Chao Shiyi’s heart sank sharply but he quickly masked it with a solemn tone. “This boy is my adopted son,” he said hastily, his expression dark.
“But his mind has strayed. He chose a crooked and demonic path. As his father, I can only do what must be done and cleanse my household of corruption.”
Ji Yingyi frowned slightly, his brows knitting. “What a pity,” he murmured. “So young yet already at the ninth stage of Qi Refining. If he had not gone astray, his future would have been limitless.”
A flash of cold anger crossed Chao Shiyi’s tightly controlled face. He had suppressed Chao Chen for years yet the boy’s cultivation had only continued to rise. If Chao Chen were allowed to keep growing unchecked, one day the entire Chao family might fall because of him.
Chao Chen must die!
At that moment, a faint fragrance of pills drifted through the air. Someone exclaimed excitedly, “Wu Youfeng has succeeded again! Another pill is complete!”
On the alchemy stage, Wu Youfeng swept his sleeve and a single pearl white pill shot out from the furnace, landing neatly in a waiting jade bottle.
Wu Tianyang looked at him with deep satisfaction, while the elder Wu Yu laughed heartily, stroking his long beard. Around them, congratulatory voices rose one after another.
Alchemists were rare and master alchemists capable of refining superior grade pills were rarer still. That Wu Youfeng could refine a supreme grade pill meant that the entire Wu family’s status would rise with him.
More and more people gathered around Wu Yu. “Master Wu,” they asked eagerly, “Do you have any intention of taking on disciples?”
Wu Yu was a high ranking yellow tier alchemist and Wu Youfeng had been his pupil. Everyone was hoping to become the next prodigy under his guidance.
Wu Yu chuckled, shaking his head. “For now, I have no such plans.”
Ji Yingyi’s eyes brightened with genuine admiration. “Truly, this small Xichuan Town is a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Remarkable!”
A supreme grade pill, such a thing was rare even within the Longyu Sect.
On the main seat, the leading instructor Bo Yinran’s gaze turned thoughtful. How could a high ranking yellow tier alchemist produce a disciple capable of refining a supreme grade pill?
He raised a hand and the jade bottle in Wu Youfeng’s grasp flew into his palm. Removing the pill, he examined it carefully and surprise flickered in his eyes.
This was not merely a supreme grade pill, it was of higher quality than any he had seen before.
Could it truly be that Wu Youfeng was gifted beyond comparison?
After Wu Youfeng’s success, the other alchemists on the stage found themselves unable to steady their emotions. One after another, they failed to complete their pills.
When Ji Yingyi finally announced the results of the competition, the words had barely left his mouth before Chao Shiyi could no longer contain himself.
He leapt from the platform, rushing straight at Chao Chen with a burst of spiritual power.
Wu Bufan frowned, about to intervene, when he noticed the glint of mischief in Chao Chen’s eyes. In the next moment, Chao Chen’s aura erupted, no longer suppressed.
The surge of energy was fierce and blazing, his spirit whip snapping through the air as he met Chao Shiyi head on.
The whip roared like a living serpent of flame, cutting through the wind. Chao Shiyi’s pupils contracted sharply; he barely had time to raise his own spiritual defenses before the whip struck.
The crack echoed like thunder and Chao Shiyi was thrown to the ground, dust billowing around him.
The long whip coiled and twisted in the air, alive with firelight, encircling Chao Chen’s body like a fiery dragon.
Bathed in the glow of his own power, Chao Chen smiled brilliantly, his expression arrogant and untamed. “Old man, you think you can hurt me?”
Gasps spread through the crowd as everyone stared at Chao Shiyi, who lay sprawled on the ground, disheveled and humiliated.
Though the injury wasn’t severe, the blow to his pride was unbearable. Gritting his teeth, Chao Shiyi swallowed a healing pill, hatred flashing in his eyes.
“You broke through?” he hissed. That meant Chao Chen must have used the item that mysterious person had left for him. Only with that kind of treasure could his cultivation have advanced so quickly.
Chao Lingyue’s eyes widened in disbelief.
What had Chao Chen done? Had he actually used the treasure?
How could he! That treasure was supposed to belong to her, it should have been hers by right, not his!
Wu Xutian’s face was filled with shock.
A twenty year old Foundation Establishment cultivator, was such progress truly possible through demonic cultivation alone?
Chao Chen smiled faintly. “Yes, I’m afraid I’ve disappointed you.” His voice was low and deliberate. “Whatever it is you wanted, you’ll never get it.”
