Through Profound Realm, Nothing More Than That

Following the guidance in his mind, Ren Xiaoyao learned that spirit stones contained vast amounts of spiritual energy. Absorbing spiritual energy from spirit stones was countless times faster than absorbing it from between heaven and earth.

Given the choice between one spirit stone and one thousand spirit stones, how could Ren Xiaoyao possibly hesitate?

Ren Xiaoyao looked at Luo Mengxian with a smile and said, "Aunt, I do not want to go to Qianqiu Pavilion. I have absolutely no interest in the Holy Son Position. I only want to stay at the Imperial Observatory and be an ordinary, low-profile person."

In truth, this was also what Ren Xiaoyao genuinely felt. Any Holy Son Position was nothing but empty fluff; only Powerful Strength was real and tangible.

Luo Mengxian froze when she heard Ren Xiaoyao say this and said.

"Xiaoyao, do you know what it means to become Qianqiu Pavilion's Holy Son? You will enter a world beyond your understanding. You can cultivate martial arts and become a top Martial Artist. When you look back one day, you will find that those powerful and terrifying figures in Great Gan are no more than ants to the future you."

Ren Xiaoyao still Shook His Head, his gaze resolute. "Thank you for your kindness, Aunt, but I do not wish to cultivate martial arts."

Immortal cultivation was the path Ren Xiaoyao intended to walk, while martial arts were not something he considered.

Luo Mengxian still wanted to persuade Ren Xiaoyao further, but his attitude was firm. Left with no choice, she could only give up. She sighed and said, "Ren Xiaoyao, since this is your own decision, Aunt will respect it."

Then Luo Mengxian turned to Wine Daoist and Liu Ruyan behind her and said, "You two go out for a while first. I have some private words to discuss with Ren Xiaoyao alone."

Naturally, Wine Daoist and Liu Ruyan tactfully departed.

Yet as Wine Daoist left, he cast Ren Xiaoyao a meaningful glance. There seemed to be a trace of mockery in that gaze. Though it flashed by in an instant, Ren Xiaoyao's Spiritual Sense caught it keenly.

Only then did Luo Mengxian look at Ren Xiaoyao and speak in a grave voice.

"Child, now that no outsiders are here, Aunt will tell you some heartfelt truths. By all rights, Aunt should have taken you back to Qianqiu Pavilion long ago. However, over these past years, your Elder Sister had truly had many enemies within Qianqiu Pavilion. Had you remained there, your circumstances might not have been any better than outside. Thus, though Aunt had long known of your existence, I never took action."

"But now, the power of our Luo Family branch is about to take the lead in Qianqiu Pavilion. Soon, we will possess absolute authority within Qianqiu Pavilion. That is why Aunt wishes to bring you back, have you inherit the Holy Son Position, and make up for what we have owed you these years."

Hearing Luo Mengxian's words, Ren Xiaoyao nodded. He had caught two key pieces of information.

First, Luo Mengshen had indeed possessed many enemies within Qianqiu Pavilion in the past. That explained why the Inner Cabinet Elder of Qianqiu Pavilion had previously wanted to harm Ren Xiaoyao. This was karma left behind by Ren Xiaoyao's Birth Mother, Luo Mengshen.

Second, Qianqiu Pavilion was not united like an unbreakable fortress. It also contained many factions. In the previous struggles, the Luo Family branch had likely been at a disadvantage, whereas now the Luo Family had seized the initiative within Qianqiu Pavilion. Otherwise, Luo Mengxian would not have proposed making Ren Xiaoyao Qianqiu Pavilion's Holy Son.

Of course, all of this speculation was based on the assumption that Luo Mengxian had been telling the truth. Ren Xiaoyao was still unsure whether she could be trusted.

At this moment, Luo Mengxian looked at Ren Xiaoyao and spoke in a grave voice.

"Child, Aunt also knows that becoming the Holy Son may not be a good choice for you. Although you possess the Heavenly Sacred Martial Dao Sacred Body, your acupoints have been crippled and your meridians blocked, leaving you unable to cultivate martial arts. Even if you return to Qianqiu Pavilion and forcibly restore your acupoints and meridians, your starting point will still be far, far behind everyone else's!"

At this point, Luo Mengxian's voice turned cold.

"Besides visiting you, I came to the Capital City this time to settle accounts with Ren Xuanji. I never expected him to already be dead. He got off easy!"

Hearing this, Ren Xiaoyao shook his head inwardly.

Judging from the way Ren Xuanji had died, he had not exactly gotten off easy.

