Li Yuhua had just finished completing a three-star mission with Long Ziyang and Ling Yuanxue when he returned only to be thoroughly thrashed by Sect Leader Jun.
What made it even more tragic was that Xiao Zuiji had increased the physical training difficulty. That very evening, he trained in the Body Refinement Room for four hours before finally emerging.
After dawn, having eaten breakfast and wanting to catch some sleep, he was dragged by Su Xiaomo to play soccer instead.
Everyone understood the Sect Leader’s intention. Once the match started, no one kicked toward the goal—they all kicked toward him instead.
And so, Li Yuhua’s miserable existence began. Though the process was painful, his growth rate was remarkably significant.
Within just a few days, he had made tremendous progress in both physical conditioning and reflexes.
Now, if Su Xiaomo and the others wanted to actually hit him with the ball, they had to put considerably more force behind their kicks.
He wasn’t the only one cultivating either.
The ten disciples with mid-grade spiritual roots were also training under Li Qingyang’s leadership, consuming Qi Gathering Pills while cultivating in the spiritual energy formation.
Lu Qianqian, Ye Xingchen, and the others each had their own individual cultivation plans.
As for the sect missions, seven days had already passed since they were first posted.
The disciples who had accepted missions early on had long since completed them, with others gradually following suit. In total, over twenty missions had been completed.
Jun Changxiao pulled up the data panel. Achievement points had risen from 100 to 200, while contribution points had increased from 340 to 440.
Quite a few missions still remained. If all were completed, the contribution points would definitely overflow, so he spent 100 contribution points to purchase two bottles of mid-grade Aptitude Modification Liquid, then summoned Tian Qi and Li Fei.
This was to continue raising their potential!
“Gulp!”
Tian Qi and Li Fei consumed the high-grade Aptitude Modification Liquid. Their spiritual root quality broke through from mid-grade to high-grade, and their realms advanced from sixth-rank to seventh-rank Wutu.
With this, all seven inner sect disciples now possessed high-grade spiritual roots.
For an eighth-rate sect to have seven disciples with high-grade spiritual roots—if this news spread throughout the jianghu, it would definitely cause massive waves!
Back in Haoqi Sect, Jun Changxiao had purchased two bottles of Aptitude Modification Liquid. After the member limit increased, he bought four more bottles, giving one each to Su Xiaomo and two others, so he still had three bottles in hand.
Who should receive them?
After thinking it over, he summoned Li Yuhua and gave him two bottles—the common-grade and mid-grade Aptitude Modification Liquids.
This kid had excellent physical qualities. Once his aptitude was enhanced and they entered the Valley of Death, they would definitely need to count on him to stand at the front and tank damage.
After Li Yuhua drank both bottles of Aptitude Modification Liquid, his spiritual roots improved to mid-grade, and his realm broke through from the ninth stage of Meridian Opening to the twelfth stage of Meridian Opening. He stood there frozen like a wooden chicken.
With spiritual roots and cultivation suddenly improving, anyone would display such an expression.
Jun Changxiao patted his shoulder and said, “Cultivate well. Don’t disappoint this Seat’s high regard for you.”
Li Yuhua snapped back to his senses and roared loudly, “Yes!”
As for the last bottle of common-grade Aptitude Modification Liquid, Jun Changxiao decided to give it to the shy and reserved Ling Yuanxue. First, because she had been cultivating very diligently during this time, and second, because the sect had so few female disciples to begin with.
Everything was settled.
For the remaining time, he would wait for the disciples to complete all the sect missions, allowing the achievement points to reach the cap, and then upgrade the sect’s construction level.
“Level 2 opened the Alchemy Pavilion, which contained the Healing Pills and Body Refinement Pills sold in the shop. Level 3 opens the Forging Pavilion—will it also be able to forge weapons from the shop?”
Jun Changxiao was extremely eager to find out.
……
Seven days later.
The disciples completed all the sect missions. Achievement points rose from the initial 100 to a maximum of 500—a perfectly precise calculation that absolutely refused to give even a single extra point!
Gaining 400 achievement points naturally also meant gaining 400 contribution points.
Just before overflow, Jun Changxiao spent 180 points to purchase a Type 88 sniper rifle, an eight-times scope, a shoulder guard, and a suppressor.
“Thank you, Sect Leader.”
Receiving the Type 88 sniper rifle equipped with the eight-times scope and suppressor, Li Luoqiu fondled it lovingly.
During this period, she had been dutiful and responsible, so this also counted as a reward.
