A new brothel has opened in Lingyun Market.
Bearing the golden signboard of the Hehuan Sect, its vermilion curtains half-drawn, the pink glow emanating from the ever-shining pearl behind them casting an alluring glow over the entire street.
Every night, a group of young women lean against the railings, gazing into the distance.
Most are scantily clad, displaying their seductive figures in various suggestive poses to every man who passes by under the pretext of a visit.
Emerald screens and golden curtains, a brothel filled with red sleeves beckoning.
When a man finally succumbs to temptation and lifts the drooping beaded curtains, the women gracefully approach, offering smiles warmer than a spring breeze.
Whether you are a weary, down-on-your-luck cultivator or a well-dressed scion of a prestigious family; whether you are a crude and reckless body-refining martial artist or a self-proclaimed romantic Foundation Establishment Immortal, or even a beast tamer whose body faintly reeks of an unpleasant odor, once you enter this door, they will gently activate a cleansing talisman for you, brushing away the dust from your body, then gently preparing food, massaging your shoulders and back, and showing concern for your well-being.
In this cruel world of cultivation, who can refuse a Daoist partner who doesn't want magic treasures, a cave dwelling, or an exorbitant dowry?
Although this Daoist partner is only for a short hour, at least for that hour, she belongs only to you, and is delicate, lovely, and obedient in every way.
...
When Zhou Bai walked out of the building, his face was melancholy, his eyes empty, as if his body had been hollowed out.
Adult love comes quickly and goes quickly.
Today, Qingqing is not here.
He heard from the other girls that she went back to her hometown to get married.
Zhou Bai was secretly saddened.
When he finally made up his mind and mustered the courage to experience love at first sight, she was gone.
Qingqing was very pretty, but not the prettiest in the Drunken Flower Brothel.
She mainly resembled a girl he had pursued in his past life.
A few days ago, he inquired about the price; it was 16 low-grade spirit stones per session.
A bit pricey, but with his current wealth, he could afford to splurge.
This greatly tempted him.
The last time he was so captivated by a girl was before, but back then he hadn't transmigrated and was focused on making her happy, so he worked tirelessly to earn money.
He worked two jobs a day: delivering food and outsmarting the doorman during the day, and working as a security guard and outsmarting the delivery guys at night.
His shifts would even switch, basically a constant struggle against himself.
In life, your identity is what you're born to live.
Until that day, when she finally wore her wedding dress before him.
He thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world.
When the officiant asked, "Are you willing to protect her for the rest of your life?"
he fell silent, so nervous he couldn't speak.
He wanted to say yes, but he didn't dare.
After all, he was just there to freeload at the wedding…
In this life, he'd figured it out.
Enjoy life while you can.
Earn money during the day, spend it at night, and don't bring a penny home.
In both his lives, meeting Qingqing, who looked so much like him, was fate.
Unfortunately, before he could even taste Qingqing's tea ceremony, she had already abandoned her immortal path and chosen to return to the mortal world.
Unlike over there, the young ladies here don't have gambling fathers, sick mothers, or younger siblings still in school. On the contrary, they are often the lucky ones, one in a thousand or even ten thousand, chosen by the immortal sects because of their spiritual roots, soaring to the heavens and becoming the celestial maidens everyone yearns for.
But who could have imagined that their hard-won immortal destiny would ultimately lead them to become prostitutes in brothels, offering their bodies to men?
The greatest irony in the world is nothing more than this.
Of course, don't think they're pitiful.
The Joyous Union Sect originated from dual cultivation, making this profession a perfect fit for them.
Although they can't use the art of absorbing yin and yang for business, even simple yin-yang balance is enough to make their cultivation progress much faster than ordinary cultivation.
You think she's selling her body, but actually, she's using you to cultivate.
Although those who have fallen to the lowest rungs of the Hehuan Sect, possessing little more than good looks, are still beings unattainable for countless ordinary people.
Take Qingqing, who just left, as an example.
What you might think of as "returning home to get married" is returning to a small mountain village, hiding her identity, and marrying an honest man. But her actual "returning home to get married" is returning to the mortal world to become a royal concubine or even an empress of a kingdom, or at the very least, the matriarch of a powerful family.
This was a classic case of overwhelming superiority.
Just as he was feeling melancholy, a fragrant breeze wafted by, and a stunningly beautiful woman with a captivating figure emerged from the Drunken Flower Pavilion, gracefully approaching him.
"Junior Brother, why did you leave with such a gloomy look on your face?"
The woman wore a fiery red dress, her smile radiant, her eyes alluring, especially the deep cleavage at her chest and the long, slender legs faintly visible beneath her skirt, easily stirring the imagination.
Zhou Bai's melancholy vanished instantly.
The girl scoffed inwardly.
