The Second Demonic Thought

For anglers, "going empty" isn't an option; there are plenty of ways to catch something, whether it's foraging for wild vegetables, sipping soup, or visiting the market.

It was even more true for Lin Yu, a cultivator. He still had a sure-fire move he hadn't used yet: changing his bait and attaching a Qi Ling Pill.

Because the technique was too basic, and his Junior Disciple Brother was right there, he couldn't bring himself to switch.

Lu Bei returned to the sect with his catch, and Hu Jiao poked her head out the window. She trotted to his feet, chirping questions about why he hadn't returned all night.

Lin Yu watched this scene unfold and nodded inwardly. They had a good relationship. The little fox trusted Lu Bei completely; he had been overthinking it when he considered raising a demon pet for amusement.

However, a good relationship was one thing, and a fox spirit transforming was another. He felt he should remind his Junior Disciple Brother that diligence leads to mastery, while idleness leads to ruin. He must not become so engrossed in beauty that he neglects his cultivation.

Going home empty-handed was depressing enough, and seeing the neighbor's overflowing catch made it even more so. Lin Yu, seeing Lu Bei's full basket, temporarily abandoned his fishing plans. Remembering he had a task, he bid farewell to Lu Bei and headed towards the other peaks of Nine Bamboo Mountain.

Among the Nine Bamboo peaks, only Yang Fuliu, the Abbot of Qingguang Monastery on Second Sage Peak, and Zhao Shiran, the Sect Master of Piaoxiang Sect on Seven Plate Peaks, hadn't directly met Lu Bei. All other Sect Masters had interacted with him to some extent.

Their evaluations were almost unanimous: having such a neighbor meant they were in for trouble.

But that was something they could only think about; they certainly couldn't say it out loud. After the Zhu Family Trading Company pushed out the SITONG Trading Company, all of them benefited.

Therefore, not only could they not speak ill of him, but they also had to thank him.

Upon learning Lin Yu's purpose, the Sect Masters' eyes lit up. They spared no praise, lavishing Lu Bei with compliments, exaggerating his virtues to the heavens. They were so eager for Lin Yu to take him away immediately that they felt every day delayed was a great loss to the cultivation world.

Ding Lei was the most effusive, using overly sentimental and exaggerated language, praising him with great effort, making even Lin Yu blush.

Ding Lei didn't want to act this way. Upon learning that it was Lu Bei's Eldest Senior Brother from far-off Yuezhou, for a fleeting moment, he just wanted to hug his thigh and cry.

You're finally here!

He held back. A Sect Master had to consider the bigger picture and view things from a realistic, long-term perspective.

Ding Lei knew how cruel reality could be. He praised Lu Bei with a clear conscience, knowing that if Lu Bei could be taken away, the geese would be saved. He complained about Lu Bei's misdeeds, which would undoubtedly lead to Lu Bei permanently residing on Sanqing Peak. In the end, settling accounts would only add to the woes of the already struggling Emei Sect.

Lin Yu collected the evaluations from the various Sect Masters and received a description of his Junior Disciple Brother as handsome, elegant, respectful of his elders, benevolent, righteous, and destined for greatness... blah, blah, blah... radiating an aura of noble righteousness. He had to pare it down, leaving only the evaluations of being kind-hearted and diligent in his studies.

He had no choice but to edit it; it was too unbelievable.

If he reported it truthfully, not only his Sect Master father but even his mother, the Dean of the Discipline Hall, wouldn't believe him. To be safe, it was better to be more reserved.

Lin Yu moved swiftly, visiting eight peaks in a single day and gathering the evaluations of the Sect Masters. He determined Lu Bei's assessment score to be "Excellent."

After removing the highest score of 100 and the lowest score of 100, the average was calculated to be 100.

Perhaps it was the frustrating experience of going empty-handed in the back mountains, or perhaps he was eager to develop new fishing spots. Lin Yu, who had originally planned to stay for three to five days, left Sanqing Peak overnight after setting up the formation.

He hadn't even planned to eat, but upon hearing about a "fish feast" that night, he lingered a little longer. The silver-striped fish from the deep pool in the back mountains were the main course. He ate half the table's worth of fish in a huff.

After Lin Yu left, Lu Bei examined the Feather Transformation Sect's new mountain-guarding formation. His Eldest Senior Brother was decisive and willing to spend money. The formation's coverage extended to the deep pool in the back mountains, bringing the underground palace within its protection.

Lu Bei kept one of the two jade discs that controlled the formation and gave the other to Hu Jiao. He told her to be vigilant and, if any bad guys disguised as scholars came knocking, she shouldn't waste words but activate the formation and blast them to smithereens.

With the formation complete, Lu Bei had one less worry. That night, he locked himself in his room.

One must have aspirations. He couldn't become complacent just because he dominated the beginner area of Nine Bamboo Mountain, could defeat Du Jinglan with a punch, or out-talk Pang Miaosong. Lin Yu and Bai Jin, his peers, were the ones he should be striving to catch up to.

Having goals provided motivation. Without further ado, he began to cultivate.

