The Soulbinding Stone? Some didn’t know what it was, but those who did were trembling all over. Chu Tian smirked and explained, “The Soulbinding Stone works like this: once each of you infuses your spiritual energy into it, your life will be tied to it. If any of you betray me, I only need to destroy the strand of energy linked to you, and your soul will dissipate, killing you instantly!”

Upon hearing this, fear spread among the crowd. Chu Tian, however, was elated inside. “This stone is truly a treasure! With this, I can recruit more experts for the Tianyun Sect. It’s only a matter of time before the sect rises to the ranks of first-class sects!”

The more he thought about it, the more excited Chu Tian became. To survive, many people stepped forward hesitantly to infuse their spiritual energy, while others hesitated, caught in an internal struggle.

Seeing their hesitation, Chu Tian chuckled. “I promise that as long as you don’t betray me or the Tianyun Sect, I won’t harm you. So, feel free to infuse your energy.”

Encouraged by his words, those who hesitated finally mustered the courage to step forward. Soon, all several hundred people present had completed the process, but Chu Tian knew there were still people outside who needed to be dealt with.

He worked with the group to summon everyone from the five mines back to the main base. When they arrived and realized what was happening, it was already too late. One by one, they were subdued by Chu Tian.

By the end of the day, the five mines had fallen completely under his control, and the Tianxing Sect had become a vassal of the Tianyun Sect. To avoid suspicion from Feng Luo, Chu Tian ordered the sect to clean up and restore normalcy, pretending as though nothing had happened. He then returned to the Tianyun Sect.

Back at the sect, Chu Tian reported everything to Sect Master Chu and Elder Tu Feng before departing again. By the time he appeared, it was already evening, and he was standing outside a misty mountain range.

“This is the Cloudmist Mountain Range?”

The Cloudmist Mountain Range was the largest area of spiritual beast activity nearby. It was also a popular hunting ground for disciples from minor sects, unranked sects, and young members of local families.

Chu Tian came here with a clear purpose: to kill as many spiritual beasts as possible within ten days, gain experience, collect spirit weapon fragments, and increase Rage Points.

Eager to begin, Chu Tian plunged into the mist without hesitation. However, as a first-time visitor, he was unfamiliar with the terrain and dared not venture too far. Instead, he stayed on the outskirts, hunting whatever came his way.

Unfortunately, all he encountered were low-level Earth-class beasts, which offered meager fragments and experience. After a long day of hunting, Chu Tian was left disappointed.

Just as he was debating whether to delve deeper into the mountains, the system’s voice suddenly chimed:

“Ding~ A Heaven-class spiritual beast has been detected 100 steps ahead.”

Excited, Chu Tian’s spirits soared. “Finally, a Heaven-class beast!”

With a burst of Cloudstep, Chu Tian swiftly moved a hundred steps forward. There, he saw a massive snake glowing faintly green, far larger than any giant python he’d seen before.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Not only that, but the enormous snake was chasing a ragged young girl who appeared to be around fifteen or sixteen years old.

The girl was covered in wounds, with scratches on her face and lips. Her clothing was disheveled, and she held a golden sword in one trembling hand, pointing it weakly at the snake as she stammered, “S-stay back! Don’t come closer!”

Suddenly, a group of people emerged behind her, throwing a rope around her to restrain her. The girl struggled, shouting angrily, “Let me go! You bastards!”

A scar-faced middle-aged man leading the group sneered. “Let you go? Do you think that’s possible?”

The girl was furious. “If my father finds out about this, he won’t let you off!”

Unfazed, the scar-faced man chuckled darkly. “Miss Luo, don’t bluff. Our young master’s pet snake here is a Giantwood Serpent, highly venomous. You’ve already been exposed to its poison. Without the antidote within an hour, you’ll die!”

The girl’s face paled, but she still cursed through her fear. “Your Lin family will meet its end!”

The scar-faced man laughed sinisterly. “Take her away! She’ll warm the young master’s bed nicely!”

The girl’s face turned ashen. “No! I’d rather die!”

The scar-faced man sneered. “Don’t bother struggling. You’ll only die faster from the poison.”

Though the girl resisted, her strength faded quickly. In moments, she was too weak to continue and could only curse feebly, “I’ll never let you bastards get away with this!”

“We’ll see about that after you’re dead!” the scar-faced man taunted before turning to his men. “Take her!”

“Let her go!”

A clear, loud voice rang out from a distance. The girl looked up in surprise and pleaded, “Senior, please save me!”

The scar-faced man squinted at Chu Tian, whose aura was at the Foundation Establishment peak, and burst out laughing. “A Foundation Establishment cultivator? Miss Luo, you expect this guy to save you? What a joke!”

The others laughed as well. Upon hearing this, the girl looked at Chu Tian more closely, and her hope turned to despair. Everyone here was at least in the Golden Core stage, herself included. However, in her poisoned state, she could do nothing but watch helplessly.

Chu Tian smirked and taunted, “With you lot? I could kill a hundred of you on my own!”

“What?!”

His words immediately ignited their anger. Chu Tian, noticing this, added fuel to the fire with a sneer. “One sword strike, and you’ll all be begging for mercy!”

“Damn you! Little Wood, attack!” the scar-faced man roared.

“Ding~ Rage Point +1”

The massive snake lunged at Chu Tian with its gaping maw, large enough to swallow a person whole. The girl shut her eyes, unable to watch, while the others grinned maliciously, eager to see Chu Tian devoured.

However, Chu Tian executed a swift Cloudstep retreat and unleashed the third form of his Blazing Sword Art. The powerful sword aura struck the serpent’s open mouth, triggering an explosion on impact.

Everyone froze in shock as the serpent writhed in pain on the ground. Chu Tian stepped forward, pinning it under his foot with a smirk. “You think you can eat me? How’s that? Enjoy the explosion?”

With a single slash, he disemboweled the serpent, killing it instantly.

“Ding~ You have slain a mid-level Heaven-class beast. Spirit Weapon Fragments +10. Experience +10,000.”

The scar-faced man’s expression twisted with rage. “You… you bastard! How dare you kill the young master’s pet?!”

“Ding~ Rage Point +1”

Chu Tian chuckled coldly. “Pet? At best, it’s a glorified worm. Why don’t you try raising minnows instead?”

Furious, the scar-faced man yelled, “Kill him!”

The girl, still watching, prayed silently as Chu Tian dodged their attacks with ease, all while taunting them. “Come on! Is that all you’ve got? A bunch of amateurs trying to kill me?”

“Damn it! Get him!”

“Ding~ Rage Point +1”

Chu Tian laughed, “Alright, I’m done playing with you clowns.”

With a series of quick strikes, he defeated them one by one. The scar-faced man, realizing he was no match, threw a smoke bomb to cover his escape. By the time the smoke cleared, he was gone.

The girl sat on the ground, stunned. Chu Tian approached her, muttering, “What a coward.”

As he drew closer, he looked down from above, and his eyes widened in astonishment. “My god… what a weapon!”

Just then, the system’s voice chimed:

“Ding~ Title unlocked: ‘Hero Rescues Beauty.’ Charm +10. Accumulate 100 Charm Points to unlock a unique partner ability.”