Ha, men!
However, her words carried a teasing, coquettish tone, "Oh dear, what's wrong? Didn't you just want Senior Sister Qingqing?"
"It's not what you think, I just think she looks like an old friend..."
"You men, even your excuses are exactly the same," the girl moved closer, "Every time you bring something over, your eyes always wander around. I knew you were a rascal, and I've been wondering when you'd come over. Hehe, you've been patient enough to only come today."
Zhou Bai was speechless. In
this life, he started as an outer disciple of the Hehuan Sect.
Although he was called a disciple, he was actually doing half of his old profession—running errands.
The Hehuan Sect had many dual cultivation businesses like the Drunken Flower Pavilion in various parts of Yunzhou, and had a huge demand for consumables such as musk powder, youth-preserving pills, and aphrodisiac pills.
Although the Drunken Flower Pavilion was newly opened, it was extremely popular because the girls were busty, skilled, beautiful, and sweet-voiced, proficient in all kinds of arts and crafts, and provided excellent service. It also had the backing of a major sect.
As a shrewd businessman, Zhou Bai was assigned to specifically liaise with the Drunken Flower Pavilion.
As the pavilion's business boomed, his delivery schedule changed from once every ten days to once every five.
Each visit certainly provided a feast for the eyes.
He'd actually seen the girl before him several times; her name seemed to be Hongxiu. In the Drunken Flower Pavilion, where beauties vied for attention, her looks weren't top-tier, but she possessed a captivating figure and a notoriously bold and fiery style. She knew how to maximize her advantages, thus managing to secure a place for herself.
She was also adept at seizing every potential opportunity, even with a seemingly poor cultivator like Zhou Bai, who appeared to offer little in terms of wealth.
Even a small gain was still a gain, and besides… this junior brother, upon closer inspection, had delicate features and a tall, upright figure; with a change of attire, he might not be inferior to those noble young masters.
Of course, more importantly, Zhou Bai was from the Alchemy Pavilion, whose financial prospects and future were far superior to those of the Yin-Yang Hall. If he could win him over, he might even reap some additional benefits in the future.
Under various inducements, Hongxiu appeared exceptionally enthusiastic and energetic, seemingly about to half-pull Zhou Bai back into the building, where a night of passion was anticipated. Suddenly, a cry of surprise came from the street corner.
"...Zhenzhen???!!!"
This cry was like a thunderclap, freezing Hongxiu completely.
The seductive smile on her face instantly froze, her delicate body jerking away from Zhou Bai's arms as if electrocuted, looking in panic towards the source of the sound.
At the street corner, a young man dressed in brocade, with a fair complexion, stood there blankly.
His eyes were wide open, staring intently at Hongxiu, his lips trembling, his eyes a mixture of ecstasy, astonishment, and deep confusion.
This was... Lin Yu, the eldest young master of the Lin family.
Yan Hongxiu's heart sank.
When she was still called "Zhenzhen," she was a maid in the Lin household.
But she was never content to serve others her whole life. With her beauty and quick wit, she set her sights on Lin Yu, the naive and innocent young master of the manor, plotting to one day rise to power and become his mistress.
However, no sooner had she given her first blood to this young master than she became a mistress herself, when she encountered a celestial master from the Hehuan Sect descending the mountain to select disciples. Because of her spiritual roots, she was granted an even greater opportunity.
Undoubtedly, compared to being a concubine of a mortal young master, becoming a celestial being was a far more tempting choice.
So she unhesitatingly abandoned her past, believing that the mortal and celestial realms would be forever separated, with no further connection.
But she never expected to meet him again in this brothel, in such a shameful state.
The atmosphere was extremely awkward.
Extreme panic flashed in Yan Hongxiu's eyes. She instinctively tried to cover her revealing clothes, but that fiery red dress was designed to seduce; how could it truly conceal anything?
"Zhenzhen...it really is you! You're really here?" Lin Yu strode over, his initial elation quickly washed away by the sight before him, replaced by heartache and bewilderment. "They said you...they said you were chosen by immortals to cultivate...How did you end up here? Dressed...dressed like this?"
Zhou Bai, standing nearby, clearly saw that this young master of the Lin family was nothing more than a mortal with no cultivation.
"You...you've mistaken me for someone else!" Yan Hongxiu's face turned deathly pale, her voice shrill as she denied it, her body retreating incessantly.
"How could I mistake you! I'd recognize you even if you were ashes!" Lin Yu became agitated, taking a step forward to grab her hand. "Zhenzhen, come with me! This isn't a place for you! No matter what difficulties you've encountered, I can help you!" Just
as his hand was about to touch Yan Hongxiu, the last trace of panic in her eyes was replaced by a resolute ruthlessness.
