The Seven Stars Sect's mountain gate lay hidden among verdant peaks wreathed in clouds and mist. The words "Seven Stars" were engraved upon its vermilion gates, exuding an ancient and solemn air. When Ji Rushuang led Chen Fan and Lin Xiaohu through the gate, the guarding disciples saw Zhou Daoyuan bound atop a spirit beast carriage and all revealed shocked expressions, yet none dared ask questions—Ji Rushuang was the sect master's personal disciple, and with the ledger of evidence in hand, she had long since reported the entire matter through a Communication Talisman.
"Brother Chen, although the sect chiefly cultivates immortality, the sect master has always been open-minded and will not look down on you for being a martial artist." Ji Rushuang explained as they walked, her fingertips brushing past the spiritual herb beds lining the road. "The Pill Room is up ahead. I'll take you to see the sect master first, then arrange lodging for you."
Lin Xiaohu curiously watched disciples ride swords through the sky and whispered to Chen Fan, "Brother Fan, everyone here can fly. That's amazing." Chen Fan patted his shoulder, but his gaze settled on the distant martial training ground—several cultivators were competing with spells, fireballs condensed from spiritual energy colliding with ice arrows in a spectacular display. Yet he keenly sensed that, dazzling as those spells were, they lacked the fierce, body-striking force of martial arts.
Inside the sect master's grand hall, Chu Xinghe of the Seven Stars Sect sat upon a rosewood chair. His hair and beard were entirely white, yet his complexion was ruddy, and spiritual energy flowed naturally around him like running water. One glance was enough to tell that he was a peak expert of the Nascent Soul Realm. When he saw Chen Fan, a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes. "A Grandmaster Realm martial artist with such abundant blood and vitality in his body is quite rare indeed."
Ji Rushuang presented the ledger. Chu Xinghe flipped through it for a moment, and his expression gradually darkened. "That traitorous disciple Zhou Daoyuan actually colluded with Black Wind Stronghold to embezzle spiritual herbs. Had little friend Chen not exposed him, who knows how much longer he would have plagued the sect." He looked at Chen Fan, his tone gentle. "You saved Rushuang and purged a traitor for the sect. Whatever reward you desire, just say the word."
Chen Fan cupped his hands. "This junior only seeks a quiet place to cultivate. If I may borrow your sect's pills to assist in tempering my body, I would be deeply grateful." He recalled the records in the Martial Path Elixir Scripture: if a martial artist could use spiritual-energy pills to temper the flesh, it could hasten the breaking of the Mortal Body Shackles. That was crucial to his attempt to reach the Martial Venerable Realm.
Approval flashed through Chu Xinghe's eyes. "What a practical young man. Rushuang, assign the quiet chamber in the West Courtyard to little friend Chen. Have the Pill Room provide them with ten Body Tempering Pills each month." He paused before adding, "However, Xianyun Sect has long been at odds with our sect. Your identity is unusual, so do your best not to leave the sect in the near future, lest you invite trouble."
In the days that followed, Chen Fan devoted himself to cultivation within the West Courtyard's quiet chamber. The Body Tempering Pills Ji Rushuang sent over were pale gold. They melted as soon as they entered his mouth, their medicinal power sliding down his throat into his dantian, where it actually merged with the True Energy within his body and became a warm current that seeped through his limbs and bones. Following the method recorded in the Martial Path Elixir Scripture, he circulated his True Energy and guided the medicinal power into his bones and meridians. With every cycle, he could feel the strength of his body slowly increasing, while the lingering sluggishness in his meridians from his breakthrough into the Grandmaster Realm gradually disappeared.
Lin Xiaohu, meanwhile, was assigned to do odd jobs in the Pill Room, learning from the medicine boys how to identify spiritual herbs. Though he had no spiritual root, he was meticulous by nature. In less than half a month, he had memorized the properties of dozens of spiritual herbs, and even Ji Rushuang could not help praising him. "If Xiaohu were a cultivator, he would surely be excellent material for alchemy."
One morning, while Chen Fan was meditating in the quiet chamber, he suddenly heard an argument outside the courtyard. He rose and went out, only to see two Pill Room disciples surrounding Lin Xiaohu. One pointed at an overturned herb basket on the ground and shouted, "You little mortal brat, you dare ruin premium spiritual herbs? Can you afford to repay them?"
Lin Xiaohu's face reddened. "I didn't do it on purpose. The wind blew the basket over!"
"The wind? I think you deliberately destroyed them, trying to help your martial artist brother steal spiritual herbs!" said the other, reaching out to shove Lin Xiaohu.
Chen Fan stepped forward and seized the man's wrist with one hand. With a slight burst of True Energy, the man immediately bared his teeth in pain. "On sect grounds, laying hands on a mortal child—is that the Seven Stars Sect's rule?"
The two disciples' expressions changed drastically when they saw Chen Fan. Word of Zhou Daoyuan's capture had long spread throughout the sect, and everyone knew this martial artist was not someone to provoke. They resentfully withdrew their hands, tossed out a "Just you wait," and slunk away with their tails between their legs.
Lin Xiaohu rubbed his arm indignantly. "Brother Fan, they did it on purpose. They clearly knocked over the herb basket themselves just now, then turned around and accused me instead."
Chen Fan frowned. Over the past few days, disciples had often pointed and whispered about them, even deliberately making things difficult. At first, he thought it was prejudice born from his identity as a martial artist, but the tone of those two disciples just now had carried a deliberate hostility. As he pondered this, Ji Rushuang hurried over, her expression grave. "Brother Chen, something happened. Zhou Daoyuan committed suicide in his cell."