Jun Changxiao smiled and said, “This Divine Might Firearm has been modified, so there won’t be any sound when firing.”
“Really?”
Li Luoqiu took the Type 88 sniper rifle to the back mountain.
Having fired it twice before, she knew its power was formidable, so after loading the ammunition, she obediently donned the magically modified shoulder guard.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Two silent shots rang out. Two adjacent fruits hanging on a distant tree were shattered one after another.
This woman’s shooting talent was no less than Xiao Zuiji’s—perhaps even more outstanding!
“There’s really no sound!” Li Luoqiu’s eyes widened.
A normal suppressor would still produce some noise, but the magically modified suppressor only made a faint sound of air displacement. Using it for ambushes would be absolutely perfect!
Li Luoqiu immediately loved it even more.
She could barely resist going down the mountain right now to find an enemy and take them out with a single shot from the shadows.
……
Inside the study, Jun Changxiao rubbed his hands together, then pulled up the attribute panel. Seeing the “Sect Construction: Level 2” with a [Can Upgrade] button appearing beside it once more.
Click!
“Ding! Sect construction upgraded to Level 3!”
“Ding! Sect member limit, contribution points limit, and achievement points limit increased!”
“Ding! Sect Forging Pavilion opened!”
As the notification sounded, the data panel underwent significant changes.
Sect Name: Iron Bones Clanging Sect.
Sect Leader: Jun Changxiao.
Sect Rank: Eighth-rate.
Sect Construction: Level 3.
Sect Functions: Alchemy Pavilion, Forging Pavilion.
Sect Cultivation Methods: Muscle-Tendon Transformation Classic [Divine Grade Initial Tier], I Sever [Mid Grade Initial Tier], Explosive Fist [Common Grade High Tier].
Sect Members: 500/1000.
Sect Contribution Points: 450/1000.
Sect Achievement Points: 0/1000.
Sect Missions: None currently.
Sect Main Quest: Within 100 years…
……
“Hahahaha, the member limit finally broke a thousand!” Jun Changxiao laughed, but as he laughed, his expression turned to crying as he wailed, “But I still need another damn 99,000!”
1,000 and 99,000.
Yeah, the gap wasn’t just a little bit large.
Regardless, raising the sect construction to Level 3 meant taking another step forward—this was definitely something worth celebrating.
“Swoosh!”
Jun Changxiao clicked on the newly appeared Forging Pavilion. A small panel popped up, displaying a 3D projection-like forging platform.
Below were three types of weapons listed: the first was called Initial-Grade Cold Edge Sword, the second was called Initial-Grade Overlord Spear, and the third was called Initial-Grade Sturdy Iron Shield.
“As expected, just like the Alchemy Pavilion.”
Jun Changxiao said joyfully, “This Forging Pavilion can also forge weapons from the initial-tier shop!”
Clicking on the Initial-Grade Cold Edge Sword, a small panel popped up with the following content:
Weapon: Initial-Grade Cold Edge Sword.
Materials: Cold Iron 0/1 jin, Ice Spring Water 0/1 bucket.
Flame: Exquisite Fire.
“The materials required are this few?” Jun Changxiao said in astonishment.
Most pills in the Alchemy Pavilion required three or four medicinal ingredients. The Cold Edge Sword only needed one jin of Cold Iron and one bucket of Ice Spring Water—this was ridiculously minimal!
The System said, “Apart from high-level and special-category weapons that require multiple types of ore, most only need one type of ore.”
Jun Changxiao stroked his chin and murmured, “This Cold Iron is probably quite expensive.”
As he spoke, he opened the Initial-Grade Overlord Spear’s description.
This one was even simpler, requiring only one jin of Black Obsidian.
Jun Changxiao then clicked on the Initial-Grade Sturdy Iron Shield, and immediately grinned widely, because the required material was iron ore!
He didn’t have any Cold Iron or Black Obsidian, but he had plenty of iron ore—because after Li Luoqiu took over the Xiao Family’s mine vein, she had conveniently brought back quite a bit, worth several hundred thousand taels!
According to the quantity displayed, it was enough to forge over 1,000 Sturdy Iron Shields!
Jun Changxiao said, “Since we’re keeping this ore anyway without any use for it, let’s first forge 500 shields and give each disciple one.”
The System reminded him, “Iron ore is an indispensable auxiliary ore for forging many weapons and equipment. This host is advised to use it sparingly.”
“Is that so?”
After some consideration, Jun Changxiao said, “Then let’s forge 25 first. When we go to the Valley of Death, we’ll have all the disciples fully equipped.”
—