This man was a testament to her humble past, a stain on her fairy identity, and now he had exposed her greatest humiliation!
"Get out of my way!"
She suddenly raised her hand, and a pink streak of spiritual energy shot out like a venomous snake.
"Pfft—"
Lin Yu's chest instantly caved in. He looked down at his chest in disbelief, then looked up at the familiar yet unfamiliar face before him. He opened his mouth, but only a mouthful of blood gushed out.
The light in his eyes quickly dimmed, and his body slumped to the ground.
The cultivators passing by ignored him, as if they had only seen a bored child crush an ant, and even the act of walking around him seemed superfluous.
Zhou Bai's heart suddenly chilled.
There is a difference between immortals and mortals!
Never before had these four words made him feel such a bone-chilling cold.
Yan Hongxiu was indeed at the very bottom of the cultivation world, even so lowly that she could only reveal her beauty, but she had no psychological burden or moral constraints in killing a mortal.
But what chilled Zhou Bai even more was that this woman's heart was truly vicious, and her methods truly ruthless!
Although he didn't know the reason, the fact that she could so decisively kill a former acquaintance without leaving any room for mercy was astonishing.
Truly worthy of being called… the enchantress of the Joyous Union Sect!
Disrupted by this, Yan Hongxiu lost her interest.
She glanced at the corpse on the ground with disgust, as if looking at a discarded piece of trash, then gave Zhou Bai a cold look, the warning in her eyes unmistakable.
Then, without a word, she swayed her hips and walked back to the Drunken Flower Pavilion without looking back.
The vermilion curtain fell, separating the two worlds.
Zhou Bai looked at the unwilling corpse on the ground and sighed.
Although he was just a bystander, out of his bottom line as a successor for decades, he decided to help this poor warrior of pure love collect his body.
However, the moment he touched Lin Yu's corpse…
"Ding!"
As it turns out, an ordinary person who transmigrates remains an ordinary person—unless you have this "ding"!
Who knows how long Zhou Bai waited for this sound.
[Ding!]
[A special individual with hidden talent detected. The Hidden Talent Plundering System is officially activated!]
[Plundering Target: Lin Yu (Mortal)]
[Target's Hidden Talent: Heavenly Sword Bone (Heavenly Level)]
[Note: Ten Thousand Swords Return to One, a darling of Heaven. Those who possess this bone are born with a clear sword heart, their sword cultivation progresses by leaps and bounds, a top-tier sword talent rarely seen in the myriad realms.]
[Plundering Condition: Original host's death.]
[Plundering conditions met…Plunder?]
Hidden talent?!
He didn't know exactly what the Heavenly Sword Bone was, but he knew the basic knowledge of "hidden talent" in cultivation.
The so-called hidden talent might be an unparalleled physique, top-tier innate talent, ancient bloodline, or even a mutated spiritual root. Some of these are innate, while others are awakened later or acquired by chance, but they are hidden for various reasons, making them undetectable by ordinary methods. Some are even unknown to the person themselves.
However, the probability of this is so small as to be negligible, one in ten thousand.
He never expected that something that only existed in legends would appear in a mortal, and could even be plundered by him in this way?
At this moment, any hesitation for even half a second would be disrespectful to this "ding."
"Plunder!"
[Congratulations, host, you have successfully plundered the hidden talent—Heavenly Sword Bone!]
An indescribable heat instantly entered Zhou Bai's fingertips, rushing forward along his meridians!
The expression on Zhou Bai's face instantly twisted.
A force violently shattered his spiritual energy barrier, rushing straight to his limbs and bones!
"Buzz—"
A faint metallic hum came from deep within his bones, and a teeth-grinding "crackling" sound came from his marrow, as if peerless immortal swords were striking and reshaping his body.
A bone-chilling cold and a metallic hardness spread throughout his body, and Zhou Bai even had the illusion that he was now a humanoid peerless weapon.
"It hurts...it feels so good..."
The excruciating pain came and went quickly. When the sharp, tearing sensation finally seeped into the depths of his bones, Zhou Bai felt like he'd been pulled out of water, drenched in sweat and panting heavily. His legs gave way, and he nearly collapsed to his knees. A
Heavenly-level Sword Bone—terrifying indeed!
Mortal, Spirit, Heavenly, Dao, Immortal…
no matter the cultivation technique, magic weapon, innate talent, or anything else, reaching the "Heavenly" level was enough to make many renowned cultivation sects fight tooth and nail.
He suppressed his inner elation and forced himself to calm down.
Just then, a semi-transparent system screen unfolded before his eyes.
