Chapter 193: Only Those Who Fear Death Deserve to Live

Chapter 193: Only Those Who Fear Death Deserve to Live

"Master."

Xiao Yue's eyes sparkled with admiration as she gazed from several dozen li away from the Three Spring Tower. In a dazed voice, she murmured, "You've always told me to find a Heaven's Pride, right? What about Chen Qiu? Does he meet your standards, Master?"

The battle had come to an end.

The powerful and ferocious spiritual energy finally ceased.

The Ten Thousand Beasts Sect's Divine Transformation Apex elder, who had been expressionless, remained silent for a long time before speaking softly, "Starting today, you will return to the sect with me. You are not allowed to go anywhere else."

Although he didn't dare to probe with his divine sense, the commotion of the battle was evident even without it. In just a few months, Chen Qiu had advanced from the Golden Core Apex to the initial stages of Divine Transformation, and with this newfound power, his future was almost certainly destined to reach the apex of the Xuantian Continent.

He had a premonition that with Chen Qiu's personality and strength, if his disciple didn't stop pestering him, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect might face the danger of annihilation.

To put it nicely, a figure like Chen Qiu would not deign to indulge in romantic entanglements.

To be blunt, his disciple knew she wasn't a match for Chen Qiu.

If one sought trouble, it would be like a Golden Core solitary cultivator carrying a priceless treasure—not far from death.

"Why?"

Xiao Yue frowned in dissatisfaction, "I want to find Chen Qiu."

". . ."

After a pause, the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect's Divine Transformation Apex elder finally decided to be straightforward, "A person of his caliber will not waste his thoughts on you."

Without waiting for his disciple's reaction, the elder's powerful spiritual energy surged forth, enveloping his disciple and shooting towards the direction of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect!

The nine-tailed fox in Xiao Yue's arms looked at the elder with a hint of surprise.

Why was this old man being so considerate?

She had wanted to say this for a long time. Where would a female cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage find the courage to approach him?

Unexpectedly, this old man was quite understanding.

It seemed like she might live a little longer this time.

Xiao Yue's current body possessed the ability to see through people's thoughts, so she was even more aware of the elder's intentions. She had wanted to test what Chen Qiu was thinking, but she didn't dare get too close to him.

Compared to reading minds,

she felt that staying alive was more meaningful.

The Grand Elder of the Profound Heaven Sect, several dozen li away, looked calmly at the Three Spring Tower, which was gradually calming down. After a long while, he heaved a soft sigh.

When the Green Mountain Palace's Divine Transformation Apex elder, accompanied by several other Divine Transformation elders, went to confront Chen Qiu,

he had predicted an eighty percent chance of failure.

Now it seemed like the other twenty percent had come to pass.

They returned empty-handed.

The Twelfth Stage Soul Transformation Realm—this meant that even a Ninth Stage Soul Transformation Realm cultivator would be absolutely suppressed by Chen Qiu. As far as he knew, the Ninth Stage Soul Transformation Realm was already the strongest existence in the Xuantian Continent.

Only one person in the entire continent possessed the Tenth Stage Soul Transformation Realm.

In other words, only this person's realm would not be absolutely suppressed by Chen Qiu. All other cultivators' Soul Transformation Realms would fail to activate in his presence.

This was a suppression of realms.

An absolute suppression.

No matter how high your cultivation base was, you would still be suppressed.

He couldn't imagine how someone could create a Twelfth Stage Soul Transformation Realm. He knew the foundational materials required for such a realm, and those conditions were simply beyond human capabilities, or even beyond the possibilities of the Xuantian Continent.

A strand of Unique Heaven's Pride Fate.

Just this alone was something that the Xuantian Continent would never possess.

A strand of Unique Heaven's Pride Fate required three strands of Supreme Celestial Fortune, and a strand of Supreme Celestial Fortune required three strands of Celestial Fortune. In other words, to possess a strand of Unique Heaven's Pride Fate, one would need—

Nine strands of Celestial Fortune.

