Want it? Then I'll give it to you!

Body Tempering seventh layer? Eighth layer?

If they knew that he was already a cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm, he wondered what kind of expressions they would have.

The entire Chore Servant Courtyard would probably be turned upside down.

Unfortunately, in the vast Spirit Sword Pavilion, the Qi Refining Realm was still just the lowest level of existence.

Let alone self-preservation, he probably couldn't even withstand the slightest ripple of trouble.

Before one possesses sufficiently powerful strength, any display of arrogance is simply digging one's own grave.

Just as Zhou Xuan and Zhou Ye were whispering to each other, a cold, sinister voice, like a venomous snake, drilled into his mind without any warning.

It was a sound transmission!

"Kid, my patience is limited."

Chief Steward Wang's duck-like voice now carried a trace of undisguised, chilling killing intent.

"Hand over the secrets you're hiding, every single detail."

"Otherwise, in this afternoon's competition, I will make sure you die a miserable death."

"Don't doubt my words. In the Chore Servant Courtyard, making someone disappear without a trace is easier than crushing an ant."

A naked threat!

Outright extortion!

These high-and-mighty cultivators never bothered with schemes or tricks when dealing with chore servants like them, because in their eyes, absolute power was the best open strategy.

Zhou Xuan's chewing motion paused for a moment, but his face remained calm, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

He did not respond.

When dealing with people like this, any defense or show of weakness was futile and would only make them push further.

Playing dumb and keeping them in the dark about his true strength was the best way to handle it.

Seeing that Zhou Xuan didn't react, Chief Steward Wang's transmission cut off, as if he were waiting for him to come to his senses.

Zhou Xuan's gaze inadvertently swept over the fat figure of Chief Steward Wang under the shade of a tree in the distance.

He noticed that on the table in front of Chief Steward Wang sat an exquisite jade plate, upon which a dozen round pills were neatly arranged, emitting an alluring medicinal fragrance.

Those were the rewards for this competition, Qi Gathering Pills!

Zhou Xuan's heart stirred, and he quietly sank his consciousness into the system.

"System, scan those pills."

[Scanning...]

[Scan complete.]

A stream of information instantly flooded his mind.

Most of the pills displayed similar information.

[Item: Low-Grade Qi Gathering Pill]

[Description: Uniformly refined by the sect's Alchemy Hall, the medicinal effect is mild, assisting early-stage Qi Refining Realm cultivators in accumulating mana, and has a certain