[Host: Zhou Bai]
[Cultivation Level: Qi Chain Level 2]
[Spiritual Root: Fire (Low Grade)]
[Hidden Spiritual Root: None]
[Physique: Mortal]
[Hidden Physique: Heavenly Sword Bone (Heaven)]
[Bloodline: Human]
[Hidden Bloodline: None]
[Cultivation Technique: Minor Joyful Union Technique (Middle Mortal Grade)]
[Martial Skill: None]
[Magic Technique: Miscellaneous Five Elements Techniques (Low Mortal Grade)]
[Supernatural Power: None]
Although the fire elemental root is just one of the most common five elements, it's excellent for both combat and alchemy/weapon crafting. It's not bad, but its quality is only the lowest grade, barely meeting the basic requirements for cultivation.
As for the Minor Joyful Union Technique, it's just the most basic cultivation technique of the Joyful Union Sect, its only unique feature being its built-in beautifying effect.
The Miscellaneous Five Elements Techniques are the most basic of basic techniques; they might be able to impress ordinary martial artists, but in the cultivation world, they're just the nth set of calisthenics.
Possessing a low-grade spiritual root, cultivating a worthless technique, and having no parents, family, or powerful backing—this was Zhou Bai's starting point, and his life was almost predictable. He
was only fortunate in that he was good-looking and had some talent for alchemy; otherwise, he probably wouldn't have even passed the most basic requirements for accepting disciples at the Joyful Union Sect, and would have been relegated to a small, drifting cultivator.
But now, looking at the glittering "Heavenly Sword Bone" in his system space, he felt he could do it again!
He glanced at Lin Yu's already cold body on the ground, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
A single act of kindness had yielded such an astonishing opportunity.
This simple mortal young master, until his death, never knew he possessed the supreme swordsmanship talent of the cultivation world, yet because of his deep affection, he had "given" this immense fortune to him.
Without him, Zhou Bai wouldn't even have known he had this cheat code.
"Dust to dust, ashes to ashes, I accept this opportunity. As a reward, let you rest in peace."
Zhou Bai reached out to move the corpse, when a suppressed and bitter sigh suddenly came from the dark alleyway beside him.
Zhou Bai's heart skipped a beat, and he secretly clutched a talisman in his hand, looking warily towards the source of the sound.
He saw a middle-aged rogue cultivator in a drab gray Taoist robe, his face weathered, timidly emerging from the shadows.
This man's cultivation was not high, at most the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, and he was bowing repeatedly with a look of regret, afraid of causing Zhou Bai to misunderstand.
"Fellow Daoist, don't panic, I meant no harm..." The rogue cultivator wiped the cold sweat from his face, his voice trembling, clearly still shaken by the scene he had just witnessed.
Through the rogue cultivator's fragmented explanation, Zhou Bai finally understood what had happened.
It turned out that this rogue cultivator was a fellow villager of Lin Yu, but because his aptitude for cultivation was too poor, he had become a lowly laborer in the market, making a living by doing odd jobs.
This time, he had finally given in to Lin Yu's persistent pleading and brought him into Lingyun Market to find his former "Zhenzhen."
His intention was to show this naive young master the treacherous nature of the cultivation world, to let him know what kind of shady business this woman was involved in at the Hehuan Sect, so as to completely shatter his delusions.
"Who would have thought...who would have thought she was so cruel and ruthless!" The rogue cultivator squatted beside Lin Yu, tears streaming down his face, his expression bitter. "I was hiding behind her, too scared to even breathe, afraid that the Hehuan Sect's vixen would wipe me out too..."
Zhou Bai watched coldly, not feeling a trace of contempt for the terrified rogue cultivator.
It was normal.
In this cruel world of cultivation, low-level cultivators were nothing more than large ants, barely surviving one day at a time. Who would dare offend a disciple of a major sect for the sake of a mere mortal?
Since this young master had fellow villagers around, Zhou Bai saved himself the trouble of digging a grave in the mass grave.
After a moment's thought, he reached into his empty storage bag and pulled out five low-grade spirit stones, shimmering faintly.
His heart ached a little.
Half a "massage" had just been given away.
But this Heavenly Sword Bone was, after all, taken from this young master Chun'ai, so the karmic connection was deep. He'd gotten a huge advantage, so these five spirit stones were just a bribe.
Even in the underworld, one should have a conscience, even if only a little.
Zhou Bai gritted his teeth, tossed the spirit stones to the rogue cultivator, and said calmly, "Take this, take him back to his hometown for burial. A person like him shouldn't be buried in this filthy place."
The rogue cultivator was stunned, hurriedly catching the spirit stones, clearly not expecting such a compassionate heart from an outer disciple of the Hehuan Sect.
Five low-grade spirit stones—that was almost a month's hard-earned income for him.
