Chapter 171: "Thank you, Mock Heaven Sect, for helping my sect eliminate its sins." (Part 2)

Chapter 171: "Thank you, Mock Heaven Sect, for helping my sect eliminate its sins." (Part 2)

This was the first collective task for the Mock Heaven Sect disciples!

He had already announced it.

Whoever sold the most Redemption Tokens would become the Mock Heaven Sect's outer elder, enjoying more cultivation resources and the authority to lead the outer disciples.

Upon hearing this command, the Mock Heaven Sect disciples became energized, like they had been injected with chicken blood. Passionately, they rushed towards the various sects in Quzhou. Even without the scholar's help, their Nascent Soul stage cultivation provided sufficient speed.

Chen Qiu walked alone in Dayuan City, leisurely strolling with nothing to do. After days of intense cultivation, he felt a bit weary.

Today, he decided to take a break and enjoy some leisure time.

He mingled with the crowd, watching street performances.

Then, he went to a teahouse to listen to a storyteller narrating his tale.

Afterward, he sat at a roadside stall, savoring the local specialties of Dayuan City.

For the first time in many days, his tense heartstrings relaxed. He hadn't chosen the three-choice term for breaking through the fifth layer of the Nascent Soul stage yet, but he wasn't in a hurry to do so. He needed a temporary rest.

One couldn't stay tense all the time.

Chen Qiu took a break.

However, Quzhou had already descended into chaos!

Over thirty disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect swarmed like locusts, sweeping through every sect within the Mock Heaven Sect's territory except for the Su family.

"I am Zhao Buzhu, an outer disciple of the Mock Heaven Sect," he said, standing alone at the entrance of the Falcon Talisman Sect. He looked at the sect master of the Falcon Talisman Sect and spoke earnestly, "I won't waste time with pleasantries. Your sect's sins require the purchase of three redemption tokens."

"It's three hundred medium-grade spirit stones."

"Um..."

The sect master of the Falcon Talisman Sect cautiously took out three redemption tokens from his chest and asked, "Are these the ones? We've already bought them from Qu Gui of the Mock Heaven Sect."

"Hmm?"

Zhao Buzhu frowned, deep in thought for a moment, before turning and leaving. According to the sect master's orders, there was no need to sell tokens to a sect that had already purchased them. But why was Qu Gui so quick?

He visited two other sects, only to find that Qu Gui had beaten him to it.

This old man... Could he be trying to compete for the position of outer elder of the Mock Heaven Sect?

"I've always treated you all well, haven't I?"

An outer disciple of the Mock Heaven Sect gathered seven or eight other outer disciples and spoke sincerely, "Only the disciple who sells the most redemption tokens can become an outer elder of the Mock Heaven Sect."

"Unless you're first, there's no difference between being second or last."

"When you sell redemption tokens, attribute them to me. Help me become an outer elder, and I promise to remember you. We're the closest among all the disciples. If I become an outer elder, I won't forget you when good things come our way."

"Does that make sense?"

The seven or eight outer disciples looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

In no time—

The disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect spread out like locusts, sweeping through every sect in the Quzhou region. It would take at least two or three days to complete their task, as Quzhou was not a small area.

But one thing was certain.

When these disciples returned, they would all be carrying a large number of spirit stones.

These spirit stones were the foundation of the Mock Heaven Sect.

Quzhou, Dayuan City.

Chen Qiu sat at a roadside stall, enjoying the local specialties, when he noticed several young men and women in luxurious robes approaching him. They were followed by three or four elders at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage, and their target was him.

Soon—

The young man leading the group approached Chen Qiu with a smile as bright as the rising sun. He looked at Chen Qiu and raised his hands, making a few gestures in the air.

"Don't be nervous. We come in good faith and mean you no harm."

"If we had ill intentions, we wouldn't have come with just these people. We could have brought a few Divine Transformation experts."

"Allow me to introduce myself."

"I am Qiao Jian from the Qiao family in Zhongzhou, and I will be the future head of the family. Everyone behind me is also from Zhongzhou, and their backing is stronger than the most powerful force in Quzhou."

"We already had high expectations of you."

"But we never imagined that you could break through from the first layer to the fifth layer of the Nascent Soul stage in just three days. Nor did we expect that upon entering the Nascent Soul stage, your power could suppress even those at its peak."

"To be honest, you have exceeded all our expectations."

". . ."

Chen Qiu sat on the stall, his body still, and looked up at the group. He took a sip of meat soup from the porcelain bowl and casually wiped the oil from the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, saying, "Do I look nervous?"

