Chapter 154: "Youngest Sister, I've decided, I'm joining Yuanzong."

Chapter 154: "Youngest Sister, I've decided, I'm joining Yuanzong."

At this moment—

In the Xuantian Continent, in Quzhou of the Lower Nine States, within the Dao Sword Sect.

Li Shi'er, a direct disciple of the Dao Sword Sect, was sitting in his cave abode, rubbing the jade slip in his hand and muttering to himself in a daze.

"Mock Heaven Sect's Sect Master, Chen Qiu."

That day.

In the preliminary screening realm of the Talents Path, he had suffered the greatest humiliation of his life, without a doubt!

Afterward, he had used all his resources to search for a sect called "Mock Heaven Sect," but despite investigating countless recently emerged sects, he couldn't find any named Mock Heaven Sect.

Although Chen Qiu's actions had left him seething with anger, there was one thing he had to admit: Chen Qiu's strength was indeed formidable. Such a disciple could not have been cultivated by an unknown sect; they must have been from a recently emerged powerful sect.

Just as he was about to give up—

He suddenly found a clue in ancient records. Many tens of thousands of years ago, there was a sect composed of foreign heavenly demons called the "Mock Heaven Sect." This sect was filled with insane sword cultivators, and they were extremely united and formidable, making them one of the top sects in the entire Xuantian Continent!

After wreaking havoc for a long time, a series of grand battles ensued.

Countless sects joined forces to exterminate this sect, ultimately slaying all the disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect. Only the sect leader and some core disciples managed to escape, and their whereabouts remained unknown thereafter.

This incident had occurred many years ago.

The information in the ancient records was fragmented, with many gaps and uncertainties, making it difficult to discern truth from fiction. For instance, it wasn't clear why they were referred to as foreign heavenly demons, and this was the only sect with any information related to the Mock Heaven Sect.

Could it be that Chen Qiu was the current sect leader of this sect?

"Impossible."

Inside the cave abode, Li Shi'er shook his head firmly. No sect could have survived for tens of thousands of years. Throughout history, not a single sect, even among the top ones in Zhongzhou, had managed to endure for such a long period.

This was almost an impossible feat.

Just then—

A familiar voice suddenly came through the communication ring on his hand.

"Old Li, have you read the Quzhou Daily?"

"Didn't the Nightfall Approaches descend upon Quzhou's Dayuan City last night? That's within the jurisdiction of Yuanzong Sect, the one that says all things are connected by fate. Many outlaws went there last night, and it's said that a third of Yuanzong's disciples went as well."

"Hmm."

Li Shi'er shook his head nonchalantly, looking at the image floating in the air from the communication ring. He replied indifferently, "Are you trying to say that another lucky person has obtained a supreme treasure?"

"This kind of news happens every few years when Nightfall Approaches descends upon Quzhou. My ears are tired of hearing it."

"Let's talk about it if we survive."

"There are many lucky ones, but not many who stay lucky for long."

"It's just a place for outlaws. Any true talent with their own path wouldn't even glance at it. You're also a Heaven's Pride, why bother with such matters?"

In the image, the man with the pink head and face shook his head with a smile, "This time it's different from the past. It's said that very few survived this Nightfall Approaches, and everyone else died."

"The lingering stone recordings show that during the extreme darkness, hundreds of thousands of thunder dragons flashed continuously. Each time a thunder dragon appeared, it meant that those around the pillar of light would be blasted into powder."

"This time, there were twelve pillars of light, and aside from the first one, the other eleven were all seized by that mysterious person."

"According to those who luckily survived, they felt like they were undergoing tribulation."

Upon hearing this, Li Shi'er frowned slightly, "Did Nascent Soul Cultivators participate?"

"No, they were at the Golden Core Peak Grand Completion stage."

Li Shi'er shook his head, "I'm not aware of any law cultivator Heaven's Pride in Quzhou with such a cultivation level."

If it weren't for Chen Qiu's interference in the preliminary screening realm of the Talents Path, he would have undoubtedly been among the top three. Li Shi'er was familiar with all the Heaven's Pride from Quzhou's sects, but he had never heard of a law cultivator specializing in thunder techniques in the area.

He was already one of the top Heaven's Pride in both the Upper and Lower Nine States in recent years!

