"Even if I never paid for a single simulation and only relied on the one free simulation each month, I would still grow stronger sooner or later."
Su Yang was full of confidence.
He had only simulated three times, yet he had gone from a mere mortal to a Foundation Establishment Layer 3 cultivator. He had even become the Sword Child of the Tianjian Sect, the overlord of Qixia Island—one of the most distinguished Foundation Establishment cultivators on the island.
So what about ten simulations? Twenty simulations... a hundred simulations?
How far could he grow then?
"So what I need most right now is time. Things like spirit stones and treasures are naturally good if I can obtain them without risk, but if there is risk, there is no need to take it."
"Steadiness will be the sole creed of my life!"
Su Yang did not want to be too reckless and die halfway through his path of cultivation.
"Still, the vengeance that should be taken must be taken, and the grudges that should be settled cannot be ignored. After all, I have already simulated this, so there is no risk at all. Besides, I can get compensation from the Huaye Sect Master—at least thirty to fifty thousand spirit stones, surely."
It was almost time for an hour to pass.
Su Yang felt that it was time to set out.
The courtyard of Jiang Jing, the Medicine Gang Leader.
At this moment, the two Deputy Gang Leaders, Li Mingchang and Ding Chuanhong, along with the gang's martial artist higher-ups, had all gathered here.
Old Wang was recounting what had just happened bit by bit.
"That kid merely looked at you, and everyone except you exploded?" Gang Leader Jiang Jing wore a solemn expression.
"That's right. I saw it with my own eyes. Gang Leader, you know I'm the most honest person there is. I would never lie."
Seeing Jiang Jing's grave look, Old Wang thought that Jiang Jing suspected him of lying. He hurriedly cried out his case, thumping his chest in assurance.
"I do not think you are lying. I simply find it rather unreasonable!"
Jiang Jing was somewhat disgusted by Old Wang's tear-and-snot-covered appearance, and casually reassured him.
"By all reason, even I could not accomplish something like that. It would be even more impossible for a kid who was still a mortal half a day ago.
"But the cultivation world is vast. No matter how strange a spell or treasure may be, it would not be surprising.
"I think that kid may have obtained some peculiar treasure.
"But using a treasure still requires personal strength to support it.
"Half a day ago, he was a mortal after all. He may not have truly stepped onto the immortal path even now.
"Even if he has a treasure, he cannot possibly be a match for our entire Medicine Gang!" Jiang Jing analyzed.
"The Gang Leader is wise!" the others praised in unison.
"However, I have always acted cautiously. Whatever I do, I make sure to leave myself a path of retreat."
Jiang Jing continued, turning his gaze toward a lackey beside him.
"Has the Enforcement Team arrived?"
"Gang Leader, rest assured. The moment you gave the order, I went to invite them. Captain Gao Xin heard that such a frenzied and heinous case had occurred in the southern residential district, so he personally led a team over." The lackey hurriedly answered.
"Good. Then nothing can go wrong." Jiang Jing was brimming with confidence.
Gao Xin was one of the sixteen captains of Qingye Market's Enforcement Team, as well as an inner sect disciple of the Huaye Sect. His cultivation had reached the eighth layer of Qi Refinement.
He was an important figure whom Jiang Jing usually found difficult even to form connections with.
With such a person here, no matter how great Su Yang's fortune was, he could not stir up any waves.
Now Jiang Jing only feared that Su Yang had casually fooled Old Wang and had long since slipped away.
Yet Jiang Jing did not think so.
Because if Su Yang had killed Old Wang too and fled directly, it would have been even more silent and unnoticed.
"Gang Leader, Captain Gao and the other enforcers have arrived."
A disciple hurried over to remind him.
"Then hurry and invite them in. Forget it, I'll go myself. That will show more sincerity." Jiang Jing hurriedly said.
Then he rushed to the courtyard entrance, his face plastered with a fawning smile.
Behind Jiang Jing stood the other higher-ups of the Medicine Gang, all wearing identical smiles.
When the members of the Enforcement Team rounded a corner and came into view—
Jiang Jing hurried several steps forward and respectfully said, "Captain Gao, you have come. Now the sky has cleared! You must uphold justice for our Medicine Gang!"
