For the first time, Chu Tian saw such a massive tiger. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t startled, but he quickly calmed himself. He understood that the so-called guardian beast was nothing more than a domesticated spirit beast. Spirit beasts, like humans, could cultivate and achieve a certain level of power.

At that moment, a flash of golden light appeared—it was Feng You’s golden core. Floating above the tiger’s massive forehead, Feng You furiously shouted, “Chu Tian! Today is the day you die!”

Feng You had long stopped adding to Chu Tian’s rage points, so Chu Tian couldn’t be bothered to argue. Instead, he smirked at Li Xing and said, “Are you still hoping that a disembodied Feng You and a sick cat will save you?”

Hearing this, Li Xing looked at Chu Tian like he was an idiot. “Sick cat? That’s a high-level Heavenly Spirit Beast, far stronger than an Earth Spirit Beast. Its power is comparable to a Golden Core pinnacle cultivator!”

The spirit beast seemed intelligent enough to understand Chu Tian’s insult, and it roared. The blast of air from its mouth swept away the surrounding flowers and grass like a fierce wind.

Chu Tian sighed internally but seized the moment. While Li Xing was distracted, Chu Tian withdrew the barrier created by the Heavenly Spirit Pearl and thrust his sword into Li Xing’s dantian. Activating his sword technique, Chu Tian detonated Li Xing’s dantian on the spot.

Bloodied and severely injured, Li Xing collapsed in agony, glaring at Chu Tian in fury. “You... you!”

“Ding~ Rage +1.”

“Ding~ Gained 10,000 experience. Experience full. Level up?”

Seeing that he’d finally accumulated enough experience after all this time, Chu Tian laughed. “Level up!”

“Ding~ Congratulations! Level 14: Foundation Establishment Pinnacle achieved. ‘Thousand Mystic Demon Armor’ upgraded to level 10. Experience: 0/5,000,000.”

Li Xing couldn’t understand why Chu Tian’s breakthrough happened immediately after killing him. On the tiger’s massive back, Feng You roared in fury, “You... you killed the Great Elder!”

Chu Tian sneered. “Not only will I kill him, but I’ll also destroy your entire Tianxing Sect!”

Feng You shouted angrily, “Attack! Burn him to ashes!”

The tiger opened its mouth wide and spat a massive fireball. Chu Tian used Flying Cloud Step, his newly enhanced speed allowing him to dodge effortlessly. He landed on a boulder and mocked the tiger, “I told you, you’re just a sick cat. Admit it already!”

“Roar!”“Ding~ Rage +1.”

Chu Tian realized that even spirit beasts could generate rage points for him. Overjoyed, he laughed. “Good kitty! Keep roaring for me!”

“Roar!”“Ding~ Rage +1.”

The tiger, thoroughly enraged, sprayed flames wildly. Chu Tian leaped into the air using Flying Cloud Step, startling Feng You. “Impossible!”

In the air, Chu Tian moved like he was flying, landing directly on the tiger’s back.

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Feng You panicked. “Burn him!”

The tiger’s back erupted in flames, but Chu Tian jumped away just in time. His sword slashed through the air, and he smirked. “Fiery Burst Slash!”

The sword aura descended with incredible force, striking the tiger’s back. The tiger howled in pain while Feng You, terrified, yelled, “Stay strong! You have to stay strong!”

Chu Tian landed another precise strike with his sword, piercing deep into the tiger’s body. He sneered, “Stay strong? I’ll turn this into a crippled cat!”

With that, the tiger let out one final cry before collapsing, lifeless.

“Ding~ Killed high-level Heavenly Spirit Beast ‘Fire Tiger.’ Gained 20 Spirit Artifact Fragments and 20,000 experience points.”

“What? Spirit Artifact Fragments? What are they for?”

While Chu Tian pondered, Feng You tried to flee. Chu Tian quickly activated the Heavenly Spirit Pearl, trapping Feng You in a barrier. Laughing coldly, he taunted, “Run! Go ahead, try to run!”

