Translator: AnubisTL
"Senior Brother Xu, I can't take it anymore," Junior Brother Wang said in a low voice, his face contorted with barely suppressed rage.
Xu Xia remained silent. Having walked the immortal path for so long, witnessing such human suffering once again stirred the immortal heart within him, which had long been untouched by worldly concerns.
Seeing Xu Xia's silence, Junior Brother Wang finally abandoned all restraint. He clenched his left hand, and a faint, shimmering spiritual light materialized in his palm.
As a cultivator, even one in the qi refining realm, he could easily slaughter everyone in the gambling den. It would be no challenge at all.
But Xu Xia reacted swiftly, grabbing his junior brother's arm and shaking his head gently. "Junior Brother Wang, don't act rashly!" he murmured. "We must not forget the Sect rules! Using spells to harm mortals in public violates our Sect's regulations!"
However, Junior Brother Wang refused to withdraw the spiritual energy gathering in his palm. His eyes burned with murderous intent as he said coldly, "This place is a hundred thousand li from the Sect. What does it matter if I kill him?"
"Besides," Junior Brother Wang added, "if I strike, no one will ever know!"
Xu Xia shook his head firmly. "No. Even setting aside the question of whether such an act is justified, consider this: what good can come to a mortal family if its breadwinner is taken away?"
"This man may be addicted to gambling, but his crimes don't warrant death."
At these words, Junior Brother Wang's brow furrowed deeply, but he eventually dispersed the spiritual energy gathering in his palm.
"Then what do you propose, Senior Brother Xu? Are we just going to stand by and do nothing?"
After a moment of silence, Xu Xia sighed and walked back to the weeping woman in front of the gambling den.
"Mother," he said gently, "I have some knowledge of medicine. I can examine your child's cold."
The woman looked up, her tear-filled eyes fixed on the young man. Her voice trembled as she replied, "Benefactor... I have no money left."
Before she could finish, Xu Xia smiled warmly. "Though I'm not from the charity hall, I often do good deeds. Consider this an act of kindness. I won't charge you for the treatment."
"Ah? Thank you, Benefactor! Thank you!" The woman tried to kneel in gratitude, but Xu Xia quickly helped her up.
"Mother, you should check on your child first. Delaying might worsen the illness."
"Besides, I'm no skilled physician. If you want to thank me, wait until I've cured your child's cold first!"
Thus, guided by the woman, Xu Xia arrived at her home and saw a frail, sickly child.
He knew nothing of medicine, but as an immortal cultivator, he had his own methods.
He used the pure spiritual energy cultivated within his dantian to temper the child's fleshly body and invigorate his blood, helping him withstand the cold.
After a long while, the weak child, clad in coarse hemp clothing, finally regained a rosy complexion after his body had been refined by the pure spiritual energy.
Sweat drenched his hemp clothing, and after this profuse sweating, the child finally regained his vitality.
Xu Xia himself gasped for breath several times, looking surprisingly exhausted. This was strange.
He was clearly a cultivator at the perfected qi refining stage. How could dispelling a mere cold leave him so drained?
The woman beside him was completely stunned. In her half-century of life, she had never witnessed such miraculous medical skill—even the phrase "miraculous healing" seemed inadequate to describe it.
"Divine Physician! Truly a divine physician!"
"You must be an immortal descended from the heavens! Thank you for saving my child's life!"
"Child, quickly kneel and kowtow to our life-saving benefactor!"
The woman sobbed with joy as she spoke, hurriedly pulling her child down to kneel and kowtow.
This time, Xu Xia didn't refuse. He calmly accepted the profound gesture of respect.
After the three kneelings and nine kowtows, Xu Xia helped the mother and child to their feet. He said gently, "Mother, I have some silver here. I noticed a Martial Hall in town earlier. Take this money and enroll your child there to learn martial arts."
"Practicing martial arts will strengthen his body, so he won't have to worry about these colds and illnesses in the future."
The woman hesitated briefly before finally accepting the silver with tears in her eyes.
