A man sat cross-legged inside an unfurnished chamber. The chamber was one of the many cultivation rooms within the Xi Immortal Palace, and it only had one purpose. To increase the density of spiritual qi to aid cultivation. However, not everyone could use it.
First, a disciple of the Xi Immortal Dynasty had to have the required authority to enter the chamber, and only for a limited amount of time. Second, even if the disciple could enter the cultivation chamber, they would waste their opportunity if they couldn’t withstand the spiritual qi density. Many disciples overestimated their tolerance and wasted their chance, allowing those behind to catch and surpass them.
The man currently in the cultivation chamber had also experienced this. Instead of letting it drag him down, he turned the shame into motivation to improve himself. That’s why he became the first disciple to enter the Sixth Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm. His act drew the attention of one of the elders, allowing him to become an inner disciple from an outer disciple.
His name was Mu Long, the crown prince of the Mu Dynasty.
Contrary to the drab chamber, Mu Long wore brocade green robes depicting a coiling golden dragon. His hair was tied in a topknot and kept in place with a jade coronet.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Mu Long opened his eyes and exhaled slowly. He opened his eyes and smiled. “I’m just one step away from reaching the Seventh Stage.”
The prince stood up and walked out. He took out a rectangular piece of metal from his sleeves and placed it on the square next to the door. The square beeped, and the door slid open. After he walked out, the door closed.
The rectangular card was known as the Xiyi Identification Card, or XiyiD for short. All members of the Xi Immortal Dynasty would be assigned one. The ID contained all the user’s data and also contained everything the user needed to live in the Xi Immortal Palace. Just like how Mu Long used it to enter the cultivation chamber, if a disciple did not have the access rights, the card would not grant them access.
“It’s Senior Brother Mu.”
“Senior Brother has just come out, his cultivation base must have increased.”
“His strength should have reached the same level as the guards, right?”
“Sigh. When can I have the same strength as Senior Brother Mu?”
Mu Long’s expression didn’t even change the tiniest bit at the reactions. As the most outstanding disciple of the Xi Immortal Dynasty, it was only natural. He greeted a few fellow disciples and ignored the others. Because of the small number of disciples, Mu Long didn’t see many of them. Most were arduously cultivating or gone out to fulfill their duties.
He returned to his room, where his bodyguard awaited him. Each disciple was assigned a bodyguard. The bodyguards were people who failed the assessment but were still accepted as outer members. In exchange, they ingested a pill that raised their strength in return for destroying their potential. The ones that only reached the Tenth Stage or below were given bodyguard duties, but those who were at the Eleventh and Twelfth stage were assigned tasks with the corresponding privileges and rewards.
Each outer disciple had a bodyguard at the Eleventh or Twelfth Stage. As the only inner disciple, Mu Long had three bodyguards.
“Young Master,” Zhuangbo, the head of his bodyguards, said.
Mu Long nodded as he sat down and had a cup of tea poured for him. If there was one thing that dissatisfied him, it was that there was no maid, only smelly old men. After taking a sip, he asked, “Did anything happen while I was cultivating?”
“Yes, there’s a new inner disciple.”
“Another one appeared? Who is it?” Mu Long asked. “Zhou Xia? Gang Wen?”
Zhuangbo shook his head. “It’s none of them. It’s a newly accepted disciple who just joined. He was directly promoted to an inner disciple without becoming an outer disciple. His name is Wuqiang.”
Mu Long pursed his eyebrows. “What’s so special about this Wuqiang? Even I was an outer disciple first.
“Forget it. I’ll eventually see during the disciple tournament. What about Jiafeng? Has she joined yet?” Mu Long asked.
“This…” Zhuangbo hesitated. “The bodyguard assigned to her died.”
“What?!” Mu Long only had three bodyguards. If a bodyguard died, he would not receive another one. “What happened? Tell me in detail.”
“I’m not sure either, but on her way back, Miss Jiafeng was stopped by her enemy. She didn’t know what method he used, but he killed her bodyguard in a single attack despite being helpless moments prior. She’s currently hiding, so as to not attract attention.”
