Chapter 13

"Mid-grade Yellow-rank Blood Rage, two hundred Contribution Points."

The Pavilion Elder efficiently deducted Lin Xuan's Contribution Points, lifted the seal, and handed the jade slip to Lin Xuan.

"Remember, you may only cultivate it yourself. Do not pass it on to others."

"Yes, Elder!"

Lin Xuan answered and turned to leave.

The Pavilion Elder narrowed his eyes slightly and offered a reminder. "Martial skills are ultimately only means of enhancing combat strength. It is better to master one than merely know several. Do not aim too high."

Lin Xuan's steps paused slightly. A favorable impression of the Pavilion Elder rose in his heart. He turned around and gave a small bow.

"Thank you for your guidance, Elder. This disciple will remember it."

The Pavilion Elder waved a hand and closed his eyes to rest.

Lin Xuan did not waste words and left the Martial Pavilion.

By the time he returned to the resting area, the sky had already gone dark.

"One's own strength is the foundation. First absorb the blood qi and raise my realm."

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged, his consciousness sinking into the first level of the Soul Suppressing Pagoda.

Myriad Ages in an Instant!

Lin Xuan absorbed an enormous mass of blood qi, so dense it seemed impossible to dissolve, completely. It took a full six years.

Yet his realm did not rise. He remained at the middle stage of the Body Forging Realm, though he was more than twice as strong as before.

"As expected. Even though this is only the Body Forging Realm, the difficulty of the path of cultivation has already revealed itself."

"Talent truly is a wonderful thing!"

Lin Xuan could not help sighing.

Thankfully, he had the heaven-defying Soul Suppressing Pagoda. Otherwise, relying on himself alone, whether he could even finish the Body Forging Realm in this lifetime would still be uncertain.

"Time to cultivate Blood Rage!"

Gathering his thoughts, Lin Xuan plunged into cultivation once more.

A mid-grade Yellow-rank martial skill—and an explosive type martial skill that was exceptionally difficult to cultivate—took Lin Xuan more than half a year simply to study and fully comprehend.

Only then did he officially begin cultivating it.

After half a year, his understanding of Blood Rage had deepened.

After two years, Blood Rage finally barely touched the threshold.

After five years, Blood Rage finally reached the beginner stage and could barely improve his combat strength.

After seven years, his cultivation became much smoother, and Blood Rage steadily improved.

After twelve years, Blood Rage finally entered the mastery stage, increasing Lin Xuan's combat strength by fifty percent.

In the seventeenth year, Blood Rage entered the minor accomplishment stage. Once activated, it doubled his combat strength, but its consumption of blood qi was terrifying.

In the twenty-second year, Lin Xuan shattered through the bottleneck, and Blood Rage reached major accomplishment...

At this point, only forty-four years remained in the Soul Suppressing Pagoda.

Naturally, the results were gratifying. Lin Xuan's combat strength had undergone earth-shaking changes.

"Blood Rage!"

Lin Xuan's consciousness returned to his body, and all his cultivation experience and blood qi fed back into his true body.

At that moment, the blood qi within him boiled, and his aura surged explosively. He was fully twice as powerful as he normally was.

"How formidable!"

A brilliant light flashed through Lin Xuan's eyes. He felt that an ordinary punch from him now could kill the Wild Boar leader.

If he unleashed Tiger's Roar Fist at major accomplishment, he could directly blast it into minced flesh with one punch.

Without deactivating Blood Rage, Lin Xuan silently counted the time.

Three minutes passed. His face turned deathly pale, and his blood qi was completely depleted.

"Whew..."

After letting out a long breath, Lin Xuan murmured softly, "I can only erupt at full strength for three minutes? Still too weak."

His consciousness sank into the Soul Suppressing Pagoda. Half a year passed in an instant, and Lin Xuan's complexion immediately returned to normal, his blood qi once again brimming within him.

Remaining time: 43.5 years

"It actually took a full half year to recover. Is this what a crippled body is like?"

