The day after the Ascension Gathering ended, a Qingyun Sect convoy arrived at the temporary camp. At its head was a middle-aged man wearing a dark green robe, with a plaque at his waist identifying him as a Sect Elder. A dozen or so Outer Disciples followed behind him, each looking spirited and brimming with confidence.
Luo Yue personally escorted Yan Kui to the carriage.
"Travel safely." Luo Yue's voice carried a strange note of anticipation. "Once you reach the sect, I'll arrange the best treatment for you. Remember, you're one of my people now. Anyone in the sect who dares bully you will have to answer to my sword."
The few Outer Disciples following behind frowned at this. A newly arrived Strongman was being treated with such importance by a Foundation Establishment Elder? Nothing like this had ever happened in Qingyun Sect's history.
Yan Kui offered no thanks. He merely nodded. In his eyes, Luo Yue was nothing more than a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. Sooner or later, he would seize everything he wanted from that Old Fox.
The convoy set off toward Qingyun Sect.
Along the way, Yan Kui sat inside the carriage, watching the scenery outside through the window. The mountains and rivers of Qingyun Province were far more beautiful than those of Daganzhou, but they meant nothing to him. His gaze remained sharp and cold, as if scanning everything around him for potential value.
Three days later, the convoy crossed a vast Mountain Range and entered a valley encircled by peaks.
Qingyun Sect's mountain gate appeared before them.
It was a massive stone gate, about ten meters high, with a stone lion on either side. Three forceful characters—"Qingyun Sect"—were carved into it. Two uniformed disciples stood in front of the gate. As soon as they saw the convoy, they bowed in greeting.
"Welcome, Elder!"
The convoy entered the sect grounds.
Qingyun Sect's buildings were arranged with great care. White walls and gray-tiled roofs stood in orderly clusters, with broad Stone Slab Roads separating the buildings. Cries from those practicing and the hum of Magic Tools in operation drifted from afar. Young disciples could be seen training everywhere, faint glimmers of Spiritual Qi flickering around their bodies.
This was Yan Kui's first time seeing cultivators in the midst of training. A flicker of interest passed through his eyes.
"The Sect Master wants to see you." Luo Yue walked over, his expression blank. "Don't be nervous. It's just a routine meeting."
Yan Kui followed Luo Yue to the sect's main hall.
The Sect Master was a middle-aged man with an otherworldly bearing, his eyes flashing with an imposing brilliance. He wore a luxurious golden robe, and the Jade Pendant at his waist gleamed. From the man's aura, Yan Kui sensed a power unfathomable in its depths—this was a cultivator at the Golden Core Stage.
"Luo Yue said you're an Extreme Martial Artist from the Mortal World?" the Sect Master asked, his voice gentle yet authoritative.
"Yes," Yan Kui replied curtly.
"And your Spiritual Root?" the Sect Master asked.
"I don't have one," Yan Kui answered without hiding the truth.
A faint smile touched the Sect Master's lips. "You have no Spiritual Root, yet you shattered the Strength Testing Stone during the Ascension Gathering's Spiritual Root Test. That's interesting. Luo Yue is very interested in your physical body. I don't object to his research, but there's one condition—you must abide by the sect's rules and cause no trouble within its grounds."
"Understood."
"Good." The Sect Master waved a hand. "You may go. Luo Yue will arrange your quarters. I hope to see you transform one day."
Yan Kui turned and left the main hall.
In the Sect Master's eyes, the crimson monster was quite interesting. A mortal with no Spiritual Root but a powerful body... Could this be the legendary "special genius"? Still, he was nothing more than a "test subject."
The Sect Master had no idea that the one he was about to welcome was a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Yan Kui was assigned to the most remote corner of the sect, a shabby dormitory reserved for Strongmen and laborers. There were dirt floors, wooden rooms, and crude beds. Others might have been disappointed by such treatment, but Yan Kui didn't care in the least.
What he needed wasn't a luxurious place to live, but room to move freely.
"This will be your dorm from now on." Luo Yue pointed to an empty room. "The conditions are crude, but at least it's quiet. I don't want you causing trouble within the sect. Understood?"
"Understood."
