All Eyes on Him (Please Keep Reading)

Not long after their flying boats had left.

Black Wind slowly flew down from high above.

Fortunately, as the Robbing Cultivator Leader, he had a few spare magic artifacts.

But the two best ones, the flying sword and the Golden Ring, had already been taken by Shen Xuan.

All three Robber Cultivator Flying Boats were shattered and wrecked.

Seeing his subordinates scrambling ashore from the Longze River, he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

This job had cost him dearly!

"You fed me false information, trying to use me to kill someone for you!"

"Baldy Chen, you and I aren't done!"

Black Wind was sure that Shen Xuan and the others were no fat sheep.

That Monster Hunting cultivator who wielded Water Law could absolutely kill him on the surface of the Longze River!

"Where did this monster come from? His Cultivation Realm is clearly low, yet he's achieved Water Law Great Accomplishment and can unleash Water Attribute Spell Techniques with such power!"

Five days later.

The flying boat finally arrived safely at Qinglong Bay Market.

As soon as they reached the market entrance, they drew the attention of the nearby cultivators.

"Damn! That Beast Bag is huge! Did they bag a big one this time?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down. That's Talisman Master Shen."

"Is he Shen Xuan, the Shen who has deep connections in Qingyun Sect and turned down the Ding Family's offer to marry into their family? He doesn't look like much. He's not even as handsome as me!"

A palm smacked the back of his head.

"Watch your mouth! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"Do you even know that Shen Xuan isn't just a Talisman Master, but also a Monster Hunter who's achieved Water Law Great Accomplishment?"

"I heard they managed to hunt down an entire Water Repelling Rhinoceros this time, all thanks to Shen Xuan!"

"Really? They must've made a fortune!"

Qinglong Bay Market was quite safe.

With two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Ding Family stationed there, no one dared cause trouble in the market.

Shen Xuan greeted Zhao Chunsheng and the others, leaving them to handle the remaining matters while he headed home to rest.

Along the way.

Cultivators kept clasping their fists in greeting as Shen Xuan passed.

Some faces were familiar, others not.

Shen Xuan didn't break stride, politely returning each greeting.

Back home, Ding Yuyao darted into his arms like a cheerful little bird.

After a month apart, they had both missed each other.

"Husband, you seem to have lost some weight! Go take a hot bath first. I'll make you something delicious and help you build yourself back up!"

"All right. Thanks for the effort, dear!"

Shen Xuan didn't stand on ceremony.

He'd been on edge the whole way home, and had even fought a fierce battle against Robbing Cultivators. He really needed to unwind.

As he soaked in the hot bath, Shen Xuan reviewed the entire hunt.

"Cloud Rain Technique helped the Water Repelling Rhinoceros break through. I used Invisibility Technique and Breath Concealment Technique. Even if they know I did it, they have no proof."

"I killed the Water Repelling Rhinoceros in an instant at the bottom of the Longze River. Both the battlefield and the timing were decent."

"Showing my strength in front of the Monster Hunters was to prevent pointless infighting!"

"With an endless supply of Water Spiritual Power on the surface of the Longze River, even a Robbing Cultivator at Qi Refining Perfection could only flee in disarray."

"Too bad I missed the chance to kill him with a single strike. The Robbing Cultivator Leader escaped, leaving a hidden danger behind."

"I still lack experience!"

After finishing his review, Shen Xuan gave his performance a score of seventy-five.

Good.

Still a little short of excellent.

"Dear, pour me some hot water!"

Ding Yuyao carried over a bucket of hot water and poured it into the tub.

But before she could react, Shen Xuan suddenly rose and pinned her against the edge of the tub.

"Husband..."

Thick steam filled the bathhouse, mingling with a peculiar scent that set their blood racing.

At that moment, Shen Xuan was waging an all-out campaign.

He had no idea that his performance had already sent shockwaves through the area around Qinglong Bay!

At a tavern in the market.

A group of Monster Hunters were eagerly discussing Shen Xuan.

"Talisman Master Shen Xuan has achieved Water Law Great Accomplishment!"

"That old Turtle Talisman Master who's over sixty and still only at the Early Qi Refining Stage?"

"Exactly! You haven't heard? They say he entered the Monster Hunting trade and made a spectacular debut!"

"What do you mean, spectacular?"

"He killed a Water Repelling Rhinoceros in a single strike!"

"Wow! Now that's a spectacular debut!"

"Come on, that has to be exaggerated! How strong could a Talisman Master be if he's sixty and still at the Early Qi Refining Stage?"

Someone shook his head in disbelief.