Feng You, now just a weak Golden Core soul with limited abilities, had no hope of escaping the Heavenly Spirit Pearl. Terrified, he pleaded, “Chu... Chu Tian, please spare me!”

Chu Tian smirked. “Didn’t you say your sister would kill me once she returned?”

“That... that was just something I said!” Feng You stammered.

Chu Tian’s sword gleamed as he channeled spiritual energy into it. Feng You cried out in fear, “No! Please, don’t kill me! Don’t—”

“Ahhh!”

Ignoring his pleas, Chu Tian ended Feng You with a decisive strike.

“Ding~ Congratulations! Completed mysterious mission. Acquired the first Immortal Maiden Portrait. Collect all six to summon the immortal maiden to descend to the mortal world.”

“What? Summon an immortal maiden? Is this real?”

Chu Tian couldn’t believe it. After examining the system’s explanation, he grinned mischievously. “Could I have her warm my bed?”

The thought of an immortal maiden descending to warm his bed filled Chu Tian with excitement, banishing all his fatigue. Looking up at the sky, he laughed, “Immortal Maiden! Wait for me!”

However, realizing he needed six portraits dampened his enthusiasm slightly. Returning his focus to the Spirit Artifact Fragments, Chu Tian opened the system’s shop and noticed a new section labeled “Treasures.”

This section featured Spirit Artifact Sets for exchange, which thrilled Chu Tian. “Spirit Artifact Sets? That’s amazing!”

But when he saw the price—over a thousand fragments for a single sword and six pieces required for a set—he nearly spat blood. “Over a thousand for one item? Six pieces cost more than ten thousand? This is robbery!”

The system chimed in: “Ding~ Blazing Flame Set: Collecting all six pieces—helmet, bracers, armor, pants, boots, and sword—grants a 20% burn effect lasting one minute.”

“A 20% burn effect? Lasting a whole minute?”

Chu Tian gasped. That meant any attack would cause additional burn damage for a minute—a game-changer.

Each piece also had its own unique attribute enhancements:

* Helmet: Increases head resistance by 50%.

* Armor: Enhances upper body defense by 50%.

* Bracers: Boosts arm strength by 50%.

* Pants: Improves lower body defense by 50%.

* Boots: Increases movement speed by 50%.

* Sword: Amplifies damage by 50%.

After reviewing the data, Chu Tian was ecstatic. “I like this!”

Excited, Chu Tian checked how to obtain more Spirit Artifact Fragments. The system informed him that killing Heavenly Spirit Beasts would reward varying amounts of fragments. This made Chu Tian eager to visit nearby beast-filled mountains, but he first needed to wrap things up at Tianxing Sect.

Approaching the tiger’s carcass, Chu Tian stored it in his spatial pouch. A dead Heavenly Spirit Beast was valuable—its beast core, hide, bones, and blood could fetch high prices on the market.

Returning to the Cultivation Method Tower, Chu Tian smirked at the half-dead Jin Cheng. “Still alive, huh?”

Jin Cheng, clueless about the chaos outside, looked at Chu Tian in confusion. “Why... why is it so quiet out there?”

Chu Tian simply smiled without explaining. Leading Jin Cheng, he toured Tianxing Sect, eventually reaching the hiding spot of the remaining disciples. Terrified, they knelt and begged for mercy.

Glancing at the hundred or so survivors, Chu Tian chuckled. “How can I ensure you won’t stab me in the back later?”

The terrified disciples pleaded desperately. Chu Tian checked his rage points—now at 100—and noticed new items in the system shop. One item, the Soulbinding Stone, caught his eye. Delighted, he laughed. “This looks interesting!”

Without hesitation, he exchanged for the Soulbinding Stone, holding it up with a sly grin. “If you want to live, inject your spiritual energy into this stone!”

One sharp-eyed disciple recognized the item and exclaimed in terror, “Soulbinding Stone!”