At this moment.

Luo Mengxian looked at Ren Xiaoyao again, took a martial art manual from her robes, and handed it to him. "You may choose not to return to Qianqiu Pavilion with me, but you must still cultivate martial arts. This technique is the Luo Family's supreme cultivation method, the Bone Forging Scripture. If you practice it diligently, you can reach the Super-Rank Realm and gain the ability for self-preservation in the outside world."

She is this determined to make me cultivate martial arts?

Ren Xiaoyao frowned. He truly had no interest in cultivating martial arts, but before he could refuse Luo Mengxian, the textual information appeared before his eyes again.

[You have received a martial art manual gifted by Luo Mengxian. Regarding whether to cultivate it, you have the following choices:]

[One, accept the manual and begin cultivating martial arts. You may obtain one Low-grade Spirit Stone.]

[Two, refuse the manual and continue immortal cultivation. You may obtain One Thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.]

Is there even anything to consider?

Ren Xiaoyao immediately made his choice. "Aunt, I truly have no interest in cultivating martial arts. I appreciate your kindness, but you should take this Bone Forging Scripture back."

But after hearing Ren Xiaoyao's words, Luo Mengxian Shook Her Head. "You child, in this world, the strong are honored. Even if you do not enter Qianqiu Pavilion, you must cultivate Martial Dao before you have the qualifications to gain a foothold in this world."

The strong being honored was indeed the law of survival in this world. But Ren Xiaoyao did not need to cultivate martial arts. Immortal cultivation alone could make him invincible.

Yet Ren Xiaoyao merely shook his head like a block of stubborn wood, leaving Luo Mengxian both irritated and amused. In the end, she said helplessly, "You Kid are still too young. Once you recognize this world's true nature one day, you will regret it!"

Then Luo Mengxian summoned Liu Ruyan. She raised a jade finger and pointed at the Brocade Box Liu Ruyan carried in her hand, speaking softly.

"Xiaoyao, if you will not cultivate martial arts, then so be it. Aunt will not force you. What is in this box is a gift for our first meeting. Inside is a bird egg, a treasure as rare as anything in the world. It was laid by a demonic beast, the Silver-Winged Great Roc. If you can raise it to maturity, it will surely protect your lifelong peace like a guardian deity."

Luo Mengxian continued, "The situation in Qianqiu Pavilion remains complicated and has not yet become completely calm. Once the Luo Family has fully taken control of the overall situation, Aunt will make you hold power over the world."

Hearing this, Ren Xiaoyao could not help but be stunned. He could clearly sense that Luo Mengxian's words were not empty falsehoods, but heartfelt sincerity. In her eyes, Ren Xiaoyao truly existed as her nephew.

Luo Mengxian did not linger long at the Imperial Observatory. After chatting for a while, she descended the mountain together with Qianqiu Pavilion's Outer Sect Master, Wine Daoist, and Liu Ruyan.

As Ren Xiaoyao watched their Gradually Receding back views, he could not help but sigh. If the previous owner of this body had endured until now, he might have lived to see the clouds part and the moon shine through. Unfortunately, there had never been so many ifs in this world.

However, as Ren Xiaoyao watched Wine Daoist's back view, he frowned.

Because he sensed a faint, almost imperceptible hostility from Wine Daoist.

But Ren Xiaoyao soon Shook His Head. Wine Daoist was merely an ant to him. If he truly was Ignorant of His Own Fate enough to come looking for trouble, Ren Xiaoyao would let him know what a surprise was.

Then Ren Xiaoyao's gaze fell upon the bird egg inside the Brocade Box.

This bird egg was twice as large as an ostrich egg. Like a dazzling pearl, it emitted a faint silver radiance all over, revealing mystery and extraordinary qualities.

Under the perception of Ren Xiaoyao's Powerful Spiritual Sense, he could clearly feel a wondrous life being nurtured within the bird egg. Though this life was still sleeping inside its shell and had not yet hatched, the energy it contained was already equivalent to that of a Martial Artist in the Heavenly Human Realm.

Ren Xiaoyao knew this was a precious gift. Luo Mengxian had likely anticipated long ago that he would not want to cultivate martial arts, so she had given him this treasure to protect him in the future.

However, Ren Xiaoyao did not pay the Silver-Winged Great Roc much attention. After all, the power of the Heavenly Human Realm amounted to nothing in his eyes.

Ren Xiaoyao cared more about his own cultivation. He had refused Luo Mengxian's proposals twice in succession, thereby obtaining two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.