"No, you don't," Qiao Jian replied with a smile as he sat down in front of Chen Qiu. "On the contrary, I'm a bit nervous. After all, this is my first time talking to a genius like you, and I'm a bit tense."

A woman standing behind Qiao Jian looked at his back and couldn't help but show a hint of appreciation.

Such a person with high emotional intelligence.

He truly deserved the title of Heaven's Pride.

With a playful remark, he effortlessly defused the tension in Chen Qiu's words, regaining control of the conversation's rhythm. The Heaven's Pride from Zhongzhou indeed had an extra touch of elegance compared to those from other places.

Qiao Jian then stood up and introduced the woman who had been standing behind him the whole time, speaking with respect, "Allow me to introduce you to the only sister of the young master of the Three Springs Tower, a powerful force in Zhongzhou."

"The Three Springs Tower is second only to the top forces in Zhongzhou and has always maintained neutrality, never involving itself in disputes."

"Compared to other ancient sects, the Three Springs Tower rose to prominence in just seven hundred years, going from an unknown force in Zhongzhou to a position just below the top sects. This speaks to the rapid rise of the Three Springs Tower."

"The current young master of the Three Springs Tower is also the youngest in its history."

"The young master has grand ambitions. With the turbulent era approaching, most top sects choose to seclude themselves from the world out of fear. However, the Three Springs Tower decided to abandon its neutrality and recruit talented individuals to seize an opportunity in the upcoming chaos."

"The young lady before you is the young master's only sister, Xia Ruyi."

"She represents the Three Springs Tower."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded and smiled at the group, "So, what brings you here?"

"We wish to invite you to join us as the turbulent era approaches, so we can seize opportunities together."

"I'm afraid not," Chen Qiu shook his head and casually replied, "I also plan to seclude myself from the world. I'm scared."

Just then—

"Chen Qiu," Xia Ruyi, standing behind Qiao Jian, spoke with a serious expression, "We can discuss this later. I can give you ample time to consider, but before that, can you tell us how you broke through from the first layer to the fifth layer of the Nascent Soul stage in just three days?"

"This is very important to us."

"Even for the Heaven's Pride in Zhongzhou, breaking through each minor realm of the Nascent Soul stage takes at least half a year."

"I know this may be a bit forward."

"But we are willing to offer a sincere reward in exchange. If you tell us how you did it, we will compensate you accordingly. The amount will depend on the value of the information you provide. We won't be stingy as long as it's valuable."

Action: "Moreover..."

"Stop with the 'moreover' already," Chen Qiu sighed irritably. He just wanted a break, but there were always some annoying people finding him. He stood up and started walking away from the stall.

But just then—

"Boom!"

A powerful Divine Transformation Stage aura exploded in Dayuan City, causing Chen Qiu to abruptly stop in his tracks. He turned around and looked at the old man standing behind the girl, remaining silent for a long while before suddenly laughing.

"A Divine Transformation Stage Bodyguard, I was indeed shortsighted."

"So, if I don't tell you how I cultivated, you'll use force?"

Xia Ruyi shook her head, her expression sincere as she looked at Chen Qiu, "We mean no harm. We just want to invite you to join us, and we're willing to pay a certain price to obtain the secret of your rapid cultivation."

"Huff,"

Chen Qiu exhaled lightly, knowing it was time to fight. He still had three more entries to self-destruct, and with quick action, taking down these opponents wouldn't be a problem. However, the entire Dayuan City would be destroyed in the process.

But before he could make a move,

An even more powerful Divine Transformation Stage aura suppressed the previous one.

"Everyone,"

Su Tian Shan, the Su Family Patriarch, approached from the sky without expression. In the blink of an eye, he landed before the group, "These esteemed guests from Zhongzhou, you came to Quzhou without even greeting me?"

"This Chen Zongzhu is my benefactor."

"Do you have intentions towards him?"

". . ."

Xia Ruyi's expression turned slightly unpleasant as she looked at Su Tian Shan. They were both at the early Divine Transformation Stage, but it was clear that Su Tian Shan's influence was greater. She stared straight at him.

"Su Senior, are you sure you want to stop us from acting on behalf of the Three Springs Brothel?"

"The Su Family only has one at the Divine Transformation Stage, but the Three Springs Brothel has more than just the one behind me."

"You know the consequences of offending the Three Springs Brothel, right?"

"What offense?"

Su Tian Shan's expression remained calm as he glanced at the group, "I just wanted to chat with Chen Zongzhu for a while. If you want to talk to him, please come back another day."