He clutched the spirit stones tightly in his hand, bowing repeatedly to Zhou Bai, tears streaming down his face, "Thank you, fellow Daoist! Thank you, fellow Daoist! I will take him back to the Lin family ancestral grave for burial. Fellow Daoist, your benevolent heart will surely pave a smooth path to immortality!"
The rogue cultivator moved swiftly, skillfully taking out a lightness talisman and affixing it to Lin Yu's body. He then hoisted the corpse onto his back and quickly disappeared into the dimly lit corner of the market.
Zhou Bai watched their departing figures and let out a long sigh.
He hadn't even gotten to drink the tea, and had even spent some money, but thankfully…
Zhou Bai felt the faint yet sharp sword intent within his body and pursed his lips.
"This is a huge profit!"
He patted his sleeves and turned to walk towards the south gate of Lingyun Market.
Zhou Bai followed the flow of people out of the south gate of Lingyun Market. He reached into his storage pouch at his waist and pulled out a palm-sized, slightly yellowed paper crane. He skillfully channeled a wisp of spiritual energy into the paper crane.
"Whoosh—"
A faint spiritual light flashed across the previously lifeless paper crane, and it grew rapidly in the wind, becoming over ten feet in size in the blink of an eye.
[Remember this site's domain name for a better experience: Taiwan Novel Network, 𝔱𝔴𝔨𝔞𝔫.𝔠𝔬𝔪]
Zhou Bai leaped up and sat steadily cross-legged on the paper crane's broad back.
Accompanied by a series of teeth-grinding "creaking" sounds, the paper crane wobbled and rose into the air, flying south.
The paper crane was rather crudely made, with stiff lines, looking exactly like an enlarged origami toy. But for a small-time like him, being able to lift both feet off the ground was already a luxury; there was no need to ask for too much.
Although it's called flying, its speed is only slightly faster than Zhou Bai running at full speed on the ground. In strong headwinds, it might even spin in place. However, its advantage is obvious—it saves energy.
He doesn't have to laboriously traverse mountains and valleys; he only needs to expend a negligible amount of spiritual energy to maintain the magic array's operation.
While controlling the paper crane to fly over the mountains, Zhou Bai spared a sliver of his mind to carefully study the still-fresh system in his mind.
[I. Detection (Unlocked): The system will automatically scan for special individuals with hidden talents around the host. Once a target is detected, a detailed panel prompt will be given (Current detection radius: five meters.)]
In the mortal world, a five-meter radius would be a fairly good scanning area, but in the cultivation world where flying swords can easily take someone's head and spells can bombard the ground, this is definitely a very damn inadequate detection radius…
[II. Plunder (Unlocked): When the system detects a target and locks onto a hidden talent, it will generate corresponding plunder conditions.]
These conditions are not static but rather varied and randomly generated.
In any case, judging from Lin Yu's extreme requirement of "the original host's death," this damn system shouldn't be associated with compassion or kindness.
[III. Not Unlocked.
Unlock Condition: The host plunders five Heavenly-level or higher hidden talents.]
[IV. Not Unlocked.
Unlock Condition: The host plunders at least one Dao-level or higher hidden talent.]
[V. Not unlocked.
Unlocking condition: The host must plunder at least five Dao-level or higher hidden talents.]
The exploration and plundering functions alone are already top-notch, yet three are still unlocked.
Zhou Bai could only think, "Finally, it's my turn to live a good life. "
Lost in thought, he unknowingly flew hundreds of miles, gradually entering the territory of the Hehuan Sect.
The Hehuan Sect, located in southern Yunzhou, is one of the five major sects of Yunzhou, and its mountain gate imposingly occupies the most spiritually abundant main vein of the Cangshan Mountains.
Flying along, the ground was filled with endless primeval forests and bottomless canyons, until after flying another hundred miles, several towering immortal mountains, radiating a faint five-colored glow, gradually appeared in the night ahead.
Atop the mountain peaks, glimpses of magnificent palaces and pavilions, their vermilion hues shimmering, occasionally punctuated by dazzling sword lights and the fleeting glow of magical artifacts that darted through the clouds, startling rare birds and beasts.
The aura of immortals was on full display.
Speaking of which, the Joyful Union Sect was a rather peculiar existence in the cultivation world.
The righteous path considered them, albeit somewhat, their conduct, aside from their penchant for lewdness, relatively respectable, and thus included them in important events.
But strangely enough, the demonic path also considered them allies.
After all, who would believe a sect that indulged in eroticism was a good person?
The Joyful Union Sect positioned itself as both righteous and evil, and given that both the righteous and demonic paths needed such a figure as a buffer and bridge, the sect miraculously maintained this position, skillfully navigating between the two, pleasing both sides and ultimately transforming itself from yellow to gray.
In fact, the Joyful Union Sect, despite its somewhat suggestive name, is actually an extremely large and legitimate comprehensive sect.