Twenty-seven strands of Earth's Pride Fortune.

Eighty-one strands of Human's Pride Fortune.

These materials were simply impossible to gather on the Xuantian Continent, or even if the continent wanted to gather them, it would require an incredibly long timeline, assuming one could gain the greatest benefits from every fortuitous encounter.

So he had no idea how Chen Qiu had managed it.

But—

Since he was the Sect Master of the Mock Heaven Sect, everything was normal.

Perhaps it was the legacy of the sect, which had swept across the entire Xuantian Continent tens of thousands of years ago, amassing countless opportunities. Maybe they truly had such a legacy.

"Sigh."

After a long while, the Grand Elder of the Profound Heaven Sect sighed again, perhaps he needed to seclude himself for a few more years.

"Did my father's guess turn out to be correct?"

Several dozen li away, the head of the Cao family's eyes flashed with a hint of self-satisfaction and fear as he looked towards the Three Spring Tower, where the spiritual energy was gradually calming down, "As I've said before, Chen Qiu is a Supreme Celestial Prodigy. How could he possibly fall so easily?"

"The 'Kill Xiu Banquet' was definitely a trap set by Chen Qiu to capture all the guests in one go!"

"Just you wait and see!"

"Perhaps Chen Qiu will visit each guest listed in the gift registry, and since many of the strongest cultivators from various factions died here, it's likely that the banquet is over."

"Hmm."

The young man hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Father, have you forgotten that you said if this matter turned out to be true, not attending would offend the Three Spring Tower? So, although we didn't go, we sent the gift beforehand, and our Cao family's name is already on the gift registry."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Father."

". . ."

The head of the Cao family remained expressionless and silent for a while before waving his hand, "No need to worry. With such an intense battle, the entire Three Spring Tower was reduced to ashes and flattened. What's more, it's just a gift registry."

"There's no need to worry."

"Everything is going according to my plan."

"Of course—"

"To be safe, return home immediately and gather the entire family, young and old, for a grand banquet. The occasion will be to celebrate Chen Qiu's breakthrough to the Divine Transformation stage. Even if Chen Qiu comes looking for us based on the gift registry."

"I can't believe it. With our sycophantic attitude, how could he bear to kill us?"

"Of course, to be cautious, I'll handle this matter at home. You should stay away from the public eye for now."

"I'm not afraid to die," the young man said softly, looking at his father.

The head of the Cao family gently stroked the young man's nape, "Your father here has journeyed from a wandering cultivator to the middle stage of Soul Transformation, all by being 'timid'. This word may sound simple, but it's not easy to put into practice."

"Ordinary people, when facing the end, will do anything to survive, even drinking cow urine. How much more so when it comes to begging for mercy."

"But once they attain a certain level of cultivation, like the Nascent Soul or Soul Transformation stage, they develop attachments."

"Suddenly, they'd rather die than kneel."

"After countless times of backing down on their journey, once they achieve success and fame, and are praised by others, they suddenly feel that their pride is more important than their lives. In my experience, those who claim they aren't afraid of death usually don't live long."

"Only those who fear death are worthy of living, for they have a deep reverence for it."

"For example—"

The head of the Cao family suddenly took out a water bag from his bosom, took a few gulps, and then held out the bag, which emitted a pungent urine-like odor, to his son with a light smile, "Your father here has reached the middle stage of Soul Transformation. I am a master in any of the Nine Provinces, capable of suppressing all within my domain."

"But I can still drink cow urine without flinching."

"Can you do the same?"

"This is the difference between us. Even if Chen Qiu comes, I can humble myself, but you can't. You don't want to lower yourself, and you don't want to see your father do the same."

"You might charge forward with some absurd notion of 'not letting your father suffer' and rush to your death, dragging the entire family with you."

"Can you drink this urine?"

". . ."

The young man looked at the urine-smelling water bag his father offered, remaining silent for a long while before breaking into a light laugh, "Father, I bet this bag doesn't hold cow urine. You're just trying to teach me a lesson."