"Good. Starting tomorrow, you'll come with me to Artifact Refining Peak. I'll run some examinations and tests on your body." A flash of greed passed through Luo Yue's eyes. "Believe me, it'll only benefit you."
Yan Kui showed no reaction. He had long since guessed Luo Yue's true intentions: the Old Fox wanted to use his body for some kind of sinister experiment. But that wasn't a problem. Until he was strong enough, he could cooperate for now. Besides, it would give him access to the sect's resources—for example, entry to the Forbidden Area, contact with High-level Cultivators, and a chance to learn Cultivation Methods.
That evening, Yan Kui sat in his dorm and opened the System Panel.
[Crimson Modifier] Host: Yan Kui Status: Crimson Extreme Golden Body (First Stage) Origin Power: 31.5 Strength: 10.5 Agility: 3.0 Constitution: 12.0
Yan Kui closed his eyes, his ears picking up the sect's many sounds. Laughter from the cultivating disciples drifted from afar, along with the sounds of fighting from somewhere else. This sect was his new hunting ground.
Here, he would learn the secrets of cultivation.
Here, he would build up enough strength.
Here, every cultivator would become a source of Origin Power for him.
A brand-new life began the next morning.
Yan Kui wore Qingyun Sect's uniform, a plain green robe, and followed Luo Yue to Artifact Refining Peak. It was an isolated mountain, far from the sect's main buildings. Halfway up stood a huge structure that looked like some kind of laboratory.
"Welcome to my territory." Luo Yue pushed open a heavy iron door. "This is Artifact Refining Peak's Pill Room and Artifact Room. I conduct all sorts of confidential research here. You'll be spending a lot of time here."
Yan Kui took in the Pill Room's furnishings: countless cauldrons, ovens, and strange containers. The air was thick with the smell of medicine and another, unpleasantly fishy odor.
"I have many kinds of pills. Some are meant to strengthen the body, some to alter bloodlines, and others..." Luo Yue paused, a strange smile forming at the corners of his mouth. "They're for special experiments. I think your body should be able to withstand my pills."
Yan Kui made no comment. His gaze swept across the room, committing the position of every object to memory.
"All right, take off your clothes. I'm going to perform a basic examination." Luo Yue took out an instrument that looked like some kind of measuring device.
Yan Kui removed his shirt. His dark red muscles gleamed like metal beneath the light, every ridge clearly visible. They weren't puffed-up show muscles; they were real, solid, and brimming with strength.
Luo Yue's breathing grew a little quick. He poked Yan Kui's chest with a finger, but it barely sank in.
"This..." Luo Yue's voice grew a little hoarse. "This is perfect. If I could transform your body into..."
Elder Luo didn't continue, but the excitement in his eyes made it clear that this experiment would be no simple matter.
Yan Kui said nothing. He already understood Luo Yue's real plan: to treat him as a test subject. That was good—it gave him ample reason to gain access to the sect's various resources.
"Then we'll start today." Luo Yue took a Jade Bottle from a cabinet and opened it. An enticing fragrance wafted out. "This is my latest Body Strengthening Pill. It can strengthen your Muscle Fibers and increase your Body Density. But the side effect is—extreme pain. Can you endure it?"
"I can."
Luo Yue gave Yan Kui two pills.
Yan Kui swallowed them.
A scorching sensation erupted inside him. It felt as though countless little knives were slicing and tearing through his Muscle Fibers. But that amount of pain was nothing to him. His Crimson Extreme Golden Body improved in high temperatures, so the heat of these pills was, in fact, an opportunity to strengthen himself.
[Origin Power gained: +0.2 (Pill energy absorbed)]
Strangely, the system responded. These pills were supplements for ordinary cultivators, but for Yan Kui's Extreme Martial body, they became an additional source of Origin Power.
"How do you feel?" Luo Yue asked.
"No problem." Yan Kui's voice was so calm it was frightening, as though he felt no pain at all.
Greed deepened in Luo Yue's eyes. This monster seemed born to be transformed. He had already begun planning how to make the fullest use of Yan Kui's body.
[Crimson Modifier] Host: Yan Kui Status: Crimson Extreme Golden Body (First Stage) Origin Power: 31.7 Strength: 10.5 Agility: 3.0 Constitution: 12.0 Notice: Entered a Cultivation Sect and became Elder Luo's official disciple.
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