They both knew exactly what he was referring to. Murderous intent flickered in Chao Shiyi’s gaze.
“Chao Chen,” he said, his voice ringing out cold and loud, “You have chosen the demonic path and betrayed your blood. Today, I, Chao Shiyi, will cleanse my household in front of everyone and end this disgrace once and for all!”
“Hold on.”
Before he could finish, Wu Bufan stepped forward, cutting him off. He walked calmly to stand in front of Chao Chen, then looked up toward the instructors seated above the arena.
“Since the esteemed instructors of the Longyu Sect are here today,” he said evenly, “I would like to ask for your witness.”
Bo Yinran’s eyes gleamed with interest. “And what is it you wish us to witness?”
“I ask that you witness whether Chao Chen is truly a demonic cultivator.” Wu Bufan turned his gaze upon Chao Shiyi.
“Patriarch Chao has been calling him a demon for so long. Why, then, has he never once used a magic testing stone? To accuse a cultivator without evidence, is that how the Chao family conducts itself?”
Bo Yinran regarded Chao Shiyi with calm curiosity. “Is there truth to what he says, Patriarch Chao?”
Chao Shiyi’s face darkened to an ugly shade of iron blue. “Of course not. I have already tested him in private with a magic stone. It proved he was tainted by demonic energy. I kept the matter quiet only to protect the family’s reputation.”
Bo Yinran said nothing, merely turning the jade pill bottle in his hand thoughtfully. It was impossible to tell whether he believed him or not.
Ji Yingyi, standing to the side, hesitated. If Chao Chen truly was a demonic cultivator, it was his duty as a Longyu Sect instructor to intervene immediately. But since Bo Yinran made no move, Ji Yingyi forced himself to stay still as well.
The female instructor, Ni Lisi, frowned. “Shouldn’t we intervene?” she asked softly. As a fellow female cultivator, she had taken a liking to Chao Lingyue.
Bo Yinran cast her a sidelong glance. “Do you sense any trace of demonic energy on him?”
Ni Lisi paused, then shook her head. “None at all.”
Ji Yingyi frowned. “He could be using some kind of artifact that hides his aura. Earlier, I sensed he was only at the ninth stage of Qi Refining.”
Bo Yinran’s expression remained calm, his presence steady as a mountain. “Then let us watch a little longer.”
But his attention, in truth, was not on Chao Chen, it was on Wu Bufan. The young man’s cultivation was low, only at the second stage of Qi Refining yet Bo Yinran found himself unable to see through him.
Chao Lingyue turned her eyes toward Wu Bufan, biting her lip, her gaze full of resentment. “Wu Bufan, why are you defending a demonic cultivator?”
She remembered clearly, when the guards at the north gate reported back, they had said Wu Bufan was left alone. Yet he returned side by side with Chao Chen. That alone was enough to make her suspicious.
When had the two of them grown so close?
Could it be that Chao Chen had shared the treasure with Wu Bufan?
Her chest burned with jealousy. That treasure belonged to the Chao family! How could Chao Chen dare give it to a useless waste like Wu Bufan?
Wu Bufan’s gaze turned cold as he met her eyes. “He is not a demonic cultivator,” he said quietly but firmly.
Wu Xutian’s voice rose sharply. “Whether he is or not is not for you to decide!”
Chao Shiyi had completely lost his patience. “Wu Tianyang!” he shouted. “Take your people and get them out of here or don’t blame me for being merciless!”
Wu Tianyang remained seated on the platform, his expression frozen in indifference. “Wu Bufan has brought shame to our family by associating with a demonic cultivator,” he declared.
“From this moment onward, he is no longer one of the Wu clan.”
A collective gasp spread through the audience. Many looked at Wu Bufan with pity in their eyes.
A cultivator with mixed spiritual roots, already viewed as a failure, now cast out by his own family, his future was doomed to misery.
Chao Chen’s expression darkened slightly as he turned toward Wu Bufan, concerned flickering across his face.
Wu Bufan, however, showed no change at all. He lifted his eyes to meet Wu Tianyang’s cold gaze and asked in an even, steady voice, “Patriarch Wu, are those truly your words?”
Wu Tianyang’s eyes were filled with disdain. “Of course it’s true.”
Wu Xutian let out a mocking laugh. “Wu Bufan, what kind of question is that? Do you really think my father would be reluctant to part with a useless good for nothing like you? You’re thinking far too highly of yourself.”
Wu Bufan looked at him, his expression calm and unruffled yet that very lack of reaction made Wu Xutian’s heart tighten with an inexplicable sense of unease.