To Ren Xiaoyao, this was undoubtedly an enormous resource. He even had a feeling that if he completely absorbed all the Spiritual Power within these two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones, even if he could not step into the Dao Realm Sixth Heaven in a single stride, he would not be far from it.

Ren Xiaoyao took out two thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones and stored them all within his Universe Bracelet. Then he began absorbing their spiritual energy one by one, and his cultivation speed soared like a rocket, dozens of times faster than before.

Ren Xiaoyao cultivated with complete absorption until night fell. When he paused briefly to rest, his Spiritual Sense detected a ghostly figure slipping silently into the Imperial Observatory like a phantom.

When Ren Xiaoyao confirmed the figure's identity, his brows immediately furrowed tightly. This person was Wine Daoist, Qianqiu Pavilion's Outer Sect Master, who had come to the Imperial Observatory with Luo Mengyun during the day.

Very soon, Wine Daoist appeared like a ghost outside Ren Xiaoyao's door. Without hesitation, he pushed it open and entered. His sharp gaze, Like an Eagle's, fixed tightly on Ren Xiaoyao before him. He chuckled and said, "Young Master Xiaoyao, we meet again. During the day, you swore with conviction that you did not wish to leave the Imperial Observatory, but now I am afraid the matter is no longer up to you. You must come with this old man."

"Come with you?"

Ren Xiaoyao glanced at Wine Daoist and said lightly, "It seems there are other higher-ups in Qianqiu Pavilion who wish to target me?"

"Correct. I too have been entrusted by another."

Wine Daoist's lips curled slightly as he revealed a faint smile.

"But you need not worry. I will not harm your life. Even if you return to Qianqiu Pavilion, no one will dare take your life for the time being. After all, you are a descendant of the Luo Family. If used well, you can serve as a fine card for checking and balancing the Luo Family!"

"And if I refuse to go with you?"

Ren Xiaoyao's expression was calm, like a still pond without a single ripple.

"Then it is not up to you!"

Wine Daoist wore a mocking expression. "I know you have a Master here at the Imperial Observatory, Li Chunfeng, who is called the legend of Great Gan's martial world. But in my eyes, Li Chunfeng is no different from an ant. I could crush him with a single hand. So I advise you to obediently come with me, lest you drag Li Chunfeng down with you."

Hearing this, Ren Xiaoyao's lips curved into a faint smile as he looked at Wine Daoist before him. "Oh? Are you very strong?"

"This old man is in the Through Profound Realm! Perhaps that amounts to nothing within Qianqiu Pavilion, but in Great Gan, I am an invincible existence!"

After Speaking, Wine Daoist raised the wine gourd at his waist and Looked Up to take a drink of fine wine. Smiling confidently, he said, "The Through Profound Realm is a height you can never reach. You may even regard me as one of the Immortals and Gods, for my methods are like those of Immortals and Gods in your eyes, beyond comparison!"

When Wine Daoist looked at Ren Xiaoyao, his expression was filled with the domineering air of one looking down upon all beneath heaven, as though he were the sole ruler of this world, overlooking all things. He was utterly unlike the timid, submissive figure he had been beside Luo Mengxian during the day.

After hearing Wine Daoist's words, Ren Xiaoyao said nothing more. He merely lifted the teacup from the table and said lightly, "Then let me see just how capable your Through Profound Realm truly is."

The moment his words fell.

Whoosh!

A streak of light tore through the Night Sky like lightning.

It was so fast, like wind chasing lightning, surpassing the limits of the present age.

Before Wine Daoist could react, the Great Sun Divine Sword shattered his protective True Essence with Immense Power. Then the Great Sun Divine Sword's surging sword radiance pulverized the wine gourd in Wine Daoist's hand into fragments like a violent storm. The spilled wine splashed across Wine Daoist's body like scattered stars.

At this very moment, the Great Sun Divine Sword was only an inch from Wine Daoist's brow, and the streak of light stabbed at his eyes like a sharp sword, leaving him unable to open them.

At that instant, Wine Daoist seemed to have been struck by lightning, his mind utterly blank.

He Only Felt a bone-piercing chill surge from his back like a tide straight to the Crown of the Head. His Right Hand, which had been holding the wine gourd, began to tremble uncontrollably like a Candle in the Wind.

At this moment, Ren Xiaoyao leisurely drank the tea in his cup. He slightly Shook His Head, a faint smile hanging on his lips as he said, "Through Profound Realm, nothing more than that."