He took the bag and drank from it. After three gulps, he quietly put down the bag and spat out the liquid in his mouth, his expression unchanged, "It's actually cow urine."

"This is the difference between us."

The head of the Cao family took back the urine-smelling water bag with a smile, took three sips without flinching, and then looked towards the direction of Three Spring Tower, sighing, "Your father will have his day of death, and the Cao family will eventually be in your hands."

"I don't have much to teach you."

"This is the first lesson."

"No matter how high your cultivation is, never have the absurd notion of choosing death over kneeling, or preferring to shatter your body rather than your pride. People can only do more if they stay alive."

"Even if it means drinking urine?" The young man asked, his face contorting with disgust.

"Yes, even if it means drinking urine."

The head of the Cao family paused, then couldn't help but laugh, revealing the mechanism on the water bag.

"And the second lesson your father will teach you is that sometimes, you don't actually have to drink urine. You just need to make others believe you are."

"The fact of drinking urine isn't important, but the attitude is."

"Take your time to understand."

"Your father here has come a long way from being a wandering cultivator, and I have many strengths. Learn from me. I'll send you to a dear friend's place, and I'll wait for three days. If Chen Qiu doesn't come, I'll come for you."

"If I die—"

"Change your name and surname."

"Anyway, Cao isn't a good name."

". . ." The young man said silently, "I will take revenge. I'll find a way to join the Mock Heaven Sect and deliver a fatal blow to Chen Qiu when the time is right."

"Don't be foolish."

The head of the Cao family patted his son's head with a sigh, "Your unfounded confidence is adorable at times. With your talent, how could you possibly join the Mock Heaven Sect?"

"If you truly want revenge—"

"Find a straw man, write Chen Qiu's name on a piece of cloth, wrap it around the straw man, and stab it a thousand times every day. After a few thousand years, you might just curse Chen Qiu to death."

"But, father," the young man said, puzzled, "if you're so pessimistic, why go back? Why don't we just abandon the Cao family and wander the world together?"

The head of the Cao family paused for a moment, then shook his head with a sigh, "The most difficult thing in this world is to act on one's beliefs."

"Your father knows how to avoid potential crises and survive, but the Cao family is my creation. It's where my family, friends, and roots are."

"I can't bear to leave it."

"When I was younger, I could stoop low to survive, but now that I'm old, if there's a chance, I want to try to save them. At the very least, I can face death with them. It's not easy for people to act on their beliefs."

In the Xuantian Continent, high above the Nine Heavens, within the Heavenly Palace.

At this moment, Chen Qiu stood in the center, leaning on the Heavenly Clue Umbrella, gazing at the two newly erected statues.

One depicted him activating the Thousand Thunder Surge Domain, surrounded by countless lifelike arcs of lightning, as if witnessing the blooming and fading of flowers.

It stood out prominently.

The other statue showed him sitting in meditation amidst a storm, overlooking the Three Spring Tower with a detached expression and cold, indifferent eyes.

This was the only statue of him seated in meditation, a stark contrast to the other four statues.

". . ."

After circling the two statues, Chen Qiu turned to the remaining seven empty circular pedestals. He had completed five of the twelve milestone tasks in the Xuantian Continent, with seven more to go.

And when these seven tasks were done, he would leave the Xuantian Continent.

After circling around, he once again approached the Heavenly Palace's entrance and attempted to push it open, but it remained firmly shut, as if sealed by the heavens themselves, beyond the strength of his current cultivation level. It was as if the palace doors were locked tight.

Peering through the crack, he saw nothing but emptiness on the other side.

Mystic Continent, Central Palace.

Chen Qiu glanced at the crack with a meaningful look, then transformed into a white light and disappeared from his original spot. He reappeared at the ruins of Three Spring Tower, unsure of the specifics of the vast continent.

However, he knew one thing.