Xu Xia added, "I see this child has excellent natural talent. He should become a promising martial arts prodigy and achieve great things in the Martial Dao!"
"Furthermore," Xu Xia added, "remember to teach him kindness and compassion. He must never bully the weak or become a villainous tyrant!"
With these words, Xu Xia and his junior brother Wang departed from the mortal town.
A moment later, a tall, imposing figure suddenly emerged from the shadows.
Li Qing gazed at the now-healthy child, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"He follows the rules, respects mortal lives, and possesses power without abusing it!"
"Moreover, he doesn't just offer temporary aid but helps people for a lifetime."
"Excellent!"
With his discerning eye, Li Qing immediately recognized the subtle adjustments Xu Xia had made to the child's body.
Not only had Xu Xia dispelled the child's cold, but he had also expended considerable spiritual energy to improve his circulation, cleanse his marrow, and strengthen his bones and tendons.
The child's physique now surpassed that of many his age, making him an exceptional prospect for martial arts training.
Even with mediocre aptitude, he was destined for remarkable achievements in the Martial Dao.
Furthermore, once the child mastered a certain level of martial prowess, he would have the power to shape his own destiny.
As for his gambling-addicted father, Xu Xia doubted he would cause him any significant trouble in life.
Xu Xia had undoubtedly passed this small test with flying colors. His meticulous and flawless approach left Li Qing thoroughly impressed.
Snap!
Li Qing lightly snapped his fingers, and a wisp of pure true essence shot from his fingertip, instantly vanishing into the child's body.
Having advanced to the late-stage core formation realm, Li Qing now wielded even greater control over his true essence.
Just now, he had condensed a seed of true essence and implanted it within the child. Over time, this essence would silently temper the child's body and invigorate his blood, paving a smoother path for him on the Martial Dao.
It was almost certain that East Wu Town would one day produce a formidable Martial Artist because of this.
With this done, Li Qing's figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
West Ridge, a mountain range of lush greenery, preserved its pristine, untamed beauty.
Birds occasionally startled into flight from the forest, while the roars of wild beasts echoed through the valleys.
At the foot of these mountains, two dusty figures finally arrived, weary from their journey.
Along the way, Xu Xia and his companion had faced several subtle trials secretly orchestrated by Li Qing. Their journey had been nothing short of eventful.
Xu Xia certainly didn't disappoint Li Qing's high expectations. He demonstrated his strategic thinking and excellent character, passing Li Qing's tests time and again, arriving at their mission destination with only a few close calls.
"Phew! So this is what it's like to go on a Sect Mission? It's far more challenging than I imagined," Junior Brother Wang sighed, relieved to have finally reached their destination after his first long journey for the sect.
Xu Xia paused briefly before replying, "The journey was indeed more troublesome than usual, but such is the nature of the world. It's only natural to encounter unexpected challenges."
"Fortunately, we arrived safely, albeit with a few close calls!"
"However, we can't let our guard down now. Even late qi refining realm remnants of the Shangqing Sect are not to be underestimated."
As they spoke, the two finalized their strategy for the operation.
They planned to use one of them as bait, pretending to gather fresh Ancient Pinecones to lure out the Shangqing Sect remnants. The other would lie in ambush, ready to strike with a surprise attack.
"Junior Brother Wang, your cultivation is at the eighth layer of the qi refining realm. I have a mid-grade first-tier Aura Concealment Talisman here that can perfectly conceal your cultivation, making it appear as though you're only at the fifth layer of the qi refining realm, undetectable to others."
"Don't worry, Senior Brother. Leave it all to me. A mere handful of late qi refining realm cultivators? I'm confident I can handle them alone!" Junior Brother Wang declared with unwavering confidence, a testament to his pride and self-respect as an inner sect disciple of the Lingyun Sect.
Xu Xia frowned. "Don't underestimate them! I have a feeling this mission won't be as simple as it seems. After all, they were once disciples of the Shangqing Sect. Their combat skills are likely no less formidable than ours."
"Hahaha, Senior Brother, rest assured! I recently commissioned the sect's refining hall to forge a high-grade magical artifact for me. It's guaranteed to sweep aside any qi refining realm cultivator!"