Mu Long slammed his palm onto the table, causing the tea to spill. “I want to see who dares to attack my bodyguard. Zhuangbo, you personally go and bring Jiafeng back. If you meet her enemy, don’t engage and return.”
“Yes,” Zhuangbo said with a salute. He turned and immediately left, leaving Mu Long alone.
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It took Jun Qiangwu a month to get used to living in the Xi Immortal Palace. Three months after that, he still encountered many things that left him flabbergasted.
“Senior Brother Wuqiang.”
Jun Qiangwu stopped in his footsteps and glanced back to see Xingyi running toward him. A smile appeared on his face. When she stopped in front of him, his hands stretched out but stopped halfway. It remained there, awkwardly for a few seconds before Jun Qiangwu pulled it back.
“Is there something wrong?” Xingyi asked with a tilt of her head.
Jun Qiangwu shook his head. “No, it’s nothing.”
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“But it doesn’t seem like nothing,” Xingyi said.
“Where’s Junior Sister Hou? Is she not with you today?” Jun Qiangwu asked.
Xingyi pursed her lips and pouted. “Senior Sister Hou is still in the cultivation chamber. What about you? Why aren’t you still in the cultivation chamber?”
Jun Qiangwu smiled. It was a proud smile that made his false face handsome. “I just made a breakthrough. I won’t be able to improve much for the time being.”
“You’re amazing. No wonder why Senior Brother Wuqiang became an inner disciple directly,” Xingyi said. “What stage have you reached? Third, fourth?” I’ve only reached the Second Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm.”
Jun Qiangwu raised a finger in front of his lips. “That’s a secret.”
Xingyi pouted once more. “You’re sly, Senior Brother.”
“I’m going to visit Master. How about joining me?” Jun Qiangwu asked.
“Alright!”
The two walked down the corridors of the Xi Immortal Palace. Along the way, they met many disciples, but those disciples didn’t greet the two. Or, more specifically, avoided greeting Jun Qiangwu. Since the creation of the Xi Immortal Dynasty, he was the only one to directly become an inner disciple without becoming an outer disciple first.
The other disciples didn’t understand why. So, they avoided him. And even those who wanted to talk to him were peer pressured to distance themselves. In the end, what greeted Jun Qiangwu was the suspicion and envy of the other disciples.
Xingyi didn’t like those gazes and unconsciously inched closer to Jun Qiangwu. Jun Qiangwu glared at those disciples. The years on the battlefield and killing beasts cloaked him in a slaughterous aura that made the disciples flinch and avert their gazes.
He sneered. It was not the first time he had received such treatment. In the Qian Dynasty, he had been treated the same in many gatherings because the other families feared the Jun Family’s influence. Even in the army, a few people still treated him like an outsider regardless of the circumstance. They couldn’t stand that someone they looked down upon or far younger could achieve what he did.
Jun Qiangwu led Xingyi to one of the forty-nine towers. The Xi Immortal Palace had one spire, forty-nine towers, and seventy-nine terraces. An elder lived in each terrace or tower. According to the Nine Heavens System, the tower lords were nascent soul grandmasters, while terrace lords were core formation masters. The only one he didn’t know about was the spire lord, the founder of the Xi Immortal Dynasty, Saint Xi.
Speaking of the Nine Heavens Revenge System, Jun Qiangwu had gained a greater understanding of it. Although he still couldn’t fully comprehend the awe-inspiring mights of masters or grandmasters, it didn’t stop from knowing that the Nine Heavens Revenge System was more powerful than them. After all, the Nine Heavens Revenge System could scan the tower lords and terrace lords with them none the wiser.
Upon entering one of the towers, they were met with an empty room. However, neither showed surprise. Instead, they cupped their hands and bowed. “Disciple greets master.”
A second later, a figure dressed in white appeared in front of the two. He appeared so suddenly and without any warning, it seemed as if he had teleported. Furthermore, he appeared much different from the aged guards the two were used to seeing. For one, he still had a head full of black hair. Not only that, he had a rotund figure. Coupled with his plump cheeks that squeezed his eyes into a thin line, it made him seem harmless. But if anyone were to really think him harmless, they would be in for a world of hurt.