As for the Heaven's Pride from Zhongzhou, those were exceptions, and they didn't need to participate in the preliminary screening realm. They could directly obtain the qualification to enter the Talents Path ten months later.

"Hehe."

The pink-faced man in the image laughed, "That's why I'm saying, why not try to find this law cultivator Heaven's Pride? In a few days, there's a gathering of Heaven's Pride from various sects in Quzhou, and some from other states will also come to challenge."

"I think this law cultivator Heaven's Pride is quite strong. If we can find them, they can help us hold our ground, right?"

Upon hearing this, Li Shi'er coldly scoffed, "Isn't my presence enough?"

"Enough, enough!"

The pink-faced man quickly nodded, "But the rule is the best of five, and I've heard that the Heaven's Pride coming from other states are no pushovers. Among them is Zhang Mo, the Saint Child of Bestow Heaven Sect, whose strength you're well aware of."

Hearing the name Zhang Mo, the Saint Child of Bestow Heaven Sect, Li Shi'er hesitated for a moment before nodding, "You make sense, but can you find this law cultivator Heaven's Pride?"

"I'm not sure, let's just look for it."

The man with a fair complexion and a powdered face smiled and said, "What do you think a Heaven's Pride at the peak of the Golden Core Realm would desire the most? Of course, it's the Spirit Transformation Body. I plan to go to Dayuan City and use a Spirit Transformation Body as bait to lure him out."

"Don't be ridiculous," Li Shi'er shook his head. "You think people are fools. You can't just use an empty promise of a Spirit Transformation Body to lure someone out without any evidence. Are you planning to use the Su family's 'Secret Realm of Inheritance' to bait him?"

"Of course."

The man on the screen grinned, "This Law Cultivator Heaven's Pride is most likely a Wanderer, after all, none of the sects in Quzhou have a Law Cultivator Heaven's Pride who suddenly rose to prominence by skillfully using thunder-attributed techniques. Anyway, my Spirit Transformation Body is real. Whether he can take it away is up to his abilities. Our Su family's Secret Realm of Inheritance has been left untouched for over a thousand years, and no one has been able to pass it."

"Our ancestors were like madmen, leaving such difficult challenges for their descendants. Who could possibly pass such a trial?"

Li Shi'er frowned, "Don't you worry that the Law Cultivator Heaven's Pride might actually pass the trial?"

"So be it if they pass."

The man casually shook his head, "I've discussed this with my father, and he said that if they can pass, then giving them the Spirit Transformation Body is no big deal. Using something our Su family has been unable to obtain for over a thousand years to gain the favor of a rising Law Cultivator Heaven's Pride is a worthwhile investment. If they grow stronger in the future, any small repayment will be a profit."

"Then why are you telling me this?"

"Of course, it's to ask you to control your temper. Your temper is so foul that I'm worried that the Law Cultivator Heaven's Pride I've invited will end up fighting with you!"

"Hmph."

Li Shi'er snorted coldly, "As long as they have real strength, I will naturally respect them."

"Alright, then let's leave it at that!"

After ending the communication, Li Shi'er shook his head and stopped thinking about the matter of Chen Qiu, the Sect Leader of Mock Heaven Sect. No matter what, they would surely meet again on the road to becoming Heaven's Pride in over ten months, and that would be the perfect time for his revenge.

He took a deep breath and once again immersed himself in seclusion cultivation.

"Quzhou Daily?"

In Dayuan City, Chen Qiu looked at the newspaper in his hand with a strange expression. To be honest, he had imagined that he would encounter many things after coming to Xuantian Continent, but he had never expected to see something like the Quzhou Daily.

It felt extremely out of place.

The front-page headline and sub-headline of the Quzhou Daily were all about him.

"Shocking! Last night in Dayuan City of Quzhou, a mysterious person took away twelve beams of light during Nightfall!"

"This mysterious person is a Law Cultivator Heaven's Pride, possibly a Wanderer. Every year, there are such short-lived Wanderers. How far will this one go?"

In the newspaper, several thousand words were written from the perspective of those who witnessed the event from the city walls and some of the cultivators who survived the previous night. The last two sentences concluded the article.

"Heaven's Pride appears, and chaos ensues."

"With the emergence of Heaven's Pride, a turbulent era is upon us. Let's eagerly anticipate which Heaven's Pride will stand tall in the end!"