"Rest assured. Leave everything to me. I hate vicious and evil scoundrels like this the most."
Gao Xin looked righteous and dignified, but the hand he extended was quietly rubbing its fingers together.
"I only have one small request. When that kid arrives, let me kill him myself. I want to avenge my poor, innocent gang members."
As Jiang Jing spoke, he discreetly passed over a storage pouch.
Gao Xin lightly weighed the storage pouch in his hand, and immediately knew whether he should grant this favor.
His smile bloomed at once.
"By the rules, I cannot make an exception for you. But the law does not stand beyond human feeling. I understand your feelings. Just remember to act quickly when the time comes. Do not make things difficult for me!"
"Yes, yes, yes. I understand. I understand it all!" Jiang Jing nodded.
"What do you understand? Why don't you tell me?"
At that moment, a voice suddenly rang out, drawing everyone's attention.
Then, a figure appeared in the distance.
He looked sixteen or seventeen, dressed only in the plainest short shirt and cloth garments. Yet his entire bearing was extraordinary, like... a great cultivator who had already stepped into Foundation Establishment.
"How could that be possible?"
Gao Xin hurriedly shook his head.
Which great Foundation Establishment cultivator did not achieve that realm at forty or fifty? Even though cultivators had long lifespans, they would at least look to be in their thirties by then.
How could someone who looked sixteen or seventeen be a great Foundation Establishment cultivator?
"I must have sensed wrongly. Still, this person's bearing is truly intimidating. If he were a little older and went into the business of fraud, his potential would be simply limitless!"
"Captain Gao, Gang Leader, this is the brutal murderer who cruelly killed fifteen members of our Medicine Gang!" Old Wang hurriedly stepped forward to identify him.
The moment Su Yang's gaze met his, Old Wang's whole body trembled. He subconsciously wanted to retreat, as though the bloody fireworks of flesh and blood from before were blooming before his eyes once more.
But when he saw his imposing Gang Leader and the majestic captain of the Enforcement Team, he was immediately filled with confidence again.
"Hahaha, didn't expect this, did you, Su Yang? I was only enduring humiliation to bear a heavy burden just now. Now that our Gang Leader is here, and Captain Gao of the Enforcement Team is here too, you are definitely dead!" Old Wang laughed loudly.
"I truly did not expect that a minor character like you could gather everyone so completely."
Su Yang had also drawn close by then, and he swept his gaze over everyone.
The Medicine Gang's three gang leaders, five stewards, and twelve captains and vice-captains were all present. Not a single higher-up was missing.
Old Wang's ability to get things done was truly impressive.
"Captain Gao, since this man is the culprit, I'll make my move." Jiang Jing gave him a heads-up.
Gao Xin nodded. "Good. Then I shall witness Gang Leader Jiang's profound spells."
Then...
With a bang.
Gang Leader Jiang, who had been about to make his move, exploded.
Flesh and blood splattered all over Gao Xin's face.
"Ah! The Gang Leader exploded!"
"Run!"
"Captain Gao, you must uphold justice for us!"
The remaining members of the Medicine Gang fell into chaos at once. Some were terrified beyond measure, some turned and fled, but most begged Gao Xin to act.
Captain Gao was the only person they could rely on now.
Yet Captain Gao slowly led his men to retreat to one side. He had not even seen clearly how Su Yang had attacked.
Since childhood, he had understood one principle: never provoke a powerful figure whose depth you did not know.
Now, although he had already provoked him, if he did not continue offending him—
That powerful figure might spare his life for the Huaye Sect's sake.
"Freeze!"
Su Yang uttered a single word. At the same time, the Yang Spiritual Root in his dantian faintly blossomed, and his Foundation Establishment spiritual power connected through it to the spiritual qi within nearly a hundred meters.
Then... it fixed and restricted their flow.
Once spiritual qi solidified, anyone moving through it without enough power to break through its blockade would naturally have their body frozen in place.
"Explode."
Through the connection between his spiritual root and the spiritual qi, Su Yang sent a trace of spiritual power into their bodies.
Then, bloody fireworks of all shapes and forms bloomed one after another.
In the blink of an eye, every Medicine Gang higher-up, including Old Wang, had been wiped out.
Su Yang turned to look at the members of the Enforcement Team.
