster before, so it probably wasn't native to Zhongzhi Mountain. It must have found some spiritual herbs or fruits here. Luo Feng peeked out and cautiously looked around. Of these kinds of monsters, several out of ten were not easy to deal with. Although Luo Feng considered himself exceptionally strong, he was afraid that if he encountered that monster, he would only be slaughtered.

After confirming that there was no trace of the monster, Luo Feng used the vines and grasses clinging to the rock wall to move forward. The place where the monster had been was a straight cave, about three feet deep. It didn't seem to be naturally formed. Luo Feng and Xuan Nu searched around for more than ten minutes but couldn't find any strange fruits or herbs. There were only a few small purple flowers with trembling buds inside. Although he didn't know their names, they weren't anything special.

Luo Feng didn't linger any longer. He and Xuan Nu had just returned to their original positions when a small black dot appeared in the distance. Then he saw the monster rushing towards them. As it approached, the monster folded its wings, then twisted its body in the air, turning its tail forward and head backward. With a soft "poof," the monster burrowed into the stone wall as if it were tofu, leaving only its triangular, stone-like head exposed. Its mouth was still holding a black snake as thick as a child's arm and more than four feet long. Before Luo Feng could even see what the snake looked like, the monster moved its mouth a few times and swallowed the snake whole.

Luo Feng dared not linger and cautiously retreated with Xuan Nu. Back at Qingyangping, he realized his clothes were soaked with sweat, and Xuan Nu was even worse off, her legs weak and barely able to stand. The monster, though not large, exerted considerable pressure. He wanted to tell his master, but found he had left a note and gone out, presumably searching for something. Over the years, Qingyang Zhenren had traveled extensively, always returning with strange and unusual items. Luo Feng wasn't particularly curious, and after asking a few times without getting an answer, he gave up. Luo Feng had

just taken a few sips of water when he heard Xuan Nu cry out. Hearing her voice, Luo Feng almost wailed. "That woman, why is she here again?"

Xuan Nu, unable to run, burrowed into her cave. Not wanting to cause trouble for the poor monkey, Luo Feng sat cross-legged on Qingyangping.

Sure enough, Qing Ling'er arrived on Qingyangping again, carried by four followers on a bamboo chair and flying on swords.

"Boy, I heard you're also participating in the trial martial arts competition?" Qing Ling'er asked disdainfully in her chicken-killing voice. Although Luo Feng was a generation older than Qing Ling'er, given her personality, she would never call this wild boy "Shishu" (a term of respect for a martial arts master) even if she were beaten to death. Luo Feng, on the other hand, never even dared to dream of doing so.

"Yes, Master said I should participate," Luo Feng said with a smile. He was already a handsome young man, and his smile made him even more charming.

Qing Ling'er was taken aback, thinking, "How come I never noticed how good-looking this wild boy is before?" She couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.

"You'd better not participate, lest you get beaten to a pulp, or even lose your life," Qing Ling'er said. After saying this, even Qing Ling'er herself found it unbelievable. When did she start caring about people? Although her tone wasn't kind, it was still a word of concern. Even towards her own father, Qing Ling'er had never uttered a single word of concern.

The four lackeys were even more incredulous. Qing Ling'er had been spoiled since childhood, beating and scolding the disciples of the Xuan Kong Sect at will. If it weren't for the fact that Qing Ling'er's father was the sect leader and often gave them good things, they wouldn't willingly act as her dogs, letting her boss them around.

"This... Master wants me to participate, so I'll participate," Luo Feng said.

"You..." Qing Ling'er said angrily, never expecting that her first act of concern for someone would be so ungrateful. In Qing Ling'er's eyes, her concern was a great reward for Luo Feng, but she never expected him to be so ungrateful.

"What an ungrateful dog! Little Third, Little Fourth, beat him! Beat him to death!" Qing Ling'er roared in her shrill voice, unleashing the most furious outburst she had in nineteen years. Her anger startled Little Third and Little Fourth, but they reacted quickly, raising their fists and viciously lunging at Luo Feng.