“In that case,” Wu Bufan said slowly, his tone neither humble nor agitated, “From this moment on, I, Wu Bufan, sever all ties with the Wu family. From today, I am no longer one of you.”
As he spoke, he drew out a shimmering test stone. “If you wish to know whether Chao Chen is truly a demonic cultivator, this stone will tell you at a glance.”
Chao Shiyi’s pupils constricted sharply. In an instant, his sword was drawn and his figure blurred as he shot forward like lightning. He absolutely could not allow Chao Chen to use that test stone.
But Wu Bufan was faster. He handed the test stone to Chao Chen while simultaneously gathering his spiritual power to meet Chao Shiyi’s incoming strike head on.
A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. Everyone thought Wu Bufan was throwing his life away.
Chao Lingyue frowned slightly but quickly schooled her features into calm. If Wu Bufan died here, it would actually be convenient for her, his death would give her a perfect excuse to reclaim her missing earring.
Wu Xutian’s eyes gleamed with delight. He had wanted to see Wu Bufan die for a long time. The man’s very existence had always been an eyesore to him.
However, Bo Yinran’s expression suddenly shifted. “No,” he murmured, his gaze sharpening, “Something is not right.”
The spiritual energy in the air had changed.
A deafening crash echoed across the field as two immense forces collided. The backlash rippled outward like a shockwave, forcing both Wu Bufan and Chao Shiyi to stagger a full step back.
The crowd erupted in astonishment.
Wu Tianyang leapt to his feet, his eyes locked on Wu Bufan in disbelief.
On another side of the platform, Wu Youfeng’s triumphant smile froze on his face. His voice broke out in a shrill exclamation, “Qi Refining, Sixth Level!”
Impossible! How could Wu Bufan’s cultivation surpass his own?
Ni Lisi stared in disbelief. “How can someone at the sixth level of Qi Refining be this powerful?”
Ji Yingyi, who had been silently observing, spoke up in a deep tone. “He’s a mixed spiritual root.”
Ni Lisi immediately objected. “That makes even less sense! A mixed spiritual root from a remote backwater like this shouldn’t even be capable of reaching the sixth level! To advance, they would need to consume spirit pearls by the handful! And the heavenly materials required to balance those unstable roots are treasures even major sects struggle to find.”
She paused, her gaze turning sharp and greedy. “Could it be that he found some sort of rare treasure?”
Bo Yinran cast her a warning glance. “Even if he did, he’s already used it up. Killing him won’t bring you that treasure.”
Ni Lisi clenched her teeth and reluctantly let go of the thought.
Chao Lingyue, meanwhile, stood frozen in shock.
When had Wu Bufan’s cultivation reached such a level? The last time she saw him, he was only at the second layer of Qi Refining.
No, he was in the second layer just moments ago! His aura had clearly been masked by some sort of artifact that altered spiritual energy.
But where did he get such an artifact? Had he been hiding his strength all along?
If that was true, then why had he not revealed his power when she had broken off their engagement? If he truly possessed such ability, he could have silenced every critic with a single display of strength.
Her thoughts tangled in confusion.
Wu Xutian, consumed by jealousy, pointed at Wu Bufan with a face twisted in rage. “Wu Bufan! You must have stolen the Balance Pills from the Wu family treasury, didn’t you? It’s the only explanation, tell me, was it you?”
Wu Bufan ignored him. His attention was focused solely on Chao Chen.
Chao Chen placed his hand on the test stone, his brows furrowed and his lips pursed in clear displeasure. To the onlookers, it looked like fear, fear of being exposed as a demonic cultivator. But only Wu Bufan knew what was really going through his mind.
He was simply distressed about the cost.
As he poured his spiritual power into the stone, it began to emit a brilliant white light that filled the air, radiant and pure, impossible to overlook.
Chao Shiyi’s face turned black as soot.
Murmurs spread like wildfire among the crowd. Even Wuxutian stood there, stunned into silence.
Chao Chen was not a demonic cultivator.
The spectators on the arena platform exchanged meaningful looks. They were all seasoned veterans, sharp eyed and shrewd.
They had already found the entire situation suspicious, Chao Shiyi’s insistence that Chao Chen must be captured alive had only deepened their doubts.
Now everything was becoming clear.
There was something about Chao Chen, some secret, some treasure, that Chao Shiyi desperately wanted. That was why he had gone to such extreme lengths.
Chao Chen calmly pocketed the test stone and looked up at the man on the platform. “Patriarch Chao,” he said, his tone casual yet cutting, “What crime do you intend to accuse me of now?”
