Lord Tongtian: Don't worry. From today onwards, you are my closed-door disciple! If anyone in the group dares to offend you, note down their names. When I return, I'll chop them down with the Immortal-Slaying Sword!
"Now I'm relieved."
Chen Xiaobei let out a long breath.
The Lord Tongtian was the most arrogant among the Three Pure Ones, but also the most loyal and protective of his own.
In the legends of the Investiture of the Gods, he once set up the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation to protect his disciples, single-handedly battling four great saints!
Judging from this, the legends were indeed true.
"How lucky to have such an awesome and thunderous master! Now, what I need to do is focus on cultivation!"
Chen Xiaobei grinned, his goal clear in his heart!
Whether he could safeguard the peace of the Three Realms was a matter for later—first, he needed to become a peerless warrior like Xiang Yu, capable of defeating thousands!
"Let me check the red envelopes I grabbed earlier."
Chen Xiaobei composed himself and opened his Treasure Chest.
Inside were still a 如意猴毛 (Wish-Fulfilling Monkey Hair), a 姻缘符 (Love Affinity Talisman), a bottle of 小百草液 (Little Hundred Herbs Elixir), plus tonight's gains: the Mixed Yuan One-Thought Technique, a Marrow-Cleansing Pill, and a bag of 哮天犬专用狗粮 (Heavenly Hound's Special Dog Food)!
He tossed the dog food aside without a second thought.
First, he examined the other two items.
— Marrow-Cleansing Pill: Refined by Daoist Duobao himself, used for 伐毛洗髓 (stripping impurities and cleansing the marrow). Extract now?
"Stripping impurities and cleansing the marrow is the first step in cultivation. I need to try this right away!"
After a moment's thought, Chen Xiaobei ran out of the school like a runaway wild horse.
He found a high-end hotel, booked a room, locked the doors and windows, and drew the curtains.
Once everything was ready, Chen Xiaobei pressed "Extract" with overwhelming excitement!
It was a small jade-like pill, with purple aura rippling over its surface and a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafting from it.
Just one whiff made Chen Xiaobei feel invigorated and full of energy.
"Now! Let's test the effect of this immortal pill!"
Impatient to wait another second, Chen Xiaobei swallowed the Marrow-Cleansing Pill directly!
This was the real deal—an immortal pill!
As soon as it touched his tongue, Chen Xiaobei felt as if he'd fallen into a furnace!
Every corner of his body began to burn as if scorched by intense fire.
In just a few seconds, he felt like he was about to melt entirely.
The sensation was terrifying, but Chen Xiaobei remained steadfast. He knew clearly that this was a necessary step toward success!
Just as fine steel needs a thousand hammer strikes to be forged!
At this moment, Chen Xiaobei was like a piece of scrap iron—he had to wash away the filth in his body, break free from his limits, and make his physique optimal for cultivation.
As the medicinal power continued to spread, Chen Xiaobei was soon sweating profusely.
He simply stripped off his clothes, sat cross-legged on the floor.
Gradually, his sweat grew thick and sticky, darkening until it turned pitch black!
He didn't know how much time passed.
Once the burning sensation completely faded, the process of stripping impurities and cleansing the marrow was officially successful!
Chen Xiaobei had turned into a mud man, covered head to toe in black grime that reeked of stench.
This meant he had transformed from "scrap iron" into "fine steel"!
He rushed into the bathroom and turned the shower to full blast.
Whoosh—
Hot water poured down, washing away the filth.
"Refreshing!!!"
Chen Xiaobei couldn't help but roar.
In his 19 years of life, he had never felt this good!
From every inch of skin and muscle to every drop of blood and every pore, everything felt like it had been 涅磐重生 (reborn from nirvana), radiating surging vitality!
The changes inside his body could only be felt,
But the transformation of his skin was visible to the naked eye.
Chen Xiaobei's originally wheat-colored skin had become smooth and fair—even better than a woman's.
Moreover, there wasn't a single blemish; even the long-standing acne had completely vanished.
His features were already handsome, but now he was a certified 小鲜肉 (fresh-faced heartthrob).
Lan Mengchen would definitely be shocked when she saw him next time.
"If my skin can become this perfect, everything inside my body must be in peak condition too!"
After rinsing off, Chen Xiaobei immediately unlocked his phone: "Everything is ready. Now it's time to cultivate."
— Mixed Yuan One-Thought Technique: Created by the Lord Tongtian, a top-tier immortal cultivation scripture! Extract now?
Extract!
With a tap on the screen, a thumb-sized jade talisman appeared in Chen Xiaobei's hand.
Before he could examine it closely, seven-colored divine light burst from the talisman, enveloping the entire room.
"Ugh…"
A dizzying swirl hit his head.
A vast sea of information poured into Chen Xiaobei's mind like thousands of rushing rivers, engraving the cultivation methods of the Mixed Yuan One-Thought Technique directly into his memory.
"This is incredible! I don't even need to memorize the methods—I can start cultivating right away!"
Chen Xiaobei composed himself and began cultivating according to the techniques.
After one full circulation of the cultivation method,
Chen Xiaobei was amazed to find a special energy in his body—
Like a flood dragon roaming between heaven and earth.
After the second circulation, as the "dragon" completed another circuit,
Chen Xiaobei could clearly feel his body growing slightly stronger.
Though the change wasn't drastic, even a towering building starts with a single brick; strength is built up bit by bit.
The feeling was wonderful, and Chen Xiaobei immersed himself completely.
He didn't stop until the next morning, when a message popped up from his 幽冥战眼 (Nether Battle Eye):
Ding—Congratulations! Realm breakthrough! Cultivation level: 固体前期 (Early Solidification Stage). Physique: 100. Combat power: 100.
"Wow! The Mixed Yuan One-Thought Technique truly lives up to its name as a top-tier immortal cultivation scripture! I broke through a realm on my first try, overnight—this is awesome!"
Chen Xiaobei's face was filled with ecstatic joy.
With his realm breakthrough, his combat power soared to 100, more than enough to handle ordinary people.
Unless he encountered particularly strong opponents, he wouldn't need to deduct 三界功德 (Three Realms Merit) to borrow the power of ghosts and spirits.
Otherwise, the more merit he deducted, the worse his karma would get—from "bad person" to "villain," then "great villain," "three-life villain," "ten-life villain"…
This could easily get him struck by lightning!
Chen Xiaobei thought to himself that relying on his own cultivation was more reliable. From now on, he'd borrow power as little as possible.
"Woo-woo-woo…"
At that moment, a mournful cry came from outside the room.
"What's happening so early in the morning?"
Puzzled, Chen Xiaobei got dressed and opened the door.
There, a disheveled woman was kneeling at the door of the next room, sobbing heart-wrenchingly.
"Sir… please help me catch that pervert… He drugged me last night… brought me here… and took my virginity…"
The woman sobbed miserably, pointing to the end of the corridor.
"How dare he do such a thing! I promise you, I'll catch him right away!"
With his newly breakthrough realm, Chen Xiaobei was full of confidence.
Safeguarding the Three Realms was still far away, but he could start by upholding justice around him!