"Senior, they offended you, so they deserved their fate. Qingye Market will not pursue this matter. Please leave quickly!" Gao Xin slowly said.
"Leave? I do not think that will be necessary. Take a look at this."
Just as in the simulation, Su Yang tossed his identity token to Gao Xin.
"An identity token? Could he truly be from some great power?"
Gao Xin caught the token. Feeling the incomparably profound sword intent upon it, and seeing the two words Tianjian on its front, he was utterly startled.
"He is actually a disciple of the legendary Tianjian Sect!"
Then he flipped the token over, and the four engraved words, "Sword Child Su Yang," abruptly came into sight.
"Sword Child?"
"Does the Tianjian Sect have disciples of such a rank?"
Gao Xin recalled the content taught in the sect's common knowledge classes.
He was certain that those classes had never described a Tianjian Sect token like this.
He was also certain that the classes had said the Tianjian Sect only had three ranks of disciples: outer sect, inner sect, and true disciples.
There had absolutely never been any Sword Child.
A trace of shock flashed through Gao Xin's eyes. He had not expected the man before him to be so bold as to impersonate a Tianjian Sect disciple.
If he had not known enough about the Tianjian Sect, he might truly have been fooled by the impersonation.
However, he could not expose him now.
Otherwise, if the other party flew into a rage from embarrassment, he would be the one to die.
"I already notified the sect elders to come. All I need to do now is keep him steady. Once the elders arrive, they can capture him. Perhaps I can even forge some connection with the Tianjian Sect through this!"
Thinking of this, Gao Xin felt that encountering Su Yang might not be dangerous after all. It might instead be his opportunity.
He hurriedly returned the token respectfully, cupped his hands in salute, and said—
"Senior, I never expected you to be the Tianjian Sect's Sword Child. Please wait here. I have already sent word to the sect elders, and they will arrive shortly. When they do, they will surely apologize to you in person."
Su Yang smiled and nodded.
So this was what status felt like!
Everything Simulated Su Yang had experienced last time had finally become his turn to experience.
And Simulated Su Yang had merely been a true disciple, while he was the Sword Child.
Would that not mean what he experienced would be multiplied beyond measure?
"Wait, Sword Child?"
Su Yang suddenly realized something.
He clearly remembered that the version of himself who had lived in the Tianjian Sect for over a decade in the simulation had not known at first that the Tianjian Sect possessed an identity such as Sword Child.
So how could a disciple of a small sect located a hundred thousand miles away from the Tianjian Sect know so clearly about the Tianjian Sect's Sword Child?
Upon seeing the Sword Child token, Gao Xin had not shown the slightest suspicion.
Moreover, in the simulation, the Enforcement Team had seen the true disciple token, then fearfully knelt and begged forgiveness.
This time, they were only superficially respectful. They had not even knelt.
"So they do not recognize any Sword Child token at all, nor do they believe that I, this Sword Child, am genuine."
"They are merely doing this to keep me here while they wait for their Foundation Establishment elders to arrive."
"But will their Foundation Establishment elders definitely recognize the Tianjian Sect's Sword Child token?"
Su Yang did not dare guarantee it.
If they failed to recognize it, he would become a madman falsely impersonating a Tianjian Sect disciple.
Those Foundation Establishment cultivators would definitely attack him in order to claim credit.
Su Yang was only at Foundation Establishment Layer 3 now, and he did not have a suitable artifact on him.
Although his foundation was powerful and his spells were fairly outstanding, if all the Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed in Qingye Market surrounded and attacked him—
He was not confident that he could survive.
This had already seriously threatened his life.
"Damn it!"
At that thought, Su Yang's expression abruptly changed. He cursed furiously, and several streams of spiritual power shot forth.
Gao Xin and the other Enforcement Team members all exploded and died.
Meanwhile, Su Yang immediately pushed his spiritual power to its limit and shot toward the outskirts of Qingye Market.
"Not bad, not bad! His slaughter revealed the decisiveness of a sword cultivator, while his handling of matters showed alertness far beyond ordinary people. As expected of the Sword Child of my Sun Sword Peak—I simply adore him!"
Above the clouds, True Monarch Mingyang, who had arrived not long ago, had witnessed everything.
"Now it is time to meet him as well!"
Before you continue