With a thousand billion virtue points or the cultivation level of Essence Refinement, he could travel to that vast continent.

But on the Mystic Continent, there were cultivators at the Essence Refinement stage, and the fact that they hadn't ventured to the vast continent already indicated one thing—it was highly likely that the vast continent wasn't a pleasant place.

Especially when he recalled the words spoken by the light and shadow across from the black hole when he had refused to go to the vast continent.

"Ant."

He wasn't one to hold grudges, but he made sure to repay every debt, just as mortals ate every day. He didn't think this was something worth mentioning; it was a normal and necessary thing to do.

Three Spring Tower, at the ruins.

Chen Qiu looked at the four middle-grade Celestial Wheels in the Heavenly Path Ring and prepared to open them after returning to Dragon Island. Then he turned to the group from Mock Heaven Sect, who had already finished their task, and said with a light laugh, "All done."

"Not a blade of grass will grow!"

Qu Gui, the outer gate elder of Mock Heaven Sect, stepped forward with a respectful expression and reported, "Very good."

Chen Qiu nodded, "You've already reached the second layer of Nascent Soul. Keep up the good work and strive to break through to Divine Transformation. I've prepared the Divine Transformation Realm for all of you."

"Before dawn, visit every guest family on the gift registry. Delay, and things might change."

"I'll lead the way," Ao Tian raised his hand, "I know Central Province well. I was once chased and ran in circles around it."

"Good."

Their current strength wasn't enough to sweep through the entire Central Province without restraint. At the very least, if an Essence Refinement cultivator intervened, they wouldn't be able to resist. However, Essence Refinement cultivators often secluded themselves for long periods, resulting in a significant delay in receiving external information.

As long as an Essence Refinement cultivator didn't appear and they weren't surrounded by a large group of peak Divine Transformation cultivators, no one in Central Province could stop them.

Especially with the combination of Ao Tian and Chen Qiu.

Chen Qiu could easily suppress any Divine Transformation Realm cultivator of the ninth rank or below, and once their Divine Transformation Realms were suppressed, it would be Ao Tian's turn to take action. Chen Qiu would provide support from the rear while Ao Tian held the front line.

They were the perfect cooperative partners.

What they needed most right now was time to develop.

They needed to wait until the dragon cubs from the dragon clan grew up, and Chen Qiu also needed to wait for his Nascent Soul to give birth. Once his Nascent Soul produced two more offspring, he could activate four Divine Transformation Realms simultaneously. The disciples of Mock Heaven Sect also required time to break through to Divine Transformation, and what they needed most right now was time.

So, this time, they would first seize a batch of resources and return. After consuming this batch of resources, they would go out and seize another batch.

By repeating this process,

They could achieve a positive cycle.

They needed both abundant resources and ample time.

Their first target was naturally the group of guests who had come to attend the Kill Xiu Banquet.

The first family was completely looted.

The second family was completely looted.

The third family was completely looted.

Soon, Chen Qiu and his group quickly made their way through the night, heading towards each family on the list, which were all located nearby. They didn't waste any time, leaving alive those who didn't resist and sending those with strong resistance and resentment to meet the patriarch.

Until they arrived at the Cao family.

".”

Fatty Dragon stood at the entrance of the Cao family with a slightly strange expression. It was late at night, and every household was asleep, except for the Cao family, whose lights were on, and the aroma of food filled the air. If you listened carefully, you could hear the laughter of children and the sounds of folk bands playing drums and gongs.

Two large red flowers were tied to the chests of the two men standing outside the Cao family's gate, creating a festive atmosphere.

Two banners were also hung.

"Congratulations to Chen Qiu, the sect master of Mock Heaven Sect, for passing the Annihilation Thunder Tribulation and successfully breaking through to Divine Transformation!"

"The entire clan celebrates!"

"What's going on here?" Fatty Dragon's eyes flashed with bewilderment.

