"What happened here?" Li Wei exclaimed, rushing to Lu Feng's side and grabbing his arm to probe his body.

A colorful array of expressions played across Li Wei's face. After what seemed like an eternity to Lu Feng, Li Wei finally released his hand.

Li Wei wore a serious frown, a demeanor Lu Feng had never witnessed in the days prior nor recalled from his memories.

"Brat, how did you reach the Late-stage Sovereign level overnight... And what's with the blood? Tell me, are you practicing any evil arts?"

Lu Feng looked at Li Wei with astonishment, then with understanding.

'How could I have known you'd just barge in like that... This Uncle... Too troublesome!'

Li Wei replied seriously, "No, Uncle Wei, I do not practice evil arts... This blood is my own, and I did not inflict any wounds upon myself. I was practicing a special method of forcefully assimilating High-grade Pills."

Li Wei remained unflinching as he considered Lu Feng's answer. After a brief pause, he questioned again, "How many did you take?"

"Um..."

"Tell me honestly, this is very important. If it's an evil method, we need to suppress your soul immediately, or it will turn malevolent."

"Uncle Wei, I'm telling you the truth. It's not an evil art... It's just an extreme method of forcefully assimilating energy into the body to improve cultivation. I used the Core Perfection Pill, Berserker Pill, Essence Nourishing Pill, and the Ninefold Nirvana Pill."

Li Wei didn't relent with the explanation and continued to grip Lu Feng by his shoulders. "How many did you take?"

"Um... Around 100 pills in total..."

Li Wei knitted his eyebrows and questioned Li Feng yet again, "How can there be such a method!? What are the side effects?"

Lu Feng laughed nervously, 'Any side effects? Yeah, Death!'

"Yes, it's an extremely painful process, and the Cultivator will struggle at death's door— And succumb unless extremely talented."

Li Wei's face turned red with anger. "Bastard! How dare you try such a dangerous method!?"

'Whoa, buddy, chill... Bastard? This Uncle Wei has gone off the deep end with anger.'

"Uncle Wei, please calm down... I had a life-saving talisman given to me by the Buddha; there was no way anything was going to happen to me."

Li Wei sighed, "Brat, don't try such dangerous methods again. You may have been lucky this time, but everyone's luck eventually runs out.

"Neither the Patriarch nor I could bear to see you die... Do you understand?"

"Uh... Yes, Uncle Wei. I won't do it again without consulting you or Grandfather."

"Good... But I still can't believe you advanced to Late-stage Sovereign... Go and clean yourself up; I'll burn the sheets and tidy the room."

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

As Lu Feng got up from the bed and headed toward the bath, Li Wei called out to him, "Wait, the reason I came was actually to deliver this..."

Li Wei held out a robe and handed it to Lu Feng.

"Today's supposed to be your debut, so the Patriarch had a special set of robes made for you... Go ahead."

Lu Feng nodded and examined his new robes. The majestic blue garments, iconic of the Baihu Clan, were embellished with precious metals and jewels, with a bright red twisted thread hanging from each shoulder.

It was no ordinary thread; it was an extremely rare silk produced by the scarlet silkworm.

Its rarity commanded prices far beyond the most precious Empyrean weapon or even a Demi-Saint weapon.

Overall, it exuded extreme luxury, seemingly serving to announce the wealth and background of the wearer.

"Uncle Wei... Isn't this too much?"

"Nonsense... It's to ensure people recognize the majesty of our Clan and its young master— You."

Lu Feng was not only touched by Li Wei's earlier concern but now also appreciated this "Grandfather" of his, who seemingly wanted his grandson to stand out in the most exaggerated way.

Lu Feng, of course, had no problem obliging. Only a fool would turn down such majestic attire; he was just being modest when he questioned Li Wei.

"Okay... I'll head to the bath," Lu Feng stated, walking toward the bathroom.

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Now alone, Li Wei began to tidy the room. Though they could have called the inn staff, the room resembled the scene of a murder.

He turned the blood-soaked sheets into ashes and dispersed them out the window. With a powerful exhale, Li Wei blew the stench-filled air out the windows.

After some more tidying, Li Wei sat on the bed and took a sip of wine from his gourd.

'Just the other day, he was already unbelievable... I wonder if he could go toe-to-toe with me?'

A smile crept up on Li Wei's face.

Despite its wealth and riches, the Baihu Clan lacked top-level combatants—Demi-Saints and above. Even though they could use powerful weapons and artifacts to somewhat alleviate this disadvantage, rivaling a true top faction like the Holy Palace would be a monumental task.

If not for the Holy Palace being spread too thin, a decisive war would've been inevitable— And the chances of the Baihu Clan coming out on top would've been pretty slim.

While the Baihu Clan had several measures in place, like the Baihu City supreme formation— the largest defensive formation on the continent; it would be no different than turtling in, and might result in losing their say in the continental council.

'With the Trial of Heroes about to be announced and the turbulent waves spanning across the continents— It's time for the clan to sink or swim...' Li Wei sighed.

He was both anxious and excited.

As Li Wei was lost in his thoughts, Lu Feng stepped out of the bath, freshly groomed and donning the majestic blue robes.

Li Wei glanced at Lu Feng and got up from the bed.

Patting Lu Feng's shoulder, he exclaimed with a guffaw, "Brat, you look really good in this attire, but don't forget, you should also have matching poise to go along with it."

Lu Feng had a faint smile as he clasped his hands behind, straightened his back, and angled his head upward. He now exuded an imposing aura, reminiscent of the most arrogant young masters looking down on the world.

"Haha, Brat, when did you learn to be such an effective poser... The Patriarch would be proud."

Lu Feng smiled.

Li Wei, seemingly remembering something, asked with a serious expression, "It slipped my mind earlier, but I learned about the pills you've stocked in that shop of yours.

"In fact, this is the most important point I've wanted to discuss with you... Did you refine them, if so, when? I never saw a cauldron, let alone you actually practice alchemy. Or do you have some Alchemists stowed away somewhere?"

"Uncle Wei, all of my miraculous doings are the result of my fortuitous encounters. I've come across an ancient alchemy inheritance— It uses a special method where you use your body as the cauldron and refine pills internally."

Li Wei was left speechless. After a long silence, he asked with caution, "Is this true!? If so, it's a game-changer..."

Lu Feng smirked, "Haha, why do you think I have so much confidence in my shop? In fact, I have bigger plans than this— The clan can rest assured, its time of glory has arrived."

Li Wei shook his head— The young boy who was once lost had returned, now unfathomable. "Brat, you planned this even before you knew about your background... What were you aiming for?"

"The world," Lu Feng replied, his imposing posture looking even more dominant.

Li Wei was taken aback by this simple, yet wildly ambitious answer. He nodded his head and sighed. "Let's go, it's time for the auction."

A moment later, Lu Feng and Li Wei disappeared from the room.

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