Episode 1, Chapter 7, Trial Tournament

Over the years, Luo Feng had become accustomed to being beaten by them. When the two lackeys pounced on him, he covered his head with his hands and squatted down against the mountain wall. Although these two lackeys had the cultivation level of the fourth level of True Azure, Luo Feng believed he could still withstand their punches. After all, he had initially cultivated his physical body, and in terms of resistance to blows, he was far superior to these disciples who focused on flying swords and magical treasures. Their bodies were much more fragile than Luo Feng's. Ever since Luo Feng began cultivating the Profound Void True Understanding, he had worried that they might break his hand bones when they beat him.

Normally, if Luo Feng just covered his head and wouldn't make a sound no matter how much they hit him, they would get annoyed after a few punches and kicks, and at most curse a few times before leaving. But today, for some reason, Qing Ling'er was furious at Luo Feng's cowardly appearance. She didn't care about her status, pushed aside Xiao Sanzi and Xiao Sizi, and kicked Luo Feng several times. He had cultivated to the fifth level of the Azure Wood realm, which was considered a high level. Even if the kicks were made with spiritual herbs and their effectiveness was reduced, they were still more than Luo Feng could withstand. After a few kicks, whether it was because his internal organs were shaken or because he was overwhelmed by the smell of Qing Ling'er's feet, he vomited blood and collapsed.

Qing Ling'er kicked him a few more times to vent her anger. She angrily ignored her four lackeys, refused to sit down, and flew away on her sword. Her four subordinates exchanged glances, all sensing something was wrong with their young lady today, but unable to pinpoint what was happening. They could only hurry after their master on their swords.

Luo Feng didn't know how long he had been unconscious before Xuan Nu shook him awake. Opening his eyes, he saw it was already late; he had been unconscious for about two hours.

Luo Feng felt a burning pain inside his body, and a power not his own was surging within him. This was the power of the Blood Orchid Fruit, which had been hidden in his dantian, being unleashed. If left unchecked, it would likely disrupt his meridians.

Fortunately, Luo Feng focused on cultivating his original essence, making his meridians much stronger than those of ordinary disciples. If someone else had been kicked like that by a master of Qing Ling'er's caliber, they would probably be bedridden for ten days to half a month.

Luo Feng smiled at Xuan Nu to show he was alright. Seeing Luo Feng was unharmed, Xuan Nu cheered and then leaped down from Qingyang Plain to find delicious fruit for him.

Luo Feng sat cross-legged, guiding his solid, liquid-like true essence—completely different from his cultivation level—to gather the strange power. After finally gathering the rampaging power, he began circulating it according to the third level of the Xuan Kong True Explanation. His own true essence was stronger than the strange power, and he slowly fused it in. He opened his eyes, let out a long breath, expelled the remaining blood clots, and felt a lightness in his body. Xuan Nu, holding a few red, unidentified fruits, sat not far from Luo Feng, its head drooping as it dozed off.

Waking Xuan Nu, the two shared some fruit. Then, Qingyang Zhenren returned. Seeing Luo Feng's state, he knew he had been bullied again. Luo Feng remained silent, and Qingyang Zhenren sighed without speaking.

After Master Qingyang finished organizing the treasures he had found on his trip, Luo Feng told him about the monster he and Xuan Nu had discovered in the mountains.

"What? Luo Feng, are you sure?" Master Qingyang's expression changed after hearing Luo Feng's description of the monster.

"Yes, it's the kind with a snake-like body, as thick as my thigh, over three feet long, with claws and wings, and four long black teeth. Hmm, it eats poisonous insects. I saw it eat a black centipede over a foot long, and then find a black poisonous snake elsewhere," Luo Feng confirmed again.

"You absolutely mustn't go near that thing," Master Qingyang said solemnly.

"Master, what kind of monster is it? Why have I never heard you mention it before?" Luo Feng asked.

"That monster is called Fang. It's very powerful. It was supposed to be extinct, but unexpectedly, one appeared in Zhongzhi Mountain," Master Qingyang said.

"Fang? That's a strange name," Luo Feng laughed.