Just then, a middle-aged man walked out of the gate, his face filled with joy as he looked at them, "I am the head of the Cao family. Are you here to share in the good fortune? You all look a bit unfamiliar, are you not from this town? I won't hide anything from you, good sirs."

"I've long admired Chen Qiu, the sect master of Mock Heaven Sect!"

"When I heard that Three Spring Tower was hosting the Kill Xiu Banquet during the day, I felt particularly angry and resentful. I wondered how someone like Chen Qiu could be killed by Three Spring Tower? But I also felt helpless that I couldn't do anything to help Chen Qiu."

"However, due to the power of Three Spring Tower, I had no choice but to reluctantly send a gift. But in my heart, I had already cursed Three Spring Tower countless times."

"But tonight, Chen Qiu broke through to the twelfth rank of Divine Transformation and achieved enlightenment. The anxiety I've felt for Chen Qiu has finally subsided."

After the middle-aged man took a deep breath, he looked at everyone with enthusiasm and invited them in, "But now everything is over. Come in, everyone! There's plenty of wine and water!"

Fatty Dragon silently put away the large knife he was holding and turned to look at Chen Qiu.

".”

Chen Qiu looked at the middle-aged man in silence for a long time before suddenly laughing lightly, "We won't bother you for wine and water. We're just passing by, so we won't delay you any longer."

Then he turned and walked away.

The disciples of Mock Heaven Sect quickly followed behind him.

Once they were sure that Chen Qiu and the others had left, the head of the Cao family's entire body suddenly went limp and fell to the ground, as if he had narrowly escaped death. He patted his chest, his voice trembling as he said, "It's over. Everyone can go now."

It was over.

The words "Mock" were embroidered on their robes, so how could he not recognize them? And how could Chen Qiu think that he wouldn't recognize them? He was just pretending to be stupid to try and save his own life.

I never expected this.

He really did manage to save his life.

His initial expectation was that the clan's possessions would be lost, as long as the people survived. But not only did they survive, their wealth remained intact.

The Central Province is too dangerous.

He has started considering returning to the Nine Provinces.

However, the Nine Provinces are close to the Demon Clan, and if a war breaks out between the Human Race and the Demon Clan, it would be equally dangerous. The Lower Nine Provinces are also near the Demon State and Quzhou, making it risky as well. With Chen Qiu's future visits to the Central Province, it will become even more perilous.

Somehow, the Xuantian Continent seems to have become a dangerous place.

The Divine Transformation experts from these families all perished at the Kill Xiu Banquet, making it easy to retrieve their possessions. They faced little resistance and collected over ten thousand middle-grade Spirit Stones.

This was from just seven or eight minor families.

The Spirit Stones gained from these families are comparable to the combined forces of Quzhou, proving that Central Province powers are indeed wealthy.

Spirit Stones are essential materials for crafting the Soul Transformation Realm.

While crafting the Soul Transformation Realm may not require many materials for an individual, the combined numbers of the Heaven-defying Sect and the Dragon Clan are considerable.

Soon—

Before dawn, the group returned to Dragon Island.

However, regarding the distribution of spoils, Ao Tian firmly turned to Chen Qiu and said earnestly, "Brother, there's no need to explain further. In this operation, I and the Black Dragon barely had a chance to contribute."

"You killed the people, and the Heaven-defying Sect moved the families."

"I and the Black Dragon were mostly spectators. It's unfair to divide the spoils equally, so this time, let's do a 1:9 split, with you taking nine parts and me taking one."

"And not just this time, but in the future, whenever the Dragon Clan and the Heaven-defying Sect act together, we'll divide the spoils according to our contributions."

Chen Qiu glanced at Ao Tian and didn't refuse further, simply saying softly, "Alright, if any of you dragon cubs need resources in the future, just let me know."

The two quickly reached a unanimous decision on the distribution of spoils.

Chen Qiu planned to craft Third Stage Divine Transformation Fields for the Heaven-defying Sect disciples, which was already close to the sect's limit.