"Alright, Senior Brother Xu, you can provide backup from the shadows. I'm moving out now!"
With swift efficiency, the pair made their decision and immediately put their plan into action.
Meanwhile, high above the Western Ridge, a subtle yet immensely powerful divine sense swept across the entire mountain range, undetected by any cultivator within.
This divine sense, naturally, belonged to Li Qing. After completing his sweep, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. It seems this mission won't be as simple as I thought. I was planning to set up a final trial here, but now it doesn't seem necessary."
Li Qing stroked his chin, nodded to himself, and remained hidden, silently observing the unfolding events.
In the Western Ridge Mountains, the dense, lush vegetation could easily swallow a person whole, making it difficult to stir up any commotion.
A man wielding an ordinary hunting knife entered the mountain. He wore a brocade robe and exuded an air of extraordinary refinement.
He hacked through the thorny vines and brambles blocking his path, carving a passable trail through the dense undergrowth.
As he ventured deeper into the West Ridge, these obstacles proved insignificant. The hunting knife in his hand was exceptionally sharp, its blade gleaming with a faint golden light—clearly an extraordinary weapon.
Finally, in the mountain's deepest recesses, several ancient pine trees loomed into view.
Here, free from the dense thickets, the terrain opened up considerably.
The ground was carpeted with thick, soft layers of fallen leaves, their rustling underfoot creating a rhythmic, whispering sound.
"So these are the pinecones from the ancient pines," the man murmured, his eyes scanning the abundance of cones. "With so many, I'll fill my storage pouch and exchange them for spirit stones!"
Junior Brother Wang gazed at the abundant pinecones hanging from the crowns of the ancient pines, his face lighting up with delight.
Without hesitation, he patted his storage pouch and retrieved a low-grade flying sword.
He manipulated the sword to harvest the plump pinecones from the trees. With a few swift strokes, a large pile of the succulent fruits rained down.
As he focused on gathering the harvest, the thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground suddenly erupted. A colossal white net, vast enough to blanket the sky, descended upon him!
Yet Junior Brother Wang remained unfazed, his lips curling into a cold smile. "Hiding in the shadows, are you finally daring to show yourselves?" he sneered.
His voice echoed through the forest as he clenched his fist. Several crimson fireballs materialized around him, hurtling toward the massive net.
Boom!
The air instantly turned scorching, and even the fallen leaves on the ground spontaneously burst into flames.
But just as the sea of fire threatened to engulf the entire forest, the colossal net, woven from some unknown material, effortlessly extinguished the fireballs.
The flames on the ground vanished as well, leaving behind a thick pall of smoke.
Without a word, Junior Brother Wang immediately withdrew a massive shield emblazoned with crimson cloud patterns from his storage pouch.
"Crimson Cloud Shield!"
Hum!
The giant shield trembled, and crimson clouds, as vivid as the evening sunset, billowed forth, enveloping Junior Brother Wang and protecting him from the massive net.
"Heh, a high-grade magical artifact? This rogue cultivator is no ordinary one!"
"He must be a disciple sent by the Lingyun Sect. Fifth layer of the qi refining realm? That cultivation level can't be real!"
"It doesn't matter. As long as he's not a foundation establishment realm cultivator, what's there to fear?"
Soon, several black-robed cultivators emerged from the ancient pine trees, having perfectly concealed themselves within the gnarled trunks moments before.
Protected by the Crimson Cloud Shield, Junior Brother Wang's expression darkened, but he remained composed, his confidence unshaken.
"In the Azure Ridge Domain, someone dares to underestimate the Lingyun Sect like this, you must be remnants of the Shangqing Sect," he murmured coldly.
One of the black-robed figures replied fearlessly, "Heh, so what if we are? Why don't you surrender now? We might even grant you a swift death."
Junior Brother Wang's eyes flashed with icy resolve as he channeled his full power into the Crimson Cloud Shield.
The high-grade magical artifact suddenly expanded, shattering the massive net that had ensnared the area.