"The Fang is a highly venomous monster, its entire body hardened, impervious to flying swords. It only eats poisonous insects and plants, and those four black fangs are especially deadly, their venom incredibly potent and chilling. Even the most skilled cultivators would face certain death if they encountered it; the venom would freeze their blood vessels within moments. This monster had extremely difficult reproductive history and became extinct a thousand years ago," said Master Qingyang.

"Is there no cure for that poison?" Luo Feng asked.

"It's practically incurable. Legend has it that there's only a fire dragon on an unnamed island in the East Sea, whose inner core can cure the poison. However, that fire dragon is just a legend; it may not actually exist," Master Qingyang said.

"I never imagined that monster could be so poisonous," Luo Feng exclaimed, his tongue lolling out in shock at Qingyang's description.

"That's right! This venomous creature must be guarding some incredibly poisonous herb. We're just missing two more poisonous ingredients for our medicine. Why not capture it, then pick the herb? Wouldn't that save us a long journey?" Master Qingyang clapped his hands excitedly and muttered to himself.

“Master, I think we shouldn’t be greedy. That thing is too terrifying. If we get even a scratch from its teeth, we could lose our lives,” Luo Feng said worriedly.

“While I wouldn’t dare say I’m the top expert in the world, there are only a handful who can surpass me. If I can’t even handle an ancient beast, wouldn’t people laugh their heads off?” Qingyang Zhenren said.

Luo Feng didn’t try to persuade him any further. His master was good in every way, except for his stubbornness. Once he made up his mind, nothing could change it. Luo Feng could only repeatedly remind him to be careful, which made Qingyang Zhenren both amused and exasperated, as if Luo Feng were Qingyang Zhenren’s master.

“I’ll take you to the martial arts arena. You can observe and practice there yourself so I can catch that ancient beast,” Qingyang Zhenren said.

“Alright,” Luo Feng said helplessly, having no choice but to repeatedly remind Qingyang Zhenren to be careful. Qingyang Zhenren smiled helplessly and nodded in agreement.

Master Qingyang, carrying Luo Feng, ascended on his sword, climbing several dozen feet to reach the summit of Zhongzhi Mountain. The summit, artificially leveled, covered an area of about a hundred acres, and although hundreds of people were already standing on it, it

wasn't crowded at all. Upon seeing Master Qingyang emerge, the disciples all bowed in greeting. However, most of the younger disciples focused their attention on Luo Feng. They had all heard that this senior master had taken on a new disciple, but few had actually seen him.

With so many people watching him, Luo Feng felt somewhat nervous, but he maintained a smile and occasionally nodded to the disciples who looked at him.

"Hmph." A cold snort came from afar. Looking over, he saw Qing Ling'er glaring fiercely at him. Luo Feng couldn't understand how he had offended this young lady; she used to never even bother to look at him.

"Uncle-Master." The sect leader, Master Qingmu, along with the five deacons, came forward and bowed. Although Master Qingyang didn't place much importance on such formalities, etiquette was essential in this setting.

"Alright, I don't have time for formalities. Your junior brother needs to participate in this trial competition to gain experience. I'm leaving him in your care. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now." Qingyang Zhenren didn't wait for the sect leaders and deacons to speak before turning and flying away, leaving everyone bewildered.

Luo Feng's heart pounded. He knew where his master had gone. That monster called Fang probably wouldn't be captured so easily. Being on par with the fire dragon, it sounded like an extremely high-level monster.

"Junior brother, please," Qingmu Zhenren said.

"Huh? Where?" Luo Feng asked anxiously. There were several hundred people on the platform at the summit. Cultivation was a rather boring life, and this triennial trial competition was the most lively event. Except for the disciples in seclusion, almost everyone was present, numbering approximately five hundred.

"Junior Brother's seniority is equal to ours, so it's inappropriate for him to mingle with the disciples. Please come with me to the front to watch," said Qingmu Qingren.

"Is that it?" Luo Feng pointed to the platform in front, which was two or three zhang higher than the ground, with more than a dozen grand master chairs arranged side by side on it.

"Yes, that's it," said Qingmu Zhenren.

"This... forget it, I'll just stay here. Just call me when you want me to go on stage," Luo Feng said. He'd rather be killed than sit with these old men and women.