Xia Ruyi's eyes fixed on Su Tian Shan, and after a few breaths, a hint of coldness flashed in her eyes, "I'll remember this. We'll see."

Saying this, she waved her hand and led the young men, women, and bodyguards away.

After they left, Su Tian Shan's aura, which had been so imposing a moment ago, suddenly dissipated. He scratched his head in irritation, feeling anxious, "What should we do now? That's the Three Springs Brothel, a top-tier force. Being remembered by them is no small matter."

"How did you offend them, Chen Qiu?"

"They won't give up. They'll come looking for you again."

"Me?"

Chen Qiu shook his head nonchalantly, "They came to provoke me, wanting the secret of my rapid cultivation. I didn't give it to them, so they planned to take action."

"Rapid cultivation?!"

Su Tian Shan was slightly taken aback, carefully examining Chen Qiu before disbelief flashed in his eyes, "You're at the fifth level of the Nascent Soul Stage?!"

"Impossible!!!"

"How long has it been since you broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage? It hasn't even been four days, and you're already at the fifth level?!"

"Did you reincarnate and cultivate anew? Even then, it's not this fast. Did you seize someone's body?"

No wonder Xia Ruyi wanted to take it; anyone would want it.

After a long while, he shook his head with a complex expression, "You'll probably be in danger from now on. It's best to leave Quzhou immediately. The Three Springs Brothel won't let you off easily; they'll definitely come after you again."

"I was just passing through. I've been in seclusion these past few days, finally breaking through to the second level of the Divine Transformation Stage. The Su Family is also preparing to seclude itself from the world."

"Mhm."

Chen Qiu nodded, looking in the direction Xia Ruyi and the others had left. He smiled gently, "Kill them, what do you think? Su Family Patriarch, you can't just wait for them to send people to take revenge, right?"

"Kill them?"

Su Tian Shan hesitated, shaking his head, "Chen Qiu, don't be impulsive. I won't join you. Helping you just now was already the Su Family's limit, and that was because the Su Family is preparing to seclude itself."

"But if you kill them, you'll face endless retaliation from the Three Springs Brothel."

"If you let them go, won't they still seek revenge?"

"Maybe, but at least there's a chance to talk things through, or the retaliation won't be too severe."

"Sigh."

Chen Qiu let out a soft sigh, not saying anything more. He walked past Su Tian Shan, following in Xia Ruyi's direction, leaving his back to Su Tian Shan, who waved his hand, "Thank you for helping just now, Su Family Patriarch."

Su Tian Shan watched Chen Qiu's departing figure, his expression slightly sour. He hadn't expected Chen Qiu to be so stubborn. He didn't know how many times he had experienced such situations in his life, but not every Zhongzhou prodigy would resort to bullying.

If that were the case, Chen Qiu wouldn't be able to tolerate it.

Could he always be on the road, killing?

But...

After hesitating for a moment, he shot off in the opposite direction of Chen Qiu. He had a good relationship with Chen Qiu, but with the Su Family backing him, he couldn't drag the entire family into facing the Three Springs Brothel's revenge.

As long as he didn't make a move,

Chen Qiu wouldn't either. Even with his powerful fifth-level Nascent Soul Stage strength, he couldn't defeat a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator. This, he was certain of, unless... Chen Qiu used that move from the Demon State again.

But before Su Tian Shan had even left the Three Springs Brothel for a hundred breaths, he felt a terrifying Spirit Qi fluctuation explode near Dayuan City. His body stiffened, and he abruptly turned around, looking towards the city with disbelief in his eyes. Then, he spun and continued shooting towards Dayuan City!

He pulled his body to its limits!

In just a few breaths, he reached the outskirts of Dayuan City. A hundred li away, in the wilderness outside the city, two terrifyingly deep pits suddenly appeared on the flat ground, with lightning arcs flashing at the bottom.

A tattered old man's body could be vaguely seen lying at the bottom of one of the pits.

Chen Qiu was calmly slicing open the old man's abdomen and taking out a "Divine Transformation Pill" from his Dantian.

"What have you done?!"

Su Tian Shan's voice rose in disbelief, "You really killed them?!"

"That's the only sister of the Young Master of the Three Springs Brothel. You've completely offended them, do you know that? Do you really think you can face their retaliation?"

He truly hadn't expected Chen Qiu to dare to take action!

And he never imagined Chen Qiu would actually win!

That was a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator. How could Chen Qiu, at the Nascent Soul Stage, defeat him? Moreover, it seemed he didn't use the move from the Demon State but another one.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end