By the time they reached the prison cell, Chu Xinghe was standing beside the corpse, his face dark. Zhou Daoyuan lay on the floor, black blood lingering at the corners of his mouth. His fingers tightly clutched a shattered black token—and carved upon it was the cloud pattern of Xianyun Sect!
"Xianyun Sect's people did this," Chu Xinghe said heavily. "They killed Zhou Daoyuan, first to silence him, and second to frame us. They want the sect to believe that we murdered him to silence him, stirring conflict between our two sects." He looked at Chen Fan. "The disciples who had been troubling you were likely spies planted by Xianyun Sect. Their purpose was to provoke you into acting within the sect so they could find an excuse to deal with you."
Chen Fan's heart tightened. Xianyun Sect had actually infiltrated the Seven Stars Sect's interior; even an elder had become one of their chess pieces. He suddenly recalled Zhou Daoyuan's final words: "Xianyun Sect's Nascent Soul Elder is about to arrive." It seemed the enemy had long laid down a net that covered heaven and earth. They not only wanted to kill him, but also to swallow the Seven Stars Sect whole!
"Sect Master, Xianyun Sect harbors the heart of wolves and the ambition of beasts. We cannot sit and await death," Ji Rushuang said urgently. "Why don't we send people to other sects for aid first?"
Chu Xinghe shook his head. "Xianyun Sect is too powerful. Other sects may not dare offend them. The only thing we can do now is raise our strength as quickly as possible and prepare for what is coming." He looked at Chen Fan, anticipation flickering in his eyes. "Little friend Chen, the martial path you cultivate differs from that of ordinary martial artists. If you can break through to the Martial Venerable Realm soon, you may become the key to resisting Xianyun Sect."
Chen Fan clenched his fists. To break through to the Martial Venerable Realm, he needed to shatter the second layer of Mortal Body Shackles. That required not only an immense amount of medicinal power, but also pain beyond anything ordinary people could imagine. But he knew this was not the time to retreat—the threat of Xianyun Sect, the crisis facing the Seven Stars Sect, and Lin Xiaohu's safety all forced him to grow stronger.
"Rest assured, Sect Master. This junior will give it everything he has," Chen Fan said with a bow. "But breaking through to the Martial Venerable Realm requires a great number of Body Tempering Pills. I ask the sect to provide greater support."
Chu Xinghe nodded. "You may take the Pill Room's Body Tempering Pills as you please. Rushuang, help little friend Chen study the Martial Path Elixir Scripture as well. See whether you can find a way to hasten his breakthrough."
In the days that followed, Chen Fan entered a frenzied state of cultivation. He sealed the doors and windows of the quiet chamber and piled it full of Body Tempering Pills. Every time he circulated the Burning Heaven Art, he swallowed three pills, allowing their medicinal power to surge through his body. True Energy and medicinal power merged, ceaselessly battering his bones and meridians. The pain was as though every bone in his body had been ground to dust and reassembled, causing him to pass out several times. Yet every time he awoke, he gritted his teeth and continued—he knew that every additional measure of pain he endured brought him one step closer to the Martial Venerable Realm.
Ji Rushuang brought fresh pills every day, sometimes leaving behind several pill formulas to help him adjust the rhythm of his body tempering. She discovered that Chen Fan's body absorbed medicinal power far more efficiently than an ordinary person's. He could even transform the spiritual energy in the pills into True Energy. This perfectly matched the "nourish martial arts with spirit" principle recorded in the Martial Path Elixir Scripture. Yet what even ancient martial immortals had found difficult to achieve, Chen Fan had accomplished by accident.
One late night, half a month later, an astonishing aura suddenly erupted from the West Courtyard. The stone door of the quiet chamber was blasted to pieces, and Chen Fan's figure floated in midair—at the very instant he broke through to the Martial Venerable Realm, he had comprehended the ability to hover in the air for a short time! The True Energy around him condensed into pale golden True Qi, covering his body like armor. Every breath he took carried a thunderous roar, as though his blood and vitality were surging through him like a river.
"The Martial Venerable Realm... I've finally made it!" Chen Fan opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them. He could clearly feel that his body's strength had increased more than tenfold, while his True Energy had transformed into purer True Qi. With a casual punch, he could tear through the air.
Footsteps sounded outside the courtyard as Chu Xinghe and Ji Rushuang hurried over. Seeing Chen Fan floating in the air, both were utterly shocked. Chu Xinghe muttered, "Martial arts can actually become this powerful... Perhaps you really can break the shackles of Spiritual Root Destiny."
Just then, the sect's alarm bell suddenly rang through the night sky. An urgent Communication Talisman fell into Chu Xinghe's hand. After reading it, his expression changed drastically. "Xianyun Sect has arrived! Three Nascent Soul Elders, leading over a thousand disciples—they are already outside the mountain gate!"
Chen Fan slowly descended, drawing his True Qi back into his body, but blazing battle intent ignited in his eyes. "They've finally come. This time, I won't run anymore." He turned to Ji Rushuang. "Miss Ji, please look after Xiaohu."
Ji Rushuang nodded, her eyes full of worry. "Be careful."
Chen Fan followed Chu Xinghe toward the mountain gate. In the night, his figure stood tall and straight as a pine. The power of the Martial Venerable Realm coursed through his body, and the moves of the Sky Shattering Fist flowed through his mind. He knew that a great battle concerning the survival of the Seven Stars Sect—and the dignity of martial arts—was about to begin.
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