It possesses all the essential institutions a top-tier sect should have, including the Alchemy Pavilion, Weapon Forging Hall, Array Formation Hall, and Talisman Academy, all with profound foundations and formidable strength.
The reason it gives outsiders the misconception that "the entire sect is involved in erotic pursuits" is entirely due to its suggestive name and the high-profile Yin-Yang Hall within the sect.
Female cultivators like Yan Hongxiu are low-level employees of the Yin-Yang Hall, primarily using their beauty to cultivate their Dao, while also generating revenue for the sect.
Zhou Bai, as an outer disciple, is not officially affiliated with any hall, but as a specially recruited member of the Alchemy Pavilion, he is essentially considered a member of the Alchemy Pavilion. Once he reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, he will receive a formal position within the Alchemy Pavilion.
...
The paper crane slowly descended above Cangyun Peak.
This was the headquarters of the Alchemy Pavilion.
As soon as Zhou Bai landed, a rich aroma of medicine mixed with the unique sulfurous smell of earth fire wafted towards him.
He put away the paper crane and walked into the side hall of the Alchemy Pavilion with practiced ease.
The hall was brightly lit, and a huge bronze alchemy furnace was suspended in the dome above the ceiling, surrounded by rows of towering black wooden medicine cabinets.
Dozens of disciples dressed in outer sect robes were hurrying around, some covered in soot and smelling of burnt food, obviously from a recently exploded furnace; others were beaming with joy, clutching freshly made pill bottles like thieves.
Zhou Bai ignored his fellow disciples and went straight to a counter in the corner of the hall.
According to sect rules, errands like this, delivering goods between various markets, were essentially under the jurisdiction of logistics and should have been handed over to the Hall of Good and Evil, which was responsible for coordinating sect tasks.
But the problem was, those bastards in the Hall of Good and Evil were just too corrupt!
The rewards allocated by the sect were always skimmed off at every turn, leaving only scraps for the lower-ranking disciples.
The Alchemy Pavilion, the wealthiest and most prestigious branch of the Joyful Union Sect, couldn't tolerate such behavior .
Upon discovering the Hall of Good and Evil was taking kickbacks, the head of the Alchemy Pavilion flipped the table – "Screw you, I'll do it myself!"
So, the Alchemy Pavilion simply bypassed the Hall of Good and Evil, having its own disciples handle these lucrative daily tasks.
While this practice was somewhat irregular, the Alchemy Pavilion's special status meant the higher-ups could only turn a blind eye.
The Alchemy Pavilion's reward system was unique.
Besides the usual sect points and spirit stones, disciples could choose to use pills to replace part of the rewards. This was much cheaper than buying them at the market, a kind of hidden perk.
"Old Li, turn in the task." Zhou Bai handed over the jade token signed by the manager of the Drunken Flower Pavilion.
Old Li wasn't old; he was a somewhat lazy and slovenly middle-aged man. According to the Hehuan Sect's standards for accepting disciples, he would naturally be considered a handsome middle-aged man. Unfortunately, he was unkempt, always with a stubble beard, and always looked like he hadn't slept, which significantly diminished his good looks.
Zhou Bai had been in the Hehuan Sect for three years and had been here for two years. He didn't have a single friend; the only one he was truly close to was this slovenly old man in front of him.
He was propping his legs up on the rosewood counter, engrossed in a erotic novel with a tempting cover in his left hand, while his right hand swiped a jade token on an array plate. After confirming it was working properly, he smiled and looked up: "You actually managed to come back standing up? Didn't those little vixens at the Drunken Flower Pavilion drain you dry?"
"Come on, my pockets are emptier than my face. Why would they even look at me?" Zhou Bai skillfully played the victim.
"True, those women in the Yin Yang Palace have very sharp eyes; they only care about money, not people."
"Where's Big Yellow?" Zhou Bai looked down but didn't see Old Li's big yellow dog.
"Went off to play in the back mountain, huh?" Old Li finally put away his little yellow book. "Same old routine?"
"Yes, same old routine."
Old Li deftly pointed out two low-grade spirit stones that emitted a faint glow, and a jade bottle the size of a little finger, pushing them towards Zhou Bai.
Zhou Bai uncorked the bottle and smelled it; a cool medicinal fragrance instantly filled his head.
Two low-grade spirit stones, plus a Qi Gathering Pill that could accelerate cultivation—this was all the income he had earned from his hard-earned errand.
After collecting his rewards, Zhou Bai didn't go straight back to his lodgings to rest. Instead, he turned around and headed straight for the Scripture Pavilion.
Now that he possessed the Heavenly Sword Bone, it was time to learn a sword technique and practice it.
"Purple Ying and Green Ropes, Heavenly Capital and Bright River, Southern Bright Fire..."
