Disciple Mountain, Hundred Arms Hall.
"You there, Outer Sect Junior Brother. You've been looking around in here for the better part of an hour. Are you going to buy something or not?" An impatient Senior Brother tending the shop demanded.
Jiang Fenghuo hastily replied, "My apologies, I'll just look a little longer. My eyes aren't what they used to be; I need to examine them closely."
"Tch. If you're short on Sect Contribution Points, just admit it..." The Senior Brother rolled his eyes, the clacking of the abacus beads under his fingers growing noticeably louder.
Jiang Fenghuo, however, paid his words no mind. While pretending to select a weapon, his gaze continuously flickered to the Treasure Pavilion opposite the Hundred Arms Hall.
He was keeping watch for Lin Zhen. He'd slapped two Swiftness Talismans on himself at the crack of dawn to get here, but after waiting for half an hour, Lin Zhen still hadn't shown up.
Golden Sword Peak is farther from Disciple Mountain than Fire Furnace Peak. But he's desperate for a Realm-Breaking Pill to break through to the third level of Qi Condensation; he should have arrived by now.
Could it be that he had already come and gone?
Jiang Fenghuo suppressed his rising anxiety and waited patiently. If the Senior Brother in the Hundred Arms Hall kicked him out, he'd have no choice but to wait by the roadside.
Suddenly, he saw a dashing man in white robes walk into the Treasure Pavilion. It had to be Lin Zhen!
Jiang Fenghuo quickly set down the weapon in his hands and walked over.
The Treasure Pavilion was much larger than the Hundred Arms Hall. A row of disciples stood behind the counter, responsible for exchanges.
Jiang Fenghuo chose a spot next to Lin Zhen. The Senior Brother behind the counter glanced at him and asked, "What are you exchanging?"
Jiang Fenghuo reached into the inner pocket of his robes while asking, "How many Sect Contribution Points can I get for a Early-stage Qi Condensation Realm-Breaking Pill?"
The Senior Brother opposite him thought for a moment and said, "Three hundred."
"Oh..." Jiang Fenghuo had intentionally kept his voice loud since he'd walked in. And just as he'd expected, Lin Zhen, standing beside him, turned to look.
Jiang Fenghuo's expression remained neutral. He knew his guess had been right.
According to his memories from his previous two lives, Lin Zhen was destined to break through to the third level of Qi Condensation before the sect's minor competition. But a breakthrough was no easy feat and often required several attempts. Therefore, he must have relied on a Realm-Breaking Pill.
However, Realm-Breaking Pills were exceedingly rare, and it was difficult for an Outer Sect disciple to obtain one. Based on his memories, the only ones in the entire Righteous Heart Sect's Outer Sect who possessed such a pill were the Sima brothers.
Even if Lin Zhen knew the Sima brothers had the pill, they were now dead, and the pill was in Jiang Fenghuo's hands. Private transactions were forbidden within the sect; all trades had to go through the Sect Contribution Point system.
Unless one engaged in a secret, illicit trade, the only way was to come to the Treasure Pavilion for an exchange. That was why Jiang Fenghuo had come to lie in wait for Lin Zhen. And his gamble had paid off.
Pretending not to notice Lin Zhen watching him, Jiang Fenghuo simply shook his head at the Senior Brother and began to haggle: "Isn't three hundred a bit too low? If I were to exchange for one here at the Treasure Pavilion, wouldn't it cost me six hundred Sect Contribution Points?"
A flicker of mockery crossed the Senior Brother's face. "What kind of clueless bumpkin are you? The sect raises you and protects you, not so you can stand here and bargain. Are you trading it or not?"
Jiang Fenghuo sighed. "Alas, I won't trade... or perhaps... I should?"
Jiang Fenghuo hesitated, repeatedly pulling the pill bottle out and then putting it back. Three hundred Sect Contribution Points was not a small amount, but it was clearly a lowball offer.
Lin Zhen's expression shifted slightly. He took a step closer to Jiang Fenghuo. "Brother Li, what are you doing here?"
Jiang Fenghuo turned his head, glanced at Lin Zhen, and upon hearing himself called "Brother Li," he actually smiled. "Well, what a coincidence. What brings you here?"
"Oh, nothing much, just looking to trade for a couple of bottles of Qi Nurturing Pills," Lin Zhen said. Seeing Jiang Fenghuo play along, he slung an arm over the latter's shoulder. "Come on, it's been a while. Let's put this exchange business aside for now!"
Jiang Fenghuo also smiled and said, "Of course, of course! I happen to have taken the day off. How about we go for some tea?"
Lin Zhen nodded and pulled Jiang Fenghuo out of the Treasure Pavilion.
The two of them left the Treasure Pavilion without a word. Lin Zhen let go of his arm. They walked until they reached a secluded spot outside Disciple Mountain before Lin Zhen finally spoke.
"Your surname isn't Li."
Jiang Fenghuo nodded. "My name is Jiang Fenghuo."
Lin Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. "So, you're genuinely selling this Realm-Breaking Pill. Name your price."
A standard Early-stage Qi Condensation Realm-Breaking Pill cost around four hundred Spirit Stones. After some thought, Jiang Fenghuo said, "Eight hundred Spirit Stones."
Jiang Fenghuo, ever cautious, named this price as a test.
To his surprise, Lin Zhen's smile didn't falter. He rubbed the storage ring on his finger and nodded. "A fair price."
The words had barely left his lips when alarm flared in Jiang Fenghuo's heart. This was bad.