Qingmu Zhenren didn't insist. Although they cultivators emphasized being free from desires and seeing through the world, how many could truly see through it? Those in high positions still valued status and position. If this young upstart were to sit on equal footing with them, wouldn't they lose face?

Master Qingmu returned to his seat with the five deacons. After a brief discussion, they realized that Luo Feng was their master's disciple. If he were to participate from the beginning, wouldn't that be disrespectful to their master? It seemed best to wait until the very end and have a symbolic exchange with the winner, the most outstanding disciple.

Having finished their discussion, they gave a command, and the triennial martial arts tournament officially began.

In name, anyone who has cultivated the Profound Void True Understanding to the third level, that is, reached the True Profound level, can participate. The top twenty will go out for training. As the saying goes, where there are people, there is martial arts, and where there is martial arts, there is injustice. Although this saying only describes ordinary martial arts practitioners, it may not be inappropriate to apply it to this special group. Because all those who are qualified to participate in this training conference are direct disciples of the sect leader and the five deacons. Each of them can internally select one person. That is to say, apart from the sect leader and the five deacons who have internally selected, there are only fourteen spots to compete for. The disciples have been cooped up on the mountain for at least several years, some even for more than ten years. How could they not be bored? So they are even more determined to fight for a spot and go out into the colorful world to get some fresh air.

First to appear was a disciple of Master Qingliu, one of the five great deacons. Master Qingliu was the only woman among the five deacons. Although she was over a hundred years old, her love of beauty was no less than that of ordinary people. She maintained herself like a woman in her thirties or forties, possessing a unique charm. She was also the wife of the Qingmu Sect Leader, but their relationship seemed to be strained, almost to the point of being enemies. They opposed each other in everything, even when teaching disciples.

Next to appear was a fourth-generation disciple of Master Qingliu, a girl of fifteen or sixteen. Although she was still young and it was hard to tell what she was made of, she was exquisitely beautiful. Luo Feng was so dazzled by the girl who entered gracefully like a fairy that he was momentarily stunned. From afar, Qing Ling'er, who had been watching Luo Feng, snorted coldly and muttered "vixen" under her breath.

Master Qingmu raised his head, and a disciple in a green robe flew up. "Wei Beihui, a disciple under Master Qingmu, requests guidance from Junior Sister." Wei Beihui looked to be about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a shrewd and intelligent face. He was clearly a clever child, and indeed, Wei Beihui had good aptitude, which earned him Master Qingmu's favor.

"Liu Ru, a disciple under Master Qingliu, please show mercy, Senior Brother." The girl smiled sweetly, her water-lotus-colored clothes fluttering in the wind, giving her an ethereal air.

Teenagers are at the age of first love, and even the strictest discipline from their sect is useless. Wei Beihui was so overwhelmed by Liu Ru's smile that he felt dizzy and quickly clasped his hands in greeting. "I have long heard that Junior Sister's aptitude is excellent in our Xuan Kong Sect, so I beg Junior Sister to show mercy."

"Hmph, what a little vixen." The voice, as sharp as a chicken being killed, was immediately recognized as Qing Ling'er's. Liu Ru's face flushed, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. Clearly, she knew who Qing Ling'er was and had probably been bullied by her before.

"If you want to talk about love, find a secluded place and do it slowly. Don't hogging the spot and disturb the other disciples' competition," Qing Ling'er said angrily.

The elders of the sect were all present; normally, they wouldn't allow Qing Ling'er, a disciple, to speak up. However, Qing Ling'er had always enjoyed princess-like treatment in the Xuan Kong Sect. Even the five great deacons would often reprimand her, let alone a disciple under her mother's tutelage.

"Ling'er, don't talk nonsense here," Qing Mu Zhenren said, his face showing sternness, but in reality, it was a plea.

"Hmph, that's right! Look at that little vixen, she's clearly seducing Wei Bei Hui!" Qing Ling'er shouted indignantly. But Qing Ling'er's words were extremely vicious. Even in ancient times, cultivation sects took relationships between men and women very seriously. To be accused of seduction out of thin air was a serious crime. "

Master, this disciple has never seduced anyone," Liu Ru said, her face pale, kneeling on the ground and kowtowing to Qing Liu Zhenren.