"Riding the wind on my sword, I vanquish demons between heaven and earth; with wine, I revel in carefree joy; without wine, I am still mad."
"Nine Heavens Mysterious Temple, transformed into divine thunder. The majestic might of heaven, drawn by the sword!"
—In their youthful days, who among us, who hadn't dreamed of becoming a sword immortal...?
The Scripture Repository is nestled halfway up Cangyang Peak, built into the mountainside as an ancient and vigorous octagonal tower.
With double eaves and bracket sets, its flying corners are painted in vibrant red, and the entire structure is constructed of an unknown, translucent white jade, radiating a warm and restrained glow. Ancient runes are faintly visible and flowing across its surface, silently proclaiming the sect's profound heritage.
Following the established rule that "the Scripture Repository must harbor a hidden master," a white-haired, Core Formation stage elder is, as usual, lounging at the entrance. However , this old man is perpetually dozing in his rocking chair, resembling a thousand-year-old turtle that has come to life; he's more of a mascot than a guard.
On ordinary days, the actual work of registering borrowing documents and answering questions inside is handled by several younger sect deacons and disciples.
Remember the original website domain 𝕥𝕨𝕜𝕒𝕟.𝕔𝕠𝕞
Zhou Bai presented his outer sect jade token, tiptoed across the threshold, and headed straight for the cultivation technique area on the first floor.
The first floor mainly displayed basic cultivation techniques and martial arts for the Qi Refining stage, along with popular science books on cultivation such as "A General History of the Cultivation World," "A Complete Guide to Monsters," and "A Catalogue of Spiritual Herbs." Of course, there were also plenty of storybooks and dual cultivation guides with a strong Hehuan Sect flavor
. Zhou Bai possessed a fire elemental root, so the best choice would naturally be a fire-attribute sword technique. However, his low-grade elemental root was practically useless, offering little benefit, so he didn't need to limit himself to that.
Naturally, his first choice was still a fire-type sword technique, but after searching for a while without finding a suitable one, he simply abandoned this selection criterion and focused on the most powerful ones, his gaze immediately locking onto the highest-grade sword techniques on the first floor.
After much deliberation, two unique sword techniques were finally selected:
*One-Word Cloud Piercing Sword* (High-grade Mortal Rank) and
*Eight Desolate Demon-Slaying Sword* (High-grade Mortal Rank).
These two sword techniques were renowned within the outer sect of the Hehuan Sect, yet they deterred the vast majority of sword cultivators, who kept their distance.
Not because they lacked power, but because they were incredibly difficult to master.
*One-Word Cloud Piercing Sword*, in particular, was considered one of the most powerful sword techniques below the Foundation Establishment level in the Hehuan Sect. It pursued the ultimate "single-stroke kill"—concentrating all one's essence, energy, and spirit into a single sword strike, like a flash of lightning, instantly dispelling all evil!
Although it consisted of only one move, it concealed countless variations and demanded an abnormally high level of comprehension from the cultivator.
The entire text was only a little over three hundred words long, filled with riddles and mystical explanations. There were no detailed breakdowns of the moves, nor any diagrams to guide the flow of energy; it relied entirely on the cultivator to capture that elusive and mysterious sword intent through silent contemplation.
The Hehuan Sect has existed for over a thousand years, and those who can truly comprehend this sword technique can be counted on one hand.
With Zhou Bai's intelligence—he hadn't even learned calculus by age 14—he was basically out of luck with this kind of mind-bending, ridiculous stuff. However, with the Heavenly Evolution Sword Bone enhancement, he felt he could still give it a try. But upon seeing the price, he promptly threw it back.
The other book, "Eight Desolate Demon-Slaying Sword," focused on extreme ruthlessness.
While its destructive power was also unparalleled among the sword techniques on the first floor, the requirements for the cultivator were outrageously high!
The cultivator needed to channel all their spiritual energy to simulate the rudimentary sword energy of the Eight Desolate Demon-Slaying Sword within their meridians, and through near-self-harm, continuously temper and inscribe this sword energy, ultimately… fusing it into their bones and meridians!
This method possessed unparalleled power; once mastered, sword energy would spontaneously arise with every gesture, sword light bursting forth, sweeping across all directions!
Zhou Bai knew from the description that this was prepared for him.
For him, who had just fused with the Heavenly Sword Bone, the Eight Desolate Demon-Slaying Sword was like a perfect match—a match made in heaven!
"I choose you."
Zhou Bai picked up the jade slip containing the Eight Desolate Demon-Slaying Sword and glanced at the borrowing price below.
50 sect points, plus 50 low-grade spirit stones.
If the points were converted to spirit stones at a 1:1 ratio, that amount of money was enough for several top-tier massages at the Drunken Flower Pavilion!
