***
The periodic retreat was held in a wide basin a little distance away from the training caves.
When Lee An-jeong arrived at that place after three months, a new sense of emotion suddenly washed over him.
'Aish... the PTSD is hitting me hard. I was beaten to death here by that fellow Hwang Cheon last time... Tsk!'
On the day he first possessed this body, had he not been soundly thrashed by Hwang Cheon without even knowing the reason?
Furthermore, the surroundings were entirely filled only with contempt and cold gazes.
Lee An-jeong, who had fallen into a world he didn't even know, was filled only with fear and shame at that time.
However, three months had passed since then.
He had returned to this place having risen to the 6th star of the Qi Condensation stage.
Although all his spiritual qi had entered the pattern so that not even a handful of spiritual qi could be felt outwardly.
The thousand or so miscellaneous labor disciples gathered around, who had already confirmed his skill several times, were glancing at him and desperately hoping not to meet him.
It was truly a case of the pupil outshining the master.
'Hehe. This is the taste of Xianxia possession!'
When Lee An-jeong felt excited and thought that to himself, Jin Wi-dong’s voice echoed within his head.
- Xianxia possession, what kind of strange word is that again? Regardless, to think you are acting so proud among a flock of sheep! Are you not ashamed? Stop doing useless things and finish it quickly with a swift battle. Shouldn't you hurry and place within the top five so you can depart for On-ju City?
Lee An-jeong was startled when Jin Wi-dong understood what he had only thought to himself.
'Huh? What? How did you understand my inner thoughts?'
- Hehe. Did you not know? Once I dwell within your body as a Nascent Soul, I can hear even the things you think without speaking them directly with your mouth.
'Huh? What? You... you're like a gloomy old man!'
Lee An-jeong felt goosebumps at the fact that Jin Wi-dong could eavesdrop on his thoughts.
So, he ignored Jin Wi-dong’s words and quickly stepped forward.
It was to face his first opponent.
Before Lee An-jeong stood a male miscellaneous labor disciple at the 1st star of the Qi Condensation stage.
He was a fellow whose name he didn't even remember well, a disciple with whom Lee An-jeong had no particular friendship.
The fellow was startled when he saw that his opponent was Lee An-jeong and threw both his hands up.
"Hut! Y-you are Lee An-jeong? Oh no... I-I have lost."
He had declared surrender without even trying to fight.
To that extent, Lee An-jeong’s notoriety had spread widely among the miscellaneous labor disciples due to the incident of beating up Hwang Cheon’s group and the incident of thoroughly trampling even Cheon Mong-han.
Beom Gon, the young cultivator who was watching, frowned with a displeased expression and shouted.
"Surrendering without even trying to fight... what a pathetic fellow! Lee An-jeong wins!"
After that, the surrenders of his opponents continued several times more.
After winning six more times in that manner, only 8 people remained.
'I only need to win once more to be among the 5 people, right? I should finish it off quickly!'
Looking around, he saw familiar faces among those remaining in the quarterfinals.
They were none other than Cheon Mong-han and Mak So-hyang.
Among them, Lee An-jeong’s opponent was Mak So-hyang.
"Hoho—to think I'd be facing the famous Lee An-jeong, this is an honor, isn't it?"
Grin—
Even though it was the smile of a young girl around ten years old, it was full of coquettishness as if it were an adult's.
Furthermore, unlike the other female disciples, her voluptuous figure was already revealed in her tight-fitting training robe.
Lee An-jeong could not take his eyes off that figure in spite of himself.
'Is she suffering from precocious puberty or something? How does she have the body of a high schooler all by herself at an elementary school age?'
Lee An-jeong, who was a high school senior in the midst of puberty, felt his heart flutter upon seeing that appearance of Mak So-hyang.
However, he pushed himself inwardly, trying to regain his senses.
'Lee An-jeong, do you really want to end up wearing an electronic ankle bracelet? Let's get a grip! A grip!'
When Lee An-jeong thought that to himself, Jin Wi-dong’s Nascent Soul suddenly spoke to him.
- Electronic ankle bracelet? What kind of words are those again? Are you saying such a spiritual treasure exists?
'Aish! I'm just talking to myself. Jin-dae-hyung, just stop eavesdropping on my thoughts and stay still!'
- Ha! That brat! Such a temper... for a ten-year-old to already have a personality like trash...
He grumbled like that, then added with a smirk.
- Hehe. That’s a lust-inducing art. To think that young thing knows how to use such a thing! The Bu-yeon Sect has really gone as far as it can go! Hehe—
'What? A lust-inducing art! No wonder! I knew it!'