Lu Bei lay in bed and glanced at his personal panel. After a moment of thought, he began to add experience. Recalling his previous tips for leveling up, he first downed a bottle of Experience Pills.

Three-Revolutions Origin Nurturing Pills could not be taken consecutively. For NPCs, the medicinal effect was too strong, leading to an inability to absorb it. For players, it meant a cooldown period.

The porcelain bottle left by Mo Buxiu contained twenty Three-Revolutions Origin Nurturing Pills, which converted to exactly 1 million experience points.

After Lu Bei finished taking the pills, the sky outside began to brighten. He checked his main profession experience and filled a gap of 20,000 points, leveling up to 26.

Once his main profession level exceeded twenty, each upgrade rewarded double the free attribute points and skill points. Above level thirty, it would be triple, and so on. He also gained 10 free attribute points and 500 skill points.

With 840,000 experience points remaining, Lu Bei first added them to the "Demon Slaying Scripture," attempting to cultivate this technique to perfection. If he continued with subsequent techniques, he wouldn't be able to capitalize on the benefits of his current level.

[You have comprehended the Demon Slaying Scripture, achieving success. Strength +8, Speed +8, Spirit +8]

[You have comprehended the Demon Slaying Scripture, achieving success. Strength +7, Speed +9, Spirit +9]

[You have gained immense benefits from the Demon Slaying Scripture. Total level experience +200,000, Cultivation +1200, Health +1000]

[You have broken through the cultivation realm of the Demon Slaying Scripture and slain a Demonic Thought. Your total level has risen by 5]

[You have honed your Demon Slaying Will through the Demon Slaying Scripture. All future basic attribute growth will be calculated at triple the rate]

[You have comprehended the Demon Slaying Scripture, achieving success. Strength...

[You...

[You have gained immense benefits from the Demon Slaying Scripture. Total...

[You have achieved consecutive breakthroughs in the Demon Slaying Scripture's realm and learned the skill [Blood Nest]. Spirit +10, Stamina +8, Charm +2, Free Attribute Points +6, Skill Points +500]

After spending 600,000 experience points, the Demon Slaying Scripture advanced four levels. Even at level 10, it was not yet perfected. Lu Bei didn't have time to marvel at how much experience this technique consumed; his attention was entirely captured by the triple calculation of basic attributes.

"Gulp!"

He swallowed hard and slapped... the headboard of his bed.

"It's not a dream. I can really slay a second Demonic Thought."

After the immense surprise, Lu Bei thought of Lin Yu and Bai Jin and quickly snapped out of his daydream of knocking over the Huangji Sect with a single punch. He didn't rush to allocate his attribute points. After a moment of thought, he continued to invest experience into the "Seated Breathing Method" and the "Qi Nourishing Longevity Method."

Originally, he had planned to invest all his remaining experience into the "Array Dao Primer" and some practical skills. Now that he saw his basic attributes could surge again, he decisively chose the two beginner-level cultivation methods.

These two techniques were obtained by Lu Bei when he touched the Daoist Canon Classics. Because his strength was weak at the time and he was very resistant to the cultivation world, both techniques leaned towards longevity, health preservation, and defense. After obtaining the Demon Slaying Scripture, his mindset expanded and changed, and he disdained these two beginner techniques. He practiced them casually before tossing them aside.

Now, it's the real deal.

Beginner techniques could grant free attribute points and skill points, consuming very little experience, making them incredibly cost-effective.

While his main profession level wasn't high, he quickly maxed it out. Otherwise, adding points later would yield no rewards and would just be a waste of experience.

[Seated Breathing Method Lv9]

[Qi Nourishing Longevity Method Lv8]

As expected, the upper limits of these two techniques were not high. It only took 130,000 experience to raise them to max level, without unlocking any new skills.

Lu Bei didn't hoard the remaining 100,000 experience. Gritting his teeth, he poured it all in, first allocating skill points to 'Blood Rage' and 'Undercurrent', upgrading them to Lv4. The rest was saved for the new technique 'Array Dao Primer' and the new skill 'Blood Nest', which again yielded some rewards.

[Blood Nest Lv4 (10/20000)]

[Array Dao Primer Lv5 (0/5W)]

He didn't allocate any free attribute points. A person needs dreams. He'd save them, and the next time he slays a Demonic Thought, when the free attribute points are quadrupled, he'll use the 30 free attribute points he's accumulated.

Name: Lu Bei

Level: 32

Experience: 10/45w

Cultivation: 5810/5810

Health: 4250/4250

Main Profession: Dao Cultivator (Foundation Establishment)

Attributes: Strength 222, Speed 192, Spirit 305, Stamina 205, Charm 6, Luck 3

Evaluation: You've got some potential, kid!

"Hehehe—"

"Hahaha—"

"Brilliant!!"

Lu Bei rubbed his hands together, his laughter particularly… that way. Next door, Hu Jiao poked her head out from the window, her small head filled with immense confusion.

What's gotten into the Sect Master? She's been up all night without sleep, and in the early morning, she's acting strange. Could it be that she can't bear to let the Eldest Senior Brother leave?