After destroying the Lingquan Sect, Jun Changxiao had expected the Shengquan Sect to come looking for trouble, but he hadn’t expected it to be in the form of a challenge letter.
This was more like it.
If Wei Yixi at the start hadn’t played conspiracies and schemes, but had properly resolved the two sects’ grievances in this manner, would he have carried out the sect annihilation?
“Sect Master.”
Li Qingyang said gravely, “To become an inner disciple of the Shengquan Sect, one’s natural talent and strength must be quite outstanding.”
Jun Changxiao rubbed his chin. “Since they had a disciple issue the challenge letter, if this seat, as the master of a sect, were to fight, wouldn’t that be laughable?”
“Qingyang.”
He paused. “You will accept the challenge.”
“Yes!” Li Qingyang said.
Jun Changxiao said, “This battle concerns the sect’s honor. No matter what, you must win it for this seat.”
Li Qingyang declared loudly, “This disciple will do his utmost!”
Actually, he felt quite pressured. After all, his opponent was a Shengquan Sect inner disciple—a fifth-tier sect. In terms of talent and strength, they might not be weaker than him.
Jun Changxiao interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them. “What this seat wants is victory.”
“Yes!”
Li Qingyang declared loudly, “In three days, this disciple will definitely win!”
Jun Changxiao waved his hand and tossed over ten Qi Gathering Pills and three spirit stones. “These two days, don’t worry about anything else. Just cultivate properly for this seat, preparing for the battle in three days.”
The ten spirit stones were obtained from the sect martial competition. He hadn’t been willing to use them.
Now that the Shengquan Sect had come to challenge them, he didn’t hesitate to give Li Qingyang three stones first, hoping he would become stronger in the shortest time possible and have absolute confidence in winning.
Li Qingyang received the pills and spirit stones, his gaze determined. “This disciple will definitely not disappoint Sect Master!”
With that, he left the great hall to focus on cultivation.
Lu Qianqian leaned against the doorframe and said indifferently, “Why didn’t you let me fight?”
Jun Changxiao said, “Qingyang is steady and sees the big picture. I hope he can become stronger and more confident to assist this seat in managing the Iron Bone Sect together.”
Lu Qianqian said indifferently, “So this is the excuse Sect Master is finding to be a hands-off leader in the future?”
Jun Changxiao clutched his chest and slumped against the chair back, feigning weakness. “Oh no, I can’t go on. This seat’s heart hurts so much…”
Lu Qianqian rolled her eyes at him. “The Shengquan Sect coming to challenge us shows they care about the Lingquan Sect. Our Iron Bone Sect has formed a grudge with such a sect.”
Jun Changxiao stopped his awkward performance and spread his hands. “As long as they don’t play conspiracies and schemes, this seat doesn’t mind playing with them.”
If outsiders heard these words, they’d definitely be speechless.
Where does an eighth-tier sect get the confidence and courage to dare play with a fifth-tier sect?
…
Elder Wei was settled by Jun Changxiao in the inner courtyard. He designated over ten acres of empty land in the back mountain as an herb garden and put Elder Wei in charge of managing it.
“Sect Master.”
“Please assign a few disciples to help this old man cultivate the wasteland together.”
Just settled in, Elder Wei didn’t plan to rest but began performing his job duties.
Jun Changxiao called Su Xiaomo, Tian Qi, Li Fei, and others over to help with the land cultivation.
In just half a day, the dozen or so acres of wasteland were plowed once over, the soil loosened and suitable for planting.
Elder Wei carefully took out the herb seeds, then hunched over and planted them step by step, one hole at a time.
“Elder Wei.”
Su Xiaomo said, “Let us help you.”
Elder Wei waved his hand. “Sowing herb seeds requires a sincere heart to nurture medicinal herbs that gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. You young ones are too rash. Let this old man do it alone.”
“…”
The Iron Bone Sect disciples were speechless.
Since he wouldn’t let them help, they left the back mountain and went to cultivate separately.
It wasn’t until dusk arrived that Elder Wei finally sowed all the herb seeds across the dozen acres. The spacing between each herb, and even the depth of each hole, was very particular.
If peers saw this, they would definitely praise sincerely—Professional!
…
Having hired Elder Wei, Jun Changxiao no longer concerned himself with it. Instead, he sat cross-legged in his room, pulled up the Alchemy Pavilion, and after a series of ding sounds, refined three hundred Meridian Opening Pills.