Lee An-jeong felt relieved at Jin Wi-dong’s words and shouted angrily toward Mak So-hyang.
"Stop this kind of thing! Let's just fight already!"
At Lee An-jeong’s words, Mak So-hyang’s eyes sparkled as they took on a curious light.
She had actually used a magical technique that stimulated lust just a moment ago.
However, she could not help but be surprised inwardly as Lee An-jeong not only escaped from such a magical technique at once but also seemed to have noticed it.
'They say body-strengthening practitioners are weak against magical techniques even if their bodies are sturdy. Especially lust-inducing techniques! But how did he escape? And how did he notice it?'
It was at that moment.
The voice of the young cultivator Beom Gon was heard.
"Begin!"
As soon as those words fell, Mak So-hyang quickly pulled a talisman out from her hand.
On that talisman, a purple blazing flame was drawn, and countless inscriptions were engraved around it.
Mak So-hyang snorted loudly once, shouted, and then threw that talisman forward.
"Hmph! I heard you stole the Yellow-grade talisman, the Spiritual Reflection Mirror Talisman, from Cheon Mong-han? Let’s see if you can also steal this Mak So-hyang’s Purple Flame Talisman this time!"
As soon as her words fell, dozens of streaks of purple flames were shot forward from the talisman.
Whoosh— Shwaaa—
That purple flame was so hot that the surroundings instantly became as sweltering as if they had turned into a furnace.
"Uh?"
Lee An-jeong was startled when dozens of streaks of those hot flames flew in.
It was because although he had dealt with spiritual power, it was his first time dealing with a fire-attribute magical technique like this.
In an instant, the area around Lee An-jeong’s body was entirely engulfed in flames.
It was as if he had been suddenly thrown into the middle of a fierce fire.
Cold sweat ran down his spine, and an extreme sense of fear rushed in.
But at that moment, Jin Wi-dong’s voice echoed within his head.
- You foolish brat! Does an alchemist who handles Spiritual Fire get scared by mere Ordinary Fire? Mere Ordinary Fire cannot inflict any harm upon you, who have mastered the Wuji Alchemy Method and even come to handle Spiritual Fire through alchemy!
Lee An-jeong regained his senses at those words.
'Huh? Come to think of it, that’s just Ordinary Fire, isn't it? It’s not even that hot compared to what I thought?'
He was someone who had mastered alchemy and even handled the Blue Flame True Fire, which belonged to the category of Spiritual Fire, two stages above Ordinary Fire.
He had been flustered because it was his first time encountering a fire-attribute magical technique.
Once he realized it was Ordinary Fire, the fear vanished.
Lee An-jeong quickly regained his composure and shoved his hand right into the flying flames.
Seeing that, Mak So-hyang sneered and mocked him loudly.
"Hohoho—to think you'd stick your hand into the purple flames, even if you die it's your own fault, so do not resent me!"
Mak So-hyang spoke like that and glanced at her surroundings.
Rather than speaking to Lee An-jeong, she seemed to be making a statement for herself to Gun Ga-rim or Beom Gon, who were nearby.
It was an action that seemed as if she already considered Lee An-jeong a burnt corpse.
However, at this time, the expressions of Gun Ga-rim and Beom Gon were sunk in extreme solemnity.
"What did you say? Lee An-jeong beat Cheon Mong-han and stole the Spiritual Reflection Mirror Talisman?"
Gun Ga-rim could not contain his surprise at the words Mak So-hyang had spoken just a moment ago.
To think he defeated Cheon Mong-han, who had reached the late 2nd star of the Qi Condensation, and stole the Spiritual Reflection Mirror Talisman.
That meant the level of Lee An-jeong’s body-strengthening technique nearly reached the 3rd star of the Qi Condensation stage.
No, perhaps he had even surpassed the 3rd star.
It seemed it was true when people said it was difficult for cultivators to accurately perceive the realm of body-strengthening practitioners.
With that thought, Beom Gon also opened his mouth with a stiff face.
"It seems Mak So-hyang will not be a match for that fellow. No matter if she uses the Yellow-grade Purple Flame Talisman."
As soon as Beom Gon’s words fell, Mak So-hyang’s eyes could not help but open as wide as possible.
It was because the purple flames had gathered in Lee An-jeong’s hand, which he had extended into the fire, and were clumped into a single spherical shape.
And yet, surprisingly, Lee An-jeong’s hand was perfectly fine without being singed at all.
"H-how can that be?!"