". . ."

After a long while, Chen Qiu held the newspaper and walked towards a nearby breakfast stall, intending to have a bite and experience the vibrant atmosphere of Dayuan City. However, since he had neither revealed himself nor exposed his name the previous night, the news reports had nothing to do with him.

There was just one thing.

That made his head hurt a little.

Xuantian Continent also had various rankings, and one of them was the Virtue Ranking!

His name appeared at the top of the list!

"Xuantian Continent Virtue Ranking"

"Rank 1: Su Ningxi, Virtue Points: 10.2 billion."

"Rank 2: A Piao, Virtue Points: 9.9 billion."

"Rank 3: Chen Qiu, Virtue Points: 9.8 billion."

". . ."

"Rank 10: Tai Long, Virtue Points: 8.7 billion."

Yes!

When he arrived in Xuantian Continent from Daxia Country, the rankings were also merged, and his name, which suddenly appeared with 9.8 billion Virtue Points, had already caught the attention of many.

There was also a news report in the Quzhou Daily about this, but it was overshadowed by his own 'Nightfall Approaches' headline and sub-headline, making it less noticeable.

On the other rankings.

His name was absent.

After all, there were too many powerful cultivators in Xuantian Continent, and his name only appeared on the Virtue Ranking.

To be honest.

He didn't think 9.8 billion Virtue Points was that impressive. Wasn't it just a matter of refining a twelfth-grade Golden Core? There were so many people in Xuantian Continent, and the highest-ranked person only had 10.2 billion Virtue Points. Did they never do good deeds?

On the "Xuantian Continent Heaven's Pride Ranking," he couldn't find his name anymore.

And he could still collect the ten Golden Core Heavenly Dao Cultivation Pills every day without any issues.

This was the overall ranking!

There were also sub-rankings!

For example—

"Quzhou Virtue Ranking"

"Rank 1: Chen Qiu, Virtue Points: 9.8 billion."

"Rank 2: Zhang Yisheng, Virtue Points: 19.2 million."

"Rank 3: -"

It was as if Chen Qiu's name was deliberately placed there to stand out.

After taking a sip of hot and spicy soup, Chen Qiu looked at the "Quzhou Virtue Ranking" and the "Xuantian Continent Virtue Ranking," noticing the huge gap between the two. He silently confirmed his suspicions.

Quzhou is a place with a low moral standard.

He liked places like this; he had a moral obsession.

To describe it specifically:

If the people around him had high moral standards, he would feel a bit awkward.

But if the people around him had low moral standards, he would get excited because slaying demons and eliminating evil was the lifelong mission of righteous cultivators!

The "Quzhou Virtue Ranking" had a total of 100 names.

So, those who didn't make it onto the list were considered demons, as they didn't do any good deeds and deserved to be purified.

Just then—

A group of people suddenly began pasting wanted posters all over the streets and alleys.

"Reward for information about the mysterious person from last night! 10 Middle-grade Spirit Stones for specific details!"

"Kill the person and receive a reward of 100 Middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

"Capture them alive and receive a reward of 200 Middle-grade Spirit Stones!"

"Yuanzong."

".”

Chen Qiu took another sip of his spicy soup without expression, then glanced at the wanted poster again. Lowering his eyes, he remained silent. This "Yuanzong" was a gathering place for demons, and it was best to deal with them as soon as possible.

They had agreed not to interfere, and after leaving the city, life and death were up to fate.

Daring to leave the city was daring to die.

If too many people died, it would become unplayable, and this was unfair.

He was playing with his own life, so why were they chasing after him?

Demonic thinking!

Hmm, the spicy soup in Dayuan City was indeed delicious. The city's annual tax revenue must be quite high.

".”

Inside Dayuan City.

July Cat silently looked at the wanted poster stuck on the wall. She had a premonition that she might not hear the name "Yuanzong" soon. Based on her knowledge of Chen Qiu in Daxia Country, any force that dared to provoke Chen Qiu was usually wiped out.

Just then—

The bald merchant standing behind her suddenly spoke up after a long silence, "Little Sister, I've decided. I want to join Yuanzong."

"Huh?"

The female cultivator was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, "Brother Chang, aren't you the one who hates being tied down the most?"

"But..."

Before he could finish.