Chao Shiyi’s voice was tight with fury. “You tampered with the test stone! You must have!”
The head of the Ning family stood up, his tone cool. “Patriarch Chao, your accusation is unfounded. That test stone was purchased from my Ning Trading House not half an hour ago. I can personally attest that there was no tampering involved.”
He paused for a beat before adding with a faint smile, “And if you still doubt me, I have a recording stone to prove it.”
Ever since missing out on a top tier alchemist last time, he had gritted his teeth and spent a fortune to install a recording stone in his trading house.
Now, it seemed, that decision was paying off.
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Please fund the translator’s extremely serious coffee addiction.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Dream to RealityChapter 2 · Those who survive a great calamity are destined for good fortuneChapter 3 · Retrieve the tokenChapter 4 · Top-tier alchemistChapter 5 · A cooperative treasure hunt?Chapter 6 · Thousand mile Thundercloud LeopardChapter 7 · Chaotic Strange EntityChapter 8 · Back to Xichuan TownChapter 9 · How could Wu Bufan be stronger than him!Chapter 10 · Wu Bufan possess so many top-grade pills?Chapter 11 · This time, she will not let anyone take what is hers away againChapter 12 · Seize the luckChapter 13 · Mutant Purple Thunder BeastChapter 14 · I’m afraid he’ll get angryChapter 15 · PumiceChapter 16 · Enemies meet on a narrow roadChapter 17 · Becoming Daoist CouplesChapter 18 · Top-grade Calamity-Breaking PillChapter 19 · The amazing effects of top-grade pillsChapter 20 · Basic Body ForgingChapter 21 · One world cannot contain two chosen ones.Chapter 22 · PuppetChapter 23 · AuctionChapter 24 · Space FoundationChapter 25 · Top-grade Foundation Building PillChapter 26 · Increased space areaChapter 27 · The competition BeginChapter 28 · RobbedChapter 29 · Turn Defeat into Victory!Chapter 30 · The Death of Wu KeyuanChapter 31 · BetChapter 32 · Even the way Chao Chen talks is so cuteChapter 33 · Avenge Wu KeyuanChapter 34 · Finding Bodhi Wood at a BargainChapter 35 · Little PuppetChapter 36 · Explosive PillsChapter 37 · I’ll concedeChapter 38 · You are a genius, so your Daoist partner must also be a genius.Chapter 39 · The Third Elder was refused a disciple.Chapter 40 · Has the floating marrow stone secret been exposed?Chapter 41 · How Could There Be Such a Sinister Human!Chapter 42 · The Mutated Mugwort FoxChapter 43 · Wandering the JianghuChapter 44 · Ancient ElixirChapter 45 · I feel like I’m about to be struck by lightning!Chapter 46 · Earth-level Secret RealmChapter 47 · The spot is practically yours.Chapter 48 · His Daoist partner is truly amazing!Chapter 49 · The legacy in the libraryChapter 50 · Dual cultivation techniquesChapter 51 · First genius Ji Pu RanChapter 52 · Shifting the blame eastwardChapter 53 · The little puppet went to run errandsChapter 54 · The Explosive Pill once again demonstrated its power.Chapter 55 · Chao Lingyue’s cultivation levelChapter 56 · Little Money-GrubberChapter 57 · What a venomous mouth!Chapter 58 · Enter the secret realmChapter 59 · A huge windfall fell from the sky.Chapter 60 · The birth of a rare treasureChapter 61 · This alchemy furnace is quite uniqueChapter 62 · The alchemy furnace that walked right into the trapChapter 63 · Xiao Zi’s Self-Rescue GuideChapter 64 · Spirit Field Micro RealmChapter 65 · Someone Planning to Reap the Benefits?Chapter 66 · Are You Lost?Chapter 67 · Chao Chen, Corrupted by the Big Handsome PotChapter 68 · Is Your phoenix Fish Sect Collecting Trash?Chapter 69 · The Death of Hui SipingChapter 70 · No, Junior Brother Chao, Where’s Your Backbone…Chapter 71 · Has His Identity Been Exposed?Chapter 72 · This Child Is Far Too ShrewdChapter 73 · Young people are wonderful. They fall asleep the moment they lie downChapter 74 · Sparrow Alchemist Chao Lingyue?Chapter 75 · The Silver Tongued Chao ChenChapter 76 · What’s the rush? I have moreChapter 77 · Leave the sectChapter 78 · Showing Off