Of course, from another perspective, the price of just a few massages could buy a high-grade sword technique with explosive destructive power—what more could one ask for?
This also shows that although the Eight Desolate Demon-Slaying Sword was incredibly powerful, even dogs in the Joyful Union Sect wouldn't practice it; otherwise, such a high-grade sword technique wouldn't be sold so cheaply.
Picking up the jade slip, Zhou Bai didn't go directly to the front desk. Instead, he strolled to the miscellaneous books section and deliberately selected several ancient books such as "A Guide to the Secret Realm of Yunzhou," "A Study of the Secrets of Ancient Extraordinary Bodies," "A Speculation on Hidden Bloodlines," and "A Record of Strange Tales and Extraordinary People in the Heavenly Ruins Realm." Only then did he leisurely walk towards the lending desk.
Behind the lending desk sat a stunningly beautiful female cultivator.
She wore a snow-white robe, her long black hair casually tied up with a white jade hairpin, and her face was exceptionally beautiful, her features as exquisite as if carved from jade and ice.
Ye Liusu.
There were few people in the entire Hehuan Sect who didn't know this name.
She possessed the rare and exceptional Xuanbing Heavenly Spiritual Root, and coupled with her prestigious family background, she immediately garnered attention from the sect's higher-ups upon joining, a true prodigy.
However, while her cultivation speed was faster than average, it was utterly unworthy of the illustrious reputation of her Heavenly Spiritual Root.
Watching her former companions successfully establish their Foundation Establishment, with the exceptionally talented even preparing for Core Formation, this once-promising prodigy remained stuck at the Qi Refining Perfection stage, unable to break through for years.
Eventually, the sect completely lost faith in her, and Ye Liusu herself couldn't bear the gossip. She simply sought a quiet job, becoming a librarian in the Scripture Pavilion, always cold and aloof to everyone.
"What do you wish to borrow?" Ye Liusu asked without even looking up, her voice as clear and cold as shattered jade, carrying a chilling aura capable of catching a cold.
"Greetings, Senior Sister Ye. This is Zhou Bai, an outer disciple, borrowing the 'Eight Desolations Demon-Slaying Sword' and several other books." Zhou Bai handed over the jade slip, books, and his identity token, while reluctantly pulling out a small bag full of spirit stones.
Upon hearing the words "Eight Desolations Demon-Slaying Sword," Ye Liusu paused slightly as she flipped through the jade slip. She finally raised her eyes, glanced at Zhou Bai, and a hint of surprise flashed in her clear, autumn-water-like eyes. Her slender eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she casually checked the information on her token, offering a rare, kind reminder:
"This 'Eight Desolate Demon-Slaying Sword' is extremely violent, a suicidal technique that harms oneself before harming others. With your spiritual root and physical strength, forcibly cultivating it will only lead to qi deviation and self-destruction. I advise you to choose a more moderate and peaceful sword technique instead. Don't gamble with your life."
Zhou Bai had anticipated this, and smiled with his hands clasped. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister. However, I have longed for this kind of fierce and domineering ultimate sword path since childhood. In addition, my body is naturally quite resilient. I would like to borrow it to try it out. If I find it too difficult to control, I will definitely stop in time. No need for Senior Sister to worry."
Seeing how stubborn this boy was, a barely perceptible disappointment flashed in Ye Liusu's eyes, and she stopped talking.
"I have fulfilled my duty to remind you. Since you insist on doing this, you will bear the consequences."
Her tone returned to its usual cold indifference, and she stretched out her slender, jade-like fingers to take the spirit stones Zhou Bai offered.
Zhou Bai took half a step forward, handed over the bag, and leaned slightly towards the wide reading counter.
In that insignificant instant, the physical distance between them was reduced to within five meters.
"Ding!"
The system notification sounded like a thunderclap in his mind!
[Detected a special individual with a hidden talent around the host...]
[Detection complete!]
[Talent holder: Ye Liusu]
[Target's hidden talent: Great Sun Glazed Glass (Supreme Spiritual Root)]
[Note: Mutated fire-type spiritual root, containing the flame of world destruction, capable of cleansing demons and destroying the heavens and the earth.] Holy
crap?!
Although Zhou Bai managed to suppress his expression with his strong willpower, his heart was already in turmoil.
The case is solved! The whole case is solved!
No wonder this stunningly talented ice-cold senior sister has been stuck in the Qi Refining stage for so many years!
In addition to the ice-type spiritual root, she actually has a hidden fire spiritual root!
Water and fire are mutually exclusive, ice and fire clash!
Two extreme spiritual roots turned her body into an arena, constantly clashing and draining her power. How could she possibly level up like that?!
Only knowing ice and not fire is definitely not fun…