July Cat turned around expressionlessly and darted into the nearby alley without looking back. Do as you please, she didn't care what they did. Even if they gave her more fish, she wouldn't stay.

She wanted to change masters.

She had figured it out.

If these two didn't die, they would feel uncomfortable. Going to Yuanzong at this time was no different from joining a demonic sect; it was purely suicidal.

If she continued following these two, she would eventually be dragged down to her death!

At the same time, Li Shi'er, who was in seclusion cultivation, was interrupted again. He looked at the pink-faced man floating in the air from the communication ring with an annoyed expression, "Can't you say everything you have to say at once?"

"I'm in seclusion cultivation. Do you understand what that means?"

"You think I'm like you, indulging in pleasure every day?"

"No, no, no."

The pink-faced man in the projection spoke seriously, "This time, it's important. You said that you were humiliated by Chen Qiu in the Talents Path Preliminary Screening Realm, right? I've found information about Chen Qiu."

"What do you mean by 'I'? It's as if you weren't there. Weren't you humiliated too?"

"No, I wasn't. I was eliminated in the first round, so Chen Qiu didn't have a chance to humiliate me. I only learned about the subsequent events from you."

".”

Li Shi'er was too lazy to deal with his childhood friend. After taking a deep breath, he spoke in a cold voice with a chilling gaze, "Tell me his information. I want to confront him personally and show him what true strength is!"

"Which state is he in? If he's not in Quzhou, forget it. The Talents Path is about to open, and I don't have time to run around aimlessly."

"He's in Quzhou. Why don't you check the Quzhou Virtue Ranking? Can't you read the Quzhou Daily every day? It's quite useful. Don't just focus on seclusion cultivation. Moreover..."

Li Shi'er, feeling irritated by the constant nagging, cut off the communication ring and looked at the "Quzhou Virtue Ranking." At the top, he saw Chen Qiu's name with a staggering 9.8 billion virtue points.

The second-ranked person on the Quzhou Virtue Ranking was Zhang Yisheng, a monk from Quzhou, with 19.2 million virtue points and a Nascent Soul Realm cultivation at the late stage.

He had lived a virtuous life and never harmed anyone.

He was already over 800 years old.

Li Shi'er acknowledged that this person deserved the second place on the virtue ranking. But!

Why did Chen Qiu have 9.8 billion virtue points? How was that possible?!

Based on Chen Qiu's performance in the Talents Path Preliminary Screening Realm, Li Shi'er didn't believe Chen Qiu was capable of doing good deeds and accumulating virtue. Moreover, this person wasn't on the ranking before, so how did they suddenly appear on it? What kind of good deed would earn someone 9.8 billion virtue points?

Did they save the world?

"It must be a case of a shared name!"

After a long while, Li Shi'er took a deep breath, sat cross-legged in his cave abode, and forced himself to calm his mind. He resumed his seclusion cultivation, knowing that based on Chen Qiu's performance in the realm, it was impossible for him to have accumulated so many virtue points. This Chen Qiu was definitely not the same Chen Qiu, the Sect Leader of Mock Heaven Sect.

It couldn't be.

Although he didn't know where this person came from, it wasn't important. For now, the most crucial thing for him was to focus on seclusion cultivation in preparation for the Talents Path.

At that time, everyone will be at the peak of the Golden Core Cultivation.

With equal cultivation levels, the competition will be about who knows more spells, whose sword intent is stronger, and who has more tricks up their sleeve!

Nothing else matters; the Talents Path takes priority!

After finishing breakfast, Chen Qiu, accompanied by Fat Dragon and a few others, was leisurely strolling through Dayuan City, hoping to find another treasure.

Suddenly, they spotted a group of people.

They were in the process of posting a notice.

"The Su Family of Quzhou invites all the talented individuals of Quzhou to a feast in 'Su City' and to participate in the Su Family's 'Inheritance Mystic Realm.' Those who successfully pass through the realm will receive the Su Family's friendship and a Spirit Transformation Body. They will also join the Quzhou Talents Gathering three days later."

"The Mystic Realm is limited to those at the Golden Core Peak and below."

"Should we go?" Fat Dragon asked, furrowing his brows. He knew what Chen Qiu needed most at the moment—a Spirit Transformation Body—but he felt uncertain if this was a trap. Could the Su Family be so generous as to offer their inheritance mystic realm for outsiders to use?