In the next instant, the colossal Crimson Cloud Shield crashed down upon the black-robed figures ahead.
"The Lingyun Sect isn't the only one with high-grade magical artifacts!"
The leader of the black-robed figures snorted coldly, his hand flashing as a dark gold Mountain-Cleaving Giant Axe materialized and swung forward.
Bang!
The massive axe slammed into the giant shield, unleashing a shockwave of immense force.
But this was just the beginning. The others also possessed their own magic artifacts, though none were high-grade—they were all mid-grade.
In an instant, several magic artifacts were activated simultaneously, locking onto Junior Brother Wang's position.
Just as the situation reached its most critical point, the air suddenly crackled with dense, spiderweb-like arcs of lightning and crimson flames!
Boom! Rumble!
Before anyone could blink, bolts of purple thunder erupted, and a scarlet fire serpent materialized from thin air!
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged into chaos as thunder attribute and fire attribute spiritual energy surged forth, each carrying overwhelming power as they crashed into the black-robed figures.
Talismans!
Someone had activated two high-grade first-tier talismans in rapid succession—an astonishing feat!
A slender, tall figure burst from the forest, a simple red-tasseled spear slung across his back, lending him an extraordinary air of martial prowess.
It was Xu Xia!
After carefully observing the surroundings and confirming that no other qi refining realm cultivators were lying in ambush, he had launched his daring counterattack.
First, he activated two potent high-grade first-tier attack talismans: the Thunderstorm Talisman and the Fire Serpent Talisman. As the talismans unleashed their fury, he charged forward, hurling his long spear with unparalleled momentum.
Whoosh!
The spear pierced the air with overwhelming force, hurtling toward the lead black-robed figure in an instant.
"They have reinforcements! Elder Bai, save us!"
Elder Bai?
Xu Xia froze for a moment, then his scalp prickled with alarm. He immediately halted his advance, whirled around, and grabbed Junior Brother Wang, preparing to flee.
An elder?!
How could the Shangqing Sect still have elders alive in this world?!
The situation left no time for contemplation. An elder meant a cultivator at the foundation establishment realm—a being far beyond their capabilities.
As expected, the wood attribute spiritual energy in the surrounding forest suddenly stagnated, as if all the trees had been roused.
Soon, the fallen leaves on the ground stirred to life, rising into the air to envelop the black-robed figures, shielding them from the Fire Serpent and Thunderstorm Talismans' onslaught.
A white-haired figure descended from the treetops, his face grim and his eyes devoid of emotion.
"Two qi refining realm juniors? If I, Bai Qianfan, let you escape from this forest, I might as well end my life."
As his words fell, the fallen leaves on the ground began to rise, drawn toward Xu Xia and his companion.
Escape was now impossible. The surrounding trees seemed to come alive, blocking their path.
A massive wave of withered leaves surged forward, completely enveloping Xu Xia and his companion in a tight cocoon.
The hunched old man slowly stepped forward. His eyelashes were gone, but he showed no urgency to kill them. Instead, he spoke leisurely:
"I've caught two late qi refining realm disciples, and one at the perfected qi refining stage. You must be inner sect disciples of the Lingyun Sect, wouldn't you say?"
As he spoke, the elder flicked his withered, branch-like fingers.
The cocoon of leaves around Xu Xia and his companion loosened slightly, revealing their pale, strained faces.
The surviving black-robed figures behind them chuckled and closed in, their eyes mocking Xu Xia and Junior Brother Wang. One sneered:
"Hahahaha! Did you two really think we accidentally leaked our presence as Bandit Cultivators in the West Ridge?"
"Elder Bai's schemes are truly divine! He deliberately let a rogue cultivator escape, and it actually lured inner sect disciples from the Lingyun Sect!"
"With these two inner sect disciples, we should be able to successfully plant spies within the Lingyun Sect."
Despite the chorus of flattery surrounding him, Elder Bai showed little joy.
His voice, cold and sinister, cut through the air: "Do you two wish to live?"