-

Third Stage Divine Transformation Field: 1,000 middle-grade Spirit Stones and one Tianshan Snow Pear.

Fourth Stage Divine Transformation Field: 3,000 middle-grade Spirit Stones and a strand of Human's Pride Fortune.

-

From the Fourth Stage Divine Transformation Field onwards, a strand of Human's Pride Fortune is required. He doesn't have the ability to provide every disciple of the Heaven-defying Sect with a strand of Celestial Prodigy Fortune. The Third Stage Divine Transformation Field is the current limit.

The grade of the Soul Transformation Realm can be gradually improved later.

When there are other opportunities in the future, they can work on it then.

A single Third Stage Divine Transformation Field requires 1,000 middle-grade Spirit Stones. For 50 people, that's 50,000 middle-grade Spirit Stones, and this is just the basic requirement for crafting the Soul Transformation Realm, not including other expenses. These Spirit Stones are far from sufficient.

The main consumption is the Heaven-defying Sect's Grand Array.

Indeed, to help these Heaven-defying Sect disciples break through to the Soul Transformation Realm faster, achieve Full Sect Divine Transformation, and complete a Milestone Task, he visited the Void Observation Sect on his return from the Central Province.

This sect specializes in array formations, and their Nascent Soul peak array master left a deep impression on him during the Nascent Soul Battle Strength Secret Realm.

The sect's Patriarch is at the initial stage of the Soul Transformation Realm.

He brought the Patriarch of this sect to help them repair their arrays. Once the arrays are fixed, they plan to activate the sect's large Spirit Gathering Formation, which devours Gold Devouring Beasts and consumes countless middle-grade Spirit Stones daily.

However, with the sect's large Spirit Gathering Formation and an unlimited supply of Nascent Soul Dao Cultivation Pills, he believes these Heaven-defying Sect disciples can break through to the Soul Transformation Realm in the shortest time!

This will also complete a Milestone Task.

-

One of the Twelve Milestone Tasks:

Full Sect Divine Transformation.

Completed by: None!

-

This Milestone Task requires a sect or family with over 50 Soul Transformation experts, with everyone in the sect, from the leader to the lowliest disciple, possessing the Soul Transformation cultivation base.

Once this requirement is met, the sect leader can complete this Milestone Task.

It's a rather demanding Milestone Task.

On the Xuantian Continent, no sect currently possesses over 50 Soul Transformation experts.

Except for the Heaven-defying Sect from tens of thousands of years ago, which was a sect of sword cultivators. It is said that they had nearly a hundred, or even over a hundred, Soul Transformation sword cultivators, making them the closest to completing this Milestone Task.

However, the Heaven-defying Sect from tens of thousands of years ago had many low-level disciples who did not meet the requirement of Full Sect Divine Transformation.

So, Chen Qiu plans to wait until the Heaven-defying Sect has 50 Soul Transformation experts, then expel the rest of the disciples. After completing the Milestone Task, he will invite them back into the sect, ensuring that this Milestone Task remains unknown to the outside world.

Otherwise, he feels that this task might not be as difficult as it seems, and there might be shortcuts.

Afterward, Chen Qiu sat cross-legged on a peak of Dragon Island, calming his mind by circulating his cultivation technique. This trip had brought them a significant amount of resources, including a large number of Spirit Stones and various heavenly treasures.

He didn't rush to activate the middle-grade Celestial Wheel but instead took out an Eight Directions Fruit and fed it to his Nascent Soul.

Under the "One Feed, One Pull" Entry, he soon spat out an Enlightenment Stone.

However, it was an Enlightenment Stone for Nascent Soul spells, useless to him.

He then turned his attention to the four middle-grade Celestial Wheels in his hand. As he prepared to activate one of them, he suddenly sensed a white light emanating from them that hadn't been there before.

Chen Qiu paused, then seemed to understand something.

Tentatively, he stacked three middle-grade Celestial Wheels together.

The next moment!

The three middle-grade Celestial Wheels began to slowly merge.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end