“Not bad, not bad,” the tower lord said as he looked Jun Qiangwu up and down. ‘When you entered, you were still in the Fourth Stage of the Qi Gathering. And now, you’ve already reached the Fifth Stage.”
Jun Qiangwu reflexively stiffened, but he relaxed just as quickly. He had been shocked when his master, Elder Hui, saw through his cultivation base. Jun Qiangwu feared his secrets would be exposed, but to his surprise, his master didn’t dig any deeper.
He was calm, but Xingyi wasn’t. She stared at Jun Qiangwu with an expression of betrayal. “Whaaat?! You’re already at the Fifth Stage of the Qi Gathering Realm?!”
Elder Hui turned his eyes on Xingyi. “Your Senior Brother has a head start, but he couldn’t have started cultivating more than ten years. The only one with an absolute advantage over him is Mu Long, but if the two started cultivating around the same time and had received the same resources, it’s unknown who would be better.”
“You, on the other hand, still need to work hard. Although you’re talented compared to most others, it’s still far from enough. In the immortal realm, you’d only be considered in the lowest tier, and Wuqiang can barely be considered average.”
“But I’ve already tried my best. I can’t stand sitting still for hours on end,” Xingyi said.
Elder Hui sighed. “Perhaps it’s time for you to go out and exterminate some monsters.”
Although the disciples joined the Xi Immortal Dynasty, it didn’t mean safety or protection. Quite the opposite, in fact. Disciples of the Xi Immortal Dynasty were required to leave their protection and hunt monsters, both to hone themselves and protect the people of the world.
At this, Xingyi lost her immaturity, and a hungry light appeared in her gaze. “You mean I can finally kill those bastards?”
Although Xingyi seemed childish, how could she not have experienced any loss during the turmoil?
“Yes,” Elder Hui said. “However, Wuqiang must accompany you at all times. If you dare to leave him behind, then I’ll expel you from my lineage.”
Xingyi didn’t show any panic and only said, “Yes, Master.”
Elder Hui nodded. He took out a metal rectangle like the XiyiD, but according to him, it was something far more magical, called a Xiyi Talisman. He swiped and tapped the screen a few times before putting it away. “I’ve granted you two access to the Technique and Arms Repositories. Wuqiang, since you’ve reached the Fifth Stage, I allowed you to learn two techniques. Both of you can only grab one weapon from the Arms repository.”
“You have six months to complete your quota of monsters hunted. Even if you do not complete, return when the time is up. The first inter-disciple competition will be held then.” Elder Hui smiled. “I really want to see who is more talented, you or Mu Long. Don’t disappoint me.”
““Yes, Master””
Not long after, the two left to prepare. They visited the Technique and Arms Repository the next day. Then another two months to gain a minor mastery of the technique they chose. Only then did the two leave.
“Protector Hanwei.” the two greeted, when they descended the mountain. Accompanying them were two bodyguards. Jun Qiangwu had three, but he only chose to bring two. The bodyguards only served to guarantee the disciple’s life, so they would not interfere between a disciple’s fight with monsters.
The hunched man, Hanwei, smiled. “You two are already leaving. Does that mean you two already reached the Second Stage? You two are geniuses. The majority of disciples need at least a year or two before they enter the First Stage of the Qi Gathering.”
“Protector Hanwei overpraises,” Jun Qiangwu said modestly.
“I’m not,” Hanwei said with a shake of his head. “It’s about time for the new disciple assessment. Are you two interested in watching?”
“Is another assessment so soon?”
“There’s someone interesting among the potential batch of recruits,” Hanwei said. “Do you want to watch?”
Jun Qiangwu shook his head. “Sorry, but we have a mission to accomplish.”
“Is that so? That’s a pity,” Hanwei said. “Since you two are leaving now, let’s start the assessment early this time.”
The two followed Hanwei as he tapped his XiyiD on the gate. Now that they knew the mechanism behind it, the opening gates were far less mysterious, but no less impressive.
Jun Qiangwu and Xingyi prepared to leave, but Jun Qiangwu suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Xingyi asked Jun Qiangwu, who was looking into the crowd of potential recruits.
A slaughterous aura pervaded the air around Jun Qiangwu as his gaze burned a hole into a woman in the crowd. “Qian. Jia. Feng!”