The inheritance mystic realm was usually left behind by the elders of a family.

In their final moments, they would place their lifetime of accumulation within the mystic realm, often setting certain challenges. When a talented descendant appeared and conquered the realm, they could retrieve these treasures.

Chen Qiu remained silent, standing in place with one hand behind his back, gazing at the notice with a calm and composed expression.

Every situation has its risks.

But within those risks, opportunities also exist.

As long as the opportunities outweigh the risks, it's worth giving it a try. If it fails... well, then it fails.

With his pocket world, and with items like the Self-Destruct Entry, Virtue Defense Order, and Virtue Attack Order, even if it's a trap, he can force his way through it with all his trump cards on the table!

A Spirit Transformation Body was worth taking the risk.

"Let's go," Chen Qiu said, leaning on the Heavenly Clue Umbrella and turning to walk alongside them. The temptation was indeed great, and they had to go. Just then—

"Fellow Daoist, you seem to have an extraordinary demeanor," said a young man, playing with a paper fan in his hand as he approached Chen Qiu. He bowed and greeted him with a smile, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am a true disciple of the Yuanzong Sect, and in the Preliminary Screening Realm, I received the evaluation of 'Earth Pride 78.' I'm on my way to Su City to participate in the Quzhou Talents Gathering in three days."

"Seeing you standing here for so long with such an extraordinary demeanor, may I ask which sect's talent you are from?"

Chen Qiu glanced at the man and paused for a moment before bursting into laughter, "I've long heard that the true disciples of Yuanzong Sect have an extraordinary demeanor, and today I finally witness it for myself. It's truly remarkable."

"I'm just a wandering cultivator planning to try my luck in Su City."

"A wandering cultivator, huh?"

The young man sized Chen Qiu up and down, and after a moment of thought, he also laughed, "How about we travel together?"

Seeing the smile on the young man's face, Chen Qiu's smile became even more gentle, "It would be my honor."

Outside Dayuan City.

The young man casually waved his paper fan, and a beautifully crafted flying boat appeared in the air before them. It was over ten zhang long and seemed far superior to the flying boats of the Great Xia Kingdom.

"What do you think?"

The young man's eyes gleamed with pride, "This is an Ultimate Core Formation Divine Treasure Flying Boat, crafted by Quzhou's top Artifact Refiner, Zhang Qianbei. It has three levels—the topmost level is an observation deck, and the middle and lower levels are for rest and cultivation."

"Its speed can match the full flight speed of a Golden Core Peak cultivator who has mastered body techniques."

"If you invest Medium-grade Spirit Stones without regard for consumption and power it at full force, even a Nascent Soul cultivator at the early stage who has mastered body techniques won't be able to catch up."

"It only takes three days and nights to fly from north Quzhou to south Quzhou."

"The flying boat also has a formation array that can withstand a full-power attack from a Nascent Soul cultivator at the early stage and nearly a hundred full-power attacks from a Golden Core Peak cultivator."

"This flying boat alone costs seven hundred Medium-grade Spirit Stones. It's quite a treasure, isn't it?"

Chen Qiu nodded sincerely, filled with admiration, "It's indeed a treasure. No wonder you're a true disciple of Yuanzong Sect. Don't laugh at me, but the total Spirit Stones I have on me aren't even enough to buy your flying boat."

"I guess I'm a bit embarrassed now."

"Hehe."

The young man's lips curved into a smile, "Brother, don't belittle yourself. After all, there aren't many in Quzhou who carry nearly a thousand Medium-grade Spirit Stones. It's not something to be ashamed of."

Just then—

A woman in a brocade robe, followed by a bald monk, approached them. She glanced at Chen Qiu and his companions, then turned to the true disciple of Yuanzong Sect and spoke nonchalantly, "Are we leaving now?"

She then turned her attention back to Chen Qiu and the others.

"Who are these people? May I have an introduction?"

". . ."

Chen Qiu silently checked his cloak, ensuring it could block Divine Sense and conceal his appearance before he could breathe a sigh of relief. Ever since he saw the effect of the "Eternal Love" entry in the Miscellaneous Records, he had become wary of women.

Especially with his "Enchanting Nation" entry, he naturally attracted the goodwill of the opposite sex. He decided to find an opportunity to explode this entry.

The risk was too high.

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end