"What do you know? I just got the latest news. Robbing Cultivator Black Wind led a group of men to intercept them on the Longze River. Guess what happened?"

"Spit it out! Don't keep us in suspense!"

"All three Robber Cultivator Flying Boats were destroyed! Black Wind fled in disarray without even retrieving his flying sword!"

"No way! Black Wind is a Sword Cultivator at Qi Refining Perfection!"

But more and more people confirmed the story.

Some had seen Black Wind fleeing into the sky after Shen Xuan beat him back.

"Water Law Great Accomplishment! He smashed three Robber Cultivator Flying Boats in just a few breaths."

"His companions hadn't even lifted a finger, and more than twenty Robbing Cultivators were already defeated!"

"Black Wind was smart to run fast! If he'd gone to retrieve his flying sword, he wouldn't have made it out alive!"

After the uproar died down.

Several Foundation Establishment forces in Azure Dragon Market Town that had been keeping an eye on Shen Xuan fell silent.

They had assumed Shen Xuan was merely receiving special treatment from the Ding Family because of his connection to Qin Yuehan of Qingyun Sect.

They hadn't expected him to be so powerful!

"The Ding Family values Shen Xuan for more than just his connection to Qin Yuehan of Qingyun Sect!"

"If even a Sword Cultivator at Qi Refining Perfection is no match for him, then he's probably been hiding his true strength and is skilled at Breath Concealment and Camouflage!"

In the Ding Family's meeting hall.

The Ding Family Old Ancestor, the Ding Family Head, and Ding Yijin sat side by side.

Below them, Shopkeeper Ding kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

Just now, he'd recounted what he knew about Shen Xuan.

He'd started with Shen Xuan farming at seventeen and taking up Talisman Crafting at eighteen.

He'd talked for over an hour.

And still.

The three people in charge of the Ding Family weren't satisfied.

"Ding Qingtao, you've known Shen Xuan for fifty years. Did you never notice anything unusual about him?"

Ding Yijin asked, sounding displeased.

He'd badly misjudged Shen Xuan!

"Unusual? Does hard cultivation count?"

"And he has a talent for Talisman Crafting!"

Shopkeeper Ding stammered.

There was one more thing he didn't dare say aloud.

He was cautious to a fault.

Timid and afraid of trouble.

"Leave us."

The Ding Family Head waved Shopkeeper Ding away.

"It wasn't Qingtao's fault. I've been keeping an eye on Shen Xuan too. I'm old and my eyes are failing—I simply misjudged him!" the Ding Family Head sighed.

"Come to think of it, if he were truly mediocre, why would Qin Yuehan and Lu Zhengying of Qingyun Sect favor him and exchange letters with him?"

"Should we choose another female cultivator from the Ding Family and try again?" Ding Yijin asked.

The Ding Family Old Ancestor, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them.

"No need."

"If he were interested, he would have brought it up himself."

"Relying on outside help is no solution. In the end, the Ding Family's revival has to depend on our own people!"

The Ding Family Head and Ding Yijin nodded in agreement.

The same scene played out one after another among the Zifeng Mountain Zhao Family, the Wohu Ridge He Family, the Wanzhu Forest Tao Family, and other Cultivation Families.

Shen Xuan had expected the gossip in the market.

He'd deliberately shown off his strength.

"Showing off just enough strength can save you a lot of trouble!"

Having devoured countless books in his Previous Life, he'd long understood that principle.

When you're weak, people only think about picking on you.

Once you show them you're strong enough, they won't dare provoke you so easily.

The survival of the fittest was the most basic law of nature.

That was why he'd made a spectacle of himself in front of the Robbing Cultivators: to establish his reputation.

Different stages called for different strategies.

After letting off some steam, Shen Xuan stepped out of the bathhouse, thoroughly satisfied.

Ding Yuyao lay limp in the tub, soaking in the hot water, too exhausted to stand.

"Get some rest, dear. I'm going to practice!"

In the cultivation room, Shen Xuan began plundering the Water Repelling Rhinoceros's Bloodline Talent.

The basin on the stone table held only about ten jin of Water Repelling Rhinoceros blood.

That was the maximum amount of Monster Beast Blood the Mysterious Jade Talisman could refine at once.

"As my Cultivation Realm deepens, the amount of Monster Beast Blood I can refine will gradually increase."

"But for now, this is all I can do!"

Shen Xuan guided his Divine Sense and activated the Mysterious Jade Talisman.

After the golden light faded.

[Plunderable Talent: Water Splitting, Armor Transformation, Water Arrow]

[Talent: Water Splitting (28/100)]

[Dao Rhyme: 88]