When Mak So-hyang could not continue her words out of sheer surprise, Lee An-jeong looked at that ball-shaped fireball and clenched his hand.
Then, the purple flames that had been clumped into a sphere vanished into his clenched fist as if they were being absorbed.
Lee An-jeong looked at the startled Mak So-hyang and spoke arrogantly.
"What? You called them purple flames, but they're just Ordinary Fire, aren't they? Is this all a mere thing? Then I'm disappointed."
"Y-you fellow?! You dare to extinguish my purple flames? I cannot forgive you! I will burn you away completely!"
With a face full of indignation, Mak So-hyang raised the Purple Flame Talisman and shot out purple flames again.
Whoosh— Shwaaa—
This time, about a hundred purple flames, twice as many as before, appeared and were shot out.
At that moment, Mak So-hyang shouted loudly.
"Purple Flame Unification!"
Then, the hundred or so purple flames became one large fire arrow.
It was a massive fire arrow with a width reaching 1 zhang.
Although she had borrowed the power of a dharma treasure, it contained spiritual qi of at least the 3rd star of the Qi Condensation stage.
Immediately after, Mak So-hyang shot that fire arrow toward Lee An-jeong.
"This is something you brought upon yourself! Even if you die, do not resent me!"
That massive fire arrow flew in an instant and swept over Lee An-jeong’s body.
However, with a calm face, Lee An-jeong once again spread his palm and reached straight forward.
Then, an amazing thing happened.
Rustle—
The moment the fire arrow, which had been flying at an explosive speed, touched Lee An-jeong’s palm, it stopped right where it was.
This time as well, Lee An-jeong curled his palm as if clenching that fire arrow.
Then, the large fire arrow vanished once again in an instant.
"N-no way! My purple flames!"
Mak So-hyang shouted with an expression of disbelief.
While doing so, she tried once again to shoot purple flames with the Purple Flame Talisman.
Whoosh—
A faint purple flame rose up once more.
However, the spiritual qi inside her body was already showing its bottom.
When she forced the purple flames up in such a state, blood surged from within her.
"Ugh—"
The purple flames also scattered and vanished.
Lee An-jeong, who approached the failing Mak So-hyang in an instant, slapped her hand that was holding the Purple Flame Talisman.
Thwack—
"Ugh! Y-you fellow! Won't you hand it over this instant?"
Lee An-jeong held the fallen Purple Flame Talisman in his hand, turned it this way and that, and then spoke coldly to Mak So-hyang.
"Then do you want to be beaten until you die instead?"
"W-what?"
Lee An-jeong nonchalantly swung his fist toward Mak So-hyang, who was speechless at those chilling words.
Thwack—
"Aaargh—"
Mak So-hyang hurriedly blocked his fist with her hand in that pain, but Lee An-jeong still did not stop.
'If I hadn't mastered the Wuji Alchemy Method, I would have been burnt to death by that fire! You malicious wench!'
Lee An-jeong recalled the killing move she had unleashed and made up his mind to be even more ruthless with his hands.
Thwack—
"Ack—"
Along with Mak So-hyang’s scream, various parts of her body, such as her palms and shoulders, were hit by the fist and turned red.
However, with a cold expression, Lee An-jeong continued to swing his fist and spoke.
"It's one of two things. Either you'll be beaten until you die. Or you'll surrender and give up the Purple Flame Talisman as well."
"Y-you fellow! Do you think I'd surrender to you? Aaargh—"
Mak So-hyang had a side that was even more stubborn than expected, as she seemed to have no intention of surrendering even while being beaten here and there.
However, Lee An-jeong’s malice was also not to be outdone.
'Let’s see who wins! If someone shows ill will toward me, I won't go easy on them even if they're a woman!'
Without a moment’s hesitation, he continued to swing his fist.
Lee An-jeong’s body, having already risen to the 6th star of the Qi Condensation stage, truly seemed as if his body-strengthening technique had reached a high realm.
Even when Mak So-hyang pulled up her remaining spiritual qi and threw her body, Lee An-jeong’s fast feet caught up in an instant and his fist flew in.
In the end, after being hit about ten more times, she lost consciousness.
As Mak So-hyang lost consciousness, a silence settled over the area.
At Lee An-jeong’s cruel hand which showed no mercy even to a fragile girl, the faces of the miscellaneous labor disciples were filled with fear.
Beom Gon swallowed a groan once, then shouted in a low voice.
"Ahem... Lee An-jeong wins!"
Then, as if nothing had happened, Lee An-jeong put the Purple Flame Talisman into his storage pouch and nonchalantly left the area.
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