Junior Brother Wang spat angrily, "Pah! The remnants of the Shangqing Sect are truly treacherous. I've been outmaneuvered this time. Kill me or torture me—do as you please!"
Xu Xia, however, rolled his eyes thoughtfully. "Senior, naturally I don't want to die! What do you want?"
Junior Brother Wang stared at his Senior Brother Xu in disbelief. He never imagined the upright Xu Xia would bow to the sect's enemies at such a moment!
Elder Bai nodded. "I want you to become my spies within the Lingyun Sect. You'll perform minor tasks for me in the future."
Xu Xia pondered for a moment before asking, "What's in it for me?"
At this, a faint smile finally cracked Elder Bai's usually impassive face.
"Of course there's something in it for you. You'll live, and I can provide assistance to help you accumulate Sect Contribution faster and in greater amounts, aiding you in obtaining foundation establishment pills!"
Xu Xia's expression flickered. He glanced at his junior brother Wang before adopting a resolute tone and declaring, "Very well! I agree to your terms, Senior!"
Junior Brother Wang froze, then erupted in furious curses. "Xu Xia, you bastard! How dare you betray the sect!"
"I truly misjudged you. How can you do something like this? Do you even care about the sect's investment in you?"
Xu Xia remained unfazed. "Junior Brother Wang, I didn't embark on the immortal dao just to die here for nothing. I advise you to recognize the situation."
Listening to their argument, Elder Bai shook his head with a smile.
"Spare me your theatrics. I won't let you leave based on mere verbal promises."
"Want to live? It's simple: voluntarily open your Seas of Consciousness and offer no resistance."
"Once I plant this Withered Spirit Flower Seed within your Seas of Consciousness, I'll release you. I'll even provide a few rogue cultivator corpses for you to present as mission reports upon your return to the sect."
With that, Elder Bai produced a withered yellow seed from his robes.
Upon seeing the Withered Spirit Flower Seed, Xu Xia's face darkened instantly.
This was a peculiar Spirit Seed capable of controlling minds. Once implanted in the Sea of Consciousness, it essentially allowed an outsider to seize control of one's consciousness.
Of course, the Withered Spirit Flower Seed's potent effects came with significant limitations.
First, the cultivator being implanted must harbor no resistance whatsoever. They had to willingly open their Sea of Consciousness; any mental resistance would instantly kill the seed.
Second, at regular intervals, the Withered Spirit Flower Seed would devour a portion of the host's divine soul essence, even affecting their soul's memories.
Due to these severe drawbacks, this peculiar flower seed wasn't widely used, remaining primarily in the hands of a few cultivators who practiced the Wood dao.
"Well? As long as you follow my instructions, you'll live!" Elder Bai chuckled. "And I promise you, within ten years, I'll remove this seed. It won't bind you for life. I swear this on the great heart demon oath."
The terms sounded reasonable enough, even somewhat acceptable.
But Xu Xia's face turned ashen. His earlier words had been nothing more than desperate pleas for survival. If he could just return to the sect, he would immediately report this matter and willingly submit to the sect's investigation.
He never expected his opponent to possess such a rare seed as the Withered Spirit Flower Seed, shattering all his calculations.
"Kill me," Xu Xia said in a low voice. "The sect has treated me well. How could I betray it?"
"Senior Brother Xu..." Junior Brother Wang said, his expression conflicted.
Elder Bai sneered and shook his head. "Looks like we have two stubborn bones here. We'll have to resort to other methods to get you to agree to our demands."
"Take them away. Let them experience the interrogation methods of the Shangqing Sect firsthand."
The remaining black-robed remnants of the Shangqing Sect revealed cruel smiles, their eyes fixed on Xu Xia and Junior Brother Wang with vicious intent.
"Heh heh, you've fallen into our hands today. Unless your sect patriarch himself comes, no one can save you!"
Clearly, nothing good awaited Xu Xia and Junior Brother Wang.
But at that very moment, a sigh suddenly echoed through the forest.
"Aigh..."
The sigh seemed to come from all directions, making it impossible to pinpoint its origin.
(End of the Chapter)
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