on a Grand ScaleChapter 79 · The Sparrow Alchemist Returns to the Martial WorldChapter 80 · Does Junior Brother Chao know about this?Chapter 81 · The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole BehindChapter 82 · So FierceChapter 83 · They’ve been targeted by the local bulliesChapter 84 · The Kid Is Missing?Chapter 85 · A Thing from the Void: SilkChapter 86 · Chao Chen became famousChapter 87 · The Devil MentorChapter 88 · The four little ones went out to gain experienceChapter 89 · The Students Who Were Truly ConvincedChapter 90 · What a Bountiful Harvest!Chapter 91 · No Random KissingChapter 92 · Detoxification PillChapter 93 · Master Wu, your Daoist partner has disappearedChapter 94 · The Demonic ThiefChapter 95 · Fellow Daoist, are you selling this sparrow?Chapter 96 · Unexpected disaster, nothing moreChapter 97 · My Daoist partner was born in the Year of the PigChapter 98 · The Undying Devil ChildChapter 99 · Exotic Treasure! Buddha Flame Glazed Light!Chapter 100 · We stole the Beast Taming Sect’s treasure vaultChapter 101 · Waaaaah… Why is this strange fire so gay?Chapter 102 · The Mysterious Pill – Flower in the MirrorChapter 103 Part 1 · As Expected, You Can’t Produce Different Dreams from the Same Bed…Chapter 103 Part 2 · As Expected, You Can’t Produce Different Dreams from the Same Bed…Chapter 104 Part 1 · Separation and ReunionChapter 104 Part 2 · Separation and ReunionChapter 105 Part 1 · Renowned throughout the continent!Chapter 105 Part 2 · Renowned throughout the continent!Chapter 106 · Chao Chen’s RevengeChapter 107 · The Death of Chao LingyueChapter 108 · A Narcissistic Man or a Great Beauty?Chapter 109 · This Person Has No MannersChapter 110 · The Ancient Spirit Botanical GardenChapter 111 · Thousand-Thread Poison WomanChapter 112 · I am not kindChapter 113 · Are you the most handsome man here?Chapter 114 Part 1 · ReunionChapter 114 Part 2 · ReunionChapter 115 Part 1 · Diandian said that you got it into someone’s stomach yourselfChapter 115 Part 2 · Diandian said that you got it into someone’s stomach yourselfChapter 116 · Central ContinentChapter 116 Part 1 · Central ContinentChapter 117 Part 1 · The Ancient Dao Companion ContractChapter 117 Part 2 · The Ancient Dao Companion ContractChapter 118 · Heaven Above, Dust BelowChapter 118 Part 1 · Heaven Above, Dust BelowChapter 119 · Xiao Chen will also be embarrassedChapter 120 · The moon is so bright tonightChapter 121 Part 1 · Treasure ArrayChapter 121 Part 2 · Treasure ArrayChapter 122 Part 1 · Poisonous MushroomChapter 122 Part 2 · Poisonous MushroomChapter 123 Part 1 · Turmoil at the AuctionChapter 123 Part 2 · Turmoil at the AuctionChapter 124 Part 1 · Advancement! A Nascent Soul Cultivator Reaches the Divine Transformation Realm!…Chapter 124 Part 2 · Advancement! A Nascent Soul Cultivator Reaches the Divine Transformation Realm!…Chapter 125 Part 1 · Xiao Chen Displays His Great Divine Might: Wu Bufan…Chapter 125 Part 2 · Xiao Chen Displays His Great Divine Might: Wu Bufan…Chapter 126 · Ice spirit tower has explodedChapter 127 Part 1 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 127 Part 2 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 127 Part 3 · Meeting an Old Acquaintance AgainChapter 128 Part 1 · Being Followed?Chapter 128 Part 2 · Being Followed?Chapter 129 · Magical ArtifactChapter 131 · A Declaration of WarChapter 132 · A chaotic war of words: Friend or foe indistinguishable…Chapter 133 Part 1 · The Royal Grand CompetitionChapter 133 Part 2 · The Royal Grand CompetitionChapter 134 Part 1 · Adults Don’t Make Choices, I’ll Take Them All…Chapter 134 Part 2 · Adults Don’t Make Choices, I’ll Take Them All…Chapter 135 Part 1 · Little Daddy Takes a Bite, Big Daddy’s Form…Chapter 135 Part 2 · Little Daddy Takes a Bite, Big Daddy’s Form…Chapter 136 Part 1 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left BehindChapter 136 Part 2 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left BehindChapter 136 Part 3 · Where the Wild Geese Fly, Not a Single Feather Left Behind