“This stuff combined with the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Scripture will definitely make opening meridians easy. Tomorrow I’ll have Dudu try it.”
While murmuring, he waved his hand and took out a spirit stone.
Li Qingyang needed to cultivate, and he also needed to cultivate. Because the Shengquan Sect’s challenge meant directly confronting a fifth-tier sect, his cultivation level must be raised as quickly as possible.
“How do I use it?”
Holding the spirit stone, Sect Master Jun looked completely confused.
The system said, “Same as communicating with a crystal core. Communicate with the spirit stone, draw out the spiritual energy inside, slowly refine it, and then merge it into your qi vortex.”
“Oh.”
Jun Changxiao did as told. When his consciousness merged into the spirit stone and felt the vast spiritual energy inside, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “So pure!”
“Obviously.”
The system said, “If it weren’t pure, would it cost ten thousand taels each?”
Jun Changxiao ignored him and began guiding the spiritual energy from within the spirit stone. It gradually formed into a gentle thread that flew out and drilled into his body through his nostrils.
The Muscle-Tendon Transformation Scripture circulated, beginning to slowly refine it.
…
After one night passed, the spirit stone in his palm changed from crystalline to dull gray. The qi vortex in Jun Changxiao’s dantian was noticeably stronger than before.
He marveled inwardly, “If I absorb four or five more of these, breaking through from eighth rank to ninth rank would absolutely be effortless!”
Jun Changxiao had previously estimated that even taking Qi Gathering Pills and cultivating non-stop, it would take at least half a month.
Now with spirit stones, continuously absorbing them, he could break through in two or three days. Simply too terrifying!
The system said, “Spirit stones are the most important cultivation resource on the Xingyun Continent. How many warriors spend their entire lives pursuing them, even losing their lives over them.”
“How do you obtain spirit stones?” Jun Changxiao asked.
The system said, “Either find ore veins to mine, or find a Spirit Master to refine them from high-grade crystal cores.”
Jun Changxiao rubbed his chin. “We already have an herbalist. It seems I need to find time to go down the mountain and hire a Spirit Master.”
The system threw cold water on him. “The Spirit Master profession is extremely rare. Even the lowest-level Spirit Apprentices—there aren’t even ten in all of Qingyang County. If you really want to hire one, prepare yourself to offer a monthly salary of a million.”
A million? That’s robbery!
…
The next day.
Jun Changxiao called Liu Wanshi over. “Dudu, what level are you at now? When will you break through meridians?”
Liu Wanshi said, “Sect Master, I’m currently at the fourth stage of Meridian Opening. I’ve already condensed spiritual energy and can break through meridians at any time!”
Her culinary skills were exquisite, but her spiritual root was only common-grade. Since she usually had to be responsible for her senior martial brothers’ meals, even though she entered at the same time as Ye Xingchen, she had only opened to the fourth meridian.
“Here.”
Jun Changxiao said, “This is a Meridian Opening Pill. It can help you successfully open your meridians.”
Liu Wanshi received the pill, her round eyes wide open in disbelief. “Meridian Opening Pill? That’s a very expensive pill. Are you really giving it to me, Sect Master?”
Seeing the little girl’s adorable appearance, Jun Changxiao really wanted to pinch her face.
“Hurry and break through.”
“Mm-hmm.”
Liu Wanshi didn’t leave. Instead, she sat cross-legged on the great hall floor, consumed the Meridian Opening Pill, circulated the Muscle-Tendon Transformation Scripture, and as a result—her meridian opened!
More precisely.
Just as the little girl mobilized her spiritual energy to attack the blocked meridian, she broke through effortlessly.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Spiritual energy permeated the fifth primary meridian. A fifth ring of light condensed on Liu Wanshi’s wrist, making her exclaim with joy, “Sect Master, I’ve broken through the fifth meridian!”
Seemingly too excited, she whooshed up and pounced toward Jun Changxiao!
“Swish!”
Sect Master Jun made a sidestep, perfectly dodging. Then came a “thud” sound as petite Liu Wanshi fell to the ground in a spread-eagle position.
This was definitely an instinctive dodging reaction formed from long martial training!
Liu Wanshi stood up, rubbing her forehead, her eyes brimming with tears, looking pitiful. “Sect Master, why didn’t you catch me?”