Double the price! No matter how wealthy Lin Zhen was, he wouldn't agree without even trying to bargain!
This was exactly what he had feared. That was why he had quoted double the market price. Seeing Lin Zhen's reaction, Jiang Fenghuo immediately activated the Swiftness Talismans on his body with his Qi and bolted.
But Lin Zhen shouted, "Brother, since you're already here, don't be in such a hurry to leave!" He formed a hand-seal and released a spell.
A golden light enveloped the surroundings, forming a square barrier. Jiang Fenghuo was stunned again. How could Lin Zhen, a cultivator in the Early-stage of Qi Condensation, possibly cast such a spell!
The barrier looked somewhat similar to the sound-insulating spell Senior Cultivator Sanyun had used last night. It must be designed to block sound and perhaps even conceal them from sight!
Realizing it would be difficult to break through such a spell, Jiang Fenghuo didn't even try. Instead, he spun around, fixed his gaze forward, gritted his teeth, and began forming a series of complex hand-seals—
"Thunder-Fire Overturning Seal!" Jiang Fenghuo roared.
Lin Zhen, who was charging forward with his sword, faltered. Thunder-Fire Overturning Seal? He stared at the intricate hand-seals Jiang Fenghuo was forming, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes.
Now it was his turn to be shocked. How could a cultivator in the Early-stage of Qi Condensation possibly cast such a spell!
Of course, Jiang Fenghuo didn't know such a technique. The hand-seals he was forming were, in fact, for *The Human Refining Demon Art*!
The Large Benevolence Pill in his robes was being consumed at an astonishing rate, and Jiang Fenghuo's cultivation base surged in an instant!
Lin Zhen suddenly seemed to have a moment of realization and thrust his sword forward. "You dare to bluff me?!"
Jiang Fenghuo had no choice but to stop absorbing the Qi from the Benevolence Pill and hastily dodge.
By now, borrowing the power of the Large Benevolence Pill, he had already broken through to the peak of the second level, touching the threshold of the third. He now had the confidence to face Lin Zhen.
Lin Zhen raised his sword, wiping two fingers of his left hand along the blade. "Golden Cloud Sword - First Form!"
A dazzling light erupted from the longsword.
Jiang Fenghuo could tell at a glance that this sword art was far superior to the basic spells he knew. He could only frantically cast his own spells in response.
Fire Spell! Fire Spell! Fire Spell!
Three successive Fire Spell runes flared into existence, and three fireballs shot out directly in front of him, hurtling towards Lin Zhen.
Lin Zhen's Golden Cloud Sword - First Form had also been unleashed. The flames and the golden light collided, exploding in a brilliant, multicolored flash!
Deeply understanding the principle that Fire overcomes Metal, just as Metal overcomes Wood, Jiang Fenghuo had chosen not to use the Wood-element Thunder Spell, but the Fire Spell that countered his opponent. As expected, it managed to bridge some of the gap in their techniques' power levels.
Taking advantage of the clash of spells, Jiang Fenghuo continued forming hand-seals without pause, circulating *The Human Refining Demon Art* to refine the Large Benevolence Pill even further!
Not only was his Qi rapidly recovering, but his cultivation base was still climbing!
After reaching the peak, *The Human Refining Demon Art* guided the ever-increasing true Qi in his body to break through the bottleneck!
As Lin Zhen raised his sword and attacked from the side, Jiang Fenghuo had already finished absorbing the Large Benevolence Pill!
What he hadn't expected was that, on the other side, after shattering all three Fire Spells, a small sliver of sword energy from the Golden Cloud Sword - First Form shot out and instantly pierced through his right chest.
And what Lin Zhen hadn't expected was that Jiang Fenghuo had imbued a Fire Spell into his hand and struck out at him with a palm strike. Incredibly, it carried the might of a cultivator at the third level of Qi Condensation!
*BANG!*
In a single exchange, Lin Zhen was sent flying backward. He crashed to the ground, the clothes on his chest burned to ashes, revealing a patch of scorched-black flesh.
*Pfft.*
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes filled with terror as he looked at Jiang Fenghuo.
"Master! Save me!"
His Master was here too? Jiang Fenghuo's pupils shrank as he rapidly assessed the situation—impossible!
If his Master were going to intervene, he would have done so already. He was just bluffing to buy time!
Besides, if his Master truly was present, after what he had done, his Master would never let him go! In for a penny, in for a pound!
Jiang Fenghuo hastily formed a hand-seal, preparing to cast another Fire Spell. However, a terrifying pressure instantly descended upon him!
At the same time, the phantom of a great hand materialized from thin air and pressed down towards him!
The pressure still enveloped Jiang Fenghuo, rendering him immobile. He could only watch as the great hand reached for him.
Lin Zhen laughed sinisterly, his eyes fixed on Jiang Fenghuo, his voice low. "Master, your disciple has done his utmost. Does this not count as a life-threatening crisis? He clearly had killing intent, which meets your conditions for intervention."
"That secret art of his for raising his cultivation base is quite formidable. Master, leave him alive. I wish to seize his secret art—What's that you say? It's not a secret art? Then what is it?"
Who was he talking to?
Even facing death, Jiang Fenghuo tried to understand the source of Lin Zhen's confidence, so he could be better prepared in his next life.
But he had no intention of waiting for death. The next moment, Jiang Fenghuo's brow furrowed, and he closed his eyes.
"You think you can kill me? Not a chance!"