Lin Xuan was somewhat speechless, but fortunately, he had tested it out. As long as he had the Soul Suppressing Pagoda and stored enough time, he could sustain himself indefinitely without even needing pills to recover.

It might not seem like much now, but in the later stages of cultivation, this ability would be a super bug.

Using ultimate moves like basic attacks—just try and stop that.

The night passed in a flash.

The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Lin Xuan pushed open the door and headed directly for the Duties Pavilion.

"Niu Fang, your time to die has come too."

He had let Niu Fang jump around for several days already. Lin Xuan would not keep him alive any longer.

A person like that might stab you in the back at any moment. He might not necessarily be able to do anything to you, but it was still utterly disgusting.

Besides, he had long since been on Lin Xuan's kill list. To avoid long nights and many dreams, Lin Xuan thought it best to kill him sooner rather than later.

The Duties Pavilion was where disciples were assigned positions.

With a position, one rose above ordinary disciples. One could do less work while earning more Contribution Points than ordinary disciples.

The Azure Cloud Realm had always worshiped the principle that the fist ruled.

Therefore, if one wanted to obtain a position, one had to issue a challenge, and the position would be inherited by the victor.

Those who already held positions could not refuse challenges. This was a hard rule.

"Challenge Servant Supervisor Niu Fang? Category: Life and Death Battle?"

Inside the Duties Pavilion, the disciple responsible for registration stared at Lin Xuan as though he had seen a Specter.

"Yes!"

Lin Xuan did not so much as flinch. If he did not initiate a Life and Death Battle, it would be disrespectful to the decades he had spent cultivating.

The registering disciple's gaze turned strange, and he could not help reminding him, "Junior Brother, have you thought this through? Once you step onto the Life and Death Arena, it will not end until one of you dies."

"Supervisor Niu is, after all, at the late stage of the Body Forging Realm. Moreover, he has cultivated two martial skills over the years, and one of them has already reached minor accomplishment."

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Lin Xuan nodded slightly. "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I am sure."

The registering disciple's pupils suddenly contracted. How deep did this grudge have to be? Was it worth this?

"Fine. Challenging for a supervisor position requires handing over one hundred Contribution Points. Have you gathered them?"

The registering disciple said no more. His reminder had merely been a gesture of goodwill. Fine words could not persuade a ghost bent on death; it had nothing to do with him.

"I have!"

Lin Xuan presented his Disciple Token, and the Contribution Points within were deducted.

The registering disciple began the registration. Before long, he raised his head and said, "You will step onto the Life and Death Arena in half an hour. By then, unless the other party spares you, death will be your only outcome. Take care of yourself."

"Thank you!"

Lin Xuan put away his Disciple Token and left the Duties Pavilion.

"What a lunatic!"

The registering disciple shook his head as he watched Lin Xuan's departing back. "But Lin Xuan... why does that name sound somewhat familiar?"

"Forget it. He is going to die anyway. It has nothing to do with me."

Clearly, the registering disciple did not think highly of Lin Xuan at all.

There were countless people who wanted to challenge for a position, but very few succeeded.

Leaving aside the fact that those with positions earned more Contribution Points, even their cultivation time was not something ordinary disciples could compare with.

Which person holding a position was not already in his twenties?

Lin Xuan looked under twenty. Who knew how long he had been in the sect? At his stage, wanting to obtain a position was simply wishful thinking.

Did he really think he possessed exceptional talent? If he truly did, he would have gone to the outer sect or inner sect long ago. Why would he still be struggling in the Servant District?

Naturally, Lin Xuan knew none of this. Of course, even if he did, he would not care.

He quickly arrived at the Animal Husbandry Garden. Half an hour was enough to finish the morning's pig-slaughtering task. In any case, he only needed to kill them, not process them.

As for cutting pig grass, Lin Xuan naturally handed that task to Chen Ze.

Chen Ze did not dare say a single unnecessary word and respectfully accepted. Soon afterward, Lin Xuan left the Animal Husbandry Garden and headed for the Life and Death Arena.