Zhou Xuan looked at Zhou Ye kneeling on the ground and kowtowing. His expression was calm, but inside, everything was clear.
This was exactly the effect he wanted.
Directly improving Zhou Ye's Spirit Root might earn him gratitude for a while, but a favor that took someone from rags to riches overnight could easily throw their mindset off balance.
It was far better to offer benefits little by little, using tangible resources to firmly tie the other man's hopes and loyalty to himself.
A carrot you could see and touch was far more effective at making a donkey turn the millstone than some hollow, far-off promise.
"Get up. Don't let anyone see you."
Zhou Xuan said coolly.
"Put it away and use it sparingly. Don't eat it all at once. Remember, a man is not guilty for owning a jade, but he invites trouble by carrying it."
"Yes! I understand!"
Zhou Ye scrambled to his feet and hastily stuffed the bag of Spirit Rice into his clothes, tucking it close against his body as though it were some peerless treasure.
He bowed deeply to Zhou Xuan once more. The fervor and admiration in his eyes had reached their peak.
"Brother Xuan, get some rest. I'll head back now!"
With that, he took three steps, then glanced back, and carefully made his way out.
Watching Zhou Ye's disappearing figure, Zhou Xuan finally turned and went back to his thatched hut.
Without the slightest hesitation, he braced the ramshackle wooden door firmly from the inside, then wedged several stones into the gaps.
Even after doing all that, he still wasn't reassured. With a single thought, he sent an order through their Divine Soul link to the Bloodthirsty Thorn planted in a corner by the doorway.
"Little Flower, keep watch for me. If anyone comes near, alert me immediately."
Little Flower, rooted in the soil, gently swayed its vines. It seemed lazy, but still sent back a clear message of understanding.
Only then, with the most loyal sentry at his side, did Zhou Xuan finally relax.
He sat cross-legged on the ground and opened the Storage Bag containing all the Spirit Rice that had been Enlightened into low-grade Spirit Rice.
As he gazed at the bag of grains, brimming with alluring Spiritual Energy, a blazing fire kindled in Zhou Xuan's eyes.
The threat from Liu Ruyan, the pressure of the Sect competition, and his longing for immortality—
All his emotions turned into boundless motivation!
Without another moment's hesitation, he untied the bag, reached inside, and grabbed a large handful of crystal-clear Spirit Rice. He shoved it into his mouth without even looking!
"Crunch, crunch..."
He chewed in great mouthfuls.
The next moment!
Boom!
An unprecedented wave of pure Spiritual Energy, vast yet gentle, burst from his mouth like floodwaters breaking through a dam!
The warm current rushed down his throat and straight into his Dantian, then surged through every limb and bone, washing over every inch of his Meridians and every scrap of flesh!
Wonderful! This Spirit Rice wasn't as good as Spirit Stones, but there sure was a lot of it.
An indescribable sense of comfort made every pore on his body open wide!
Zhou Xuan immediately shut his eyes and focused inward, frantically circulating the entry-level Qi Guiding Art to guide this massive energy as it began battering against the impenetrable barrier of his realm!
The instant that handful of Spirit Rice was crushed between his teeth, a surge of Spiritual Energy, far more immense and pure than Zhou Xuan had imagined,
erupted within his mouth like a volcano blowing its top!
This wasn't a trickling stream, nor a rushing river. It was a vast ocean bursting its banks!
The violent torrent of energy didn't even have time to be tempered by his throat.
It transformed directly into the purest tide of Spiritual Energy, ruthlessly surging toward his every limb and bone, his Five Viscera and Six Bowels, every corner of his body!
"Ugh!"
Zhou Xuan grunted. His body felt like a balloon suddenly pumped full of air.
Tearing pain and exquisite pleasure twisted together in a bizarre blend, making every muscle in his body convulse beyond his control.
Daring not to slacken for an instant, he immediately clung to his focus and pushed the Qi Guiding Art, which he had long since memorized, to its very limit!
If the Qi Guiding Art was a tiny ditch, then the Spiritual Energy inside him was a raging flood capable of swallowing the entire continent!
Guide it?
Impossible!
The only thing he could do was give it everything he had, barely keeping the ditch from being swept away by the terrifying flood.
He let the vast energy crash wildly through his body, scouring and tempering his flesh, bones, and Meridians!
His skin grew scorching hot and bright red. Wisps of white steam even rose from his pores, making him look like a miniature volcano on the verge of eruption.
In the midst of this excruciating tug-of-war between pain and pleasure, Zhou Xuan's mind grew clearer than ever.
He could see the immense Spiritual Energy rampaging through his body before finally converging like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea and launching its fiercest assault on his Dantian!
There lay an invisible yet unbreakable barrier.
It separated mortal from immortal, an impassable chasm that Body Tempering Realm martial artists could never cross, even in a lifetime!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The torrent of Spiritual Energy slammed against the barrier again and again, each collision ringing out like thunder.
The barrier remained as sturdy as ever, showing no sign of yielding.
Zhou Xuan steeled himself, grabbed another handful of Spirit Rice, and crammed it into his mouth, chewing furiously without a care!
More Spiritual Energy joined the assault, swelling the torrent even further!
His body trembled. Fine beads of blood even began to seep from his seven orifices. It was a sign that his body had reached its limit.
But he couldn't stop!
Liu Ruyan's cold, resolute gaze and the threat she had uttered were like a poisonous thorn, buried deep in his Divine Soul, driving him onward, forcing him to wring out every last bit of strength!
He had no way back!
Just as he was about to swallow a third handful of Spirit Rice and make one final attempt, his consciousness suddenly sank, without warning, into an incredibly mysterious state.
Everything around him vanished.
The thatched hut, the sack, even his own body—all grew indistinct.
His consciousness seemed to detach from his body, floating in an endless void.
A vast voice rang out from every direction—or perhaps from the depths of his own heart.
"What path will you take?"
Zhou Xuan froze for a moment.
He knew this was the Heart Inquiry, a trial encountered by only a handful of extraordinarily gifted or fortunate cultivators when entering the Qi Refining Realm.
The Spirit Sword Pavilion was one of the Heavenly Profound Continent's ten Sacred Lands, ranked ninth.
It was a sect ruled entirely by Sword Cultivators.
With a peerless sword art capable of cutting through anything, it had carved its way to the top despite its shallow foundations and earned a place among the Sacred Lands.
In the Spirit Sword Pavilion, the sword was everything!
Sword Cultivators possessed combat prowess far beyond that of their peers and iron wills. With a sword in hand, they could cleave mountains and rivers, shatter the firmament!
Becoming a Sword Cultivator seemed like the obvious choice.
A peerless immortal sword, incomparably sharp and shimmering with endless cold light, slowly took shape in his consciousness.
It represented the ultimate in offense, an advance without retreat. It represented cutting down every injustice in the world and cleaving through every obstacle in his path!
If he only grasped it, he could gain tremendous power!
Before you continue