Master Qingliu glanced at Liu Ru kneeling on the ground, his face turning ashen. Everyone knew the truth; they had merely exchanged polite words according to custom, and the fault lay not with her.

"Ling'er, you have two choices: one, stay there and watch the fight quietly; two, go back to Qingmuping or Qingliupo," Master Qingliu said coldly to Qing Ling'er. Qing Ling'er

was stunned after hearing that. Although her parents usually doted on her, she had gone too far today and feared she would be punished. Qingliu's

cold words made Qing Ling'er turn her gaze to Master Qingmu. Qingmu coughed but remained silent. Tears welled in Qing Ling'er's eyes. She was about to turn and leave, but seeing that the handsome young man Luo Feng hadn't even glanced at her, only staring at the vixen on the stage, she couldn't swallow her anger. She shook her head, wiping away her tears, and for the first time in her life, she held back her anger.

Luo Feng suddenly felt a pang of sadness. The way Liu Ru looked so wronged resonated with him, and he even had an urge to hug her. A feeling of heartache lingered in his heart.

"It's alright now, you two can begin," said Master Qingmu. He was also quite troubled. He never expected his spoiled daughter to stay. It seemed there would be another commotion after the conference. Master Qingmu's reputation was widespread. Fifty years ago, three powerful demons wreaked havoc in Taihang Mountain. The monks of Lingbo Temple sent over a dozen experts, only to have them all killed, leaving only three. Wuyou Valley also sent disciples, but they were similarly decimated. Of the three major cultivation sects, only the Xuankong Sect remained. At that time, Master Qingmu, in a fit of rage… He charged into the Taihang Mountains with his sword, fighting the three demons for seven days and seven nights, finally slaying them. At that time, Master Qingmu was only at the True Spirit level. From then on, Master Qingmu's fame spread far and wide. Just after reaching the True Person level, his master entrusted him with the position of sect leader and went on a long journey. However, despite Master Qingmu's imposing presence outside, he had no way to deal with his daughter and could only spoil and indulge her. Fortunately, his daughter didn't cause any major trouble, so he could turn a blind eye and let things slide.

Liu Ru and Wei Beihui each received their orders and took their stances. In this kind of martial arts tournament, no magical weapons could be used except for flying swords. According to the sect leaders and stewards, if one's true essence was sufficient and one was proficient in flying swordsmanship, these two basic skills would be enough to easily use other magical weapons, because true essence and flying swords were the foundation of all techniques.

Liu Ru and Wei Bei were both so disoriented by Qing Ling'er's words that they lost their usual composure. Their flying swords, though beautifully executed, lacked real power, causing the five deacons to shake their heads in disbelief.

Liu Ru was on the verge of tears. She had lived on Green Willow Slope since she was seven, rarely venturing outside. To be called a seductive vixen so soon after leaving the mountain was an unbearable humiliation for her.

Wei Beihui was equally distraught. Although he had indulged in a fleeting fantasy upon seeing Liu Ru, Qing Ling'er's words had made him genuinely worried. What if his master sought revenge later? His grandmaster, Master Qingmu, was extremely strict; he feared he would be expelled from the sect this time.

Caught off guard, Liu Ru was struck by Wei Beihui's flying sword. Completely unprepared, Wei Beihui hadn't expected Liu Ru to neither dodge nor flinch. Just as the sword was about to pierce her body, Liu Ru realized what was happening. In that critical moment, her upper body seemed to snap, jerking backward. The flying sword hissed as it tore through her outer garment, thankfully without injuring her.

Wei Beihui was terrified, his face drained of color. Such competitive martial arts tournaments had seen casualties before, but whoever made a mistake always faced the most severe punishment. He'd heard that a senior disciple who had accidentally killed a fellow disciple thirty years ago was still imprisoned in the Repentance Cave.

Liu Ru, covering her clothes, turned and ran downstairs. Her clothes were torn; how could she fight like this? After discussing it and exchanging opinions with the sect leader, the five deacons decided not to disqualify Liu Ru for the time being, considering it a draw, and to continue to the next match.

Watching Liu Ru disappear on her flying sword, Luo Feng withdrew his gaze, feeling somewhat disappointed. Luo Feng hadn't seen many women in his life. Qing Ling'er, who looked like Pigsy's second aunt, couldn't be counted. Even if Qing Ling'er were as beautiful as a celestial being, Luo Feng probably couldn't accept her temper. But Liu Ru, just by standing there, gave Luo Feng a strange feeling, as if Liu Ru wasn't a mortal, but a little fairy who had mistakenly entered the mortal world because of her playfulness.

Qing Ling'er, seeing Luo Feng's changing expression, gritted her yellow teeth, her only decent feature, her eyes almost turning red, but she endured it without retaliating.

Before long, Qing Ling'er found a disciple who was about to enter the arena. This disciple was from Qing Song Zhenren, who ranked third among the five great deacons. Qing Ling'er and her followers pulled the disciple to a corner, and the disciple immediately turned pale with fright. This little tyrant's reputation among the disciples was more terrifying than that of a prehistoric beast.

"Master...Master Aunt, have I done anything wrong?" The third-generation disciple asked, his teeth chattering.

"You haven't done anything wrong. Today, Master Aunt needs your help, okay?" Qing Ling'er said in a low voice. However, if she hadn't lowered her voice, it would have sounded more like a hen with half its throat cut. But by lowering her voice, it sounded exactly like a dying hen. Just that voice alone would be enough to give any timid person nightmares at night.

"It would be an honor for me to serve Master Aunt. As long as I can do it, I will go through fire and water without hesitation." The disciple just wanted to get away from this devil as soon as possible and swore an oath.

"Your opponent in a moment will be Master Qinggen's disciple, that guy named Wanbao. He's mediocre and can't beat you at all. After you defeat Wanbao, challenge old man Qingyang's disciple Luofeng and defeat him with all your might," Qing Ling'er said fiercely.

"Master...Master, it's not that I don't want to help you, it's just that the order of appearance was decided by our grandmasters, and I dare not break it," the disciple said in a panic.

"What are you afraid of? Just ask them. If you say something nice, even if Luofeng doesn't care about his own reputation, he should at least do something for old man Qingyang's sake," Qing Ling'er said.

"But...but Luofeng's seniority is too high," the disciple said.

"Don't flatter me, just say whatever you want, you'll get your share of the benefits." Qing Ling'er said, stuffing a pill into the disciple's hand. Although it was just a spiritual medicine to strengthen the foundation and cultivate the vital energy, it made the disciple overjoyed. A disciple like him, whose aptitude wasn't outstanding and who couldn't be groomed as a successor, had never received any spiritual medicine before. What was trash in Qing Ling'er's eyes became a treasure in the disciple's hands.

"As long as you handle this matter well, there will be more benefits later," Qing Ling'er said.

"Don't worry, Uncle-Master, I will do my best to handle this matter well for you." The disciple said cheerfully, forgetting everything else upon hearing the benefits. His mind wandered to the image of becoming the sect's top expert, with his master training him like a successor. Then, his mind cleared, "This disciple is Qi Lu, a disciple of Master Qing Huan, under the tutelage of True Person Qing Gen. Uncle-Master, please don't forget me."

"Riding a donkey? Forget it, I don't care if you ride a donkey or a horse. As long as you get this done, don't worry, Uncle-Master has plenty of good stuff." Qing Ling'er said, patting the Qiankun bag at her waist.

Qi Lu swallowed hard, looking at the Qiankun bag, which was almost a treasure, and nodded hurriedly. At this moment, Wan Bao had already flown onto the stage on his sword, introducing himself to the sect leader and the five deacons.

"Alright, go quickly." Qing Ling'er said.

"Yes, yes, yes." Qi Lu nodded and bowed, stepping onto his flying sword and flying towards the stage.

"Hmph, Luo Feng, even if I don't lift a finger, I'll still make you lose face. What's so great about that little vixen that you stare at her without blinking?" Qing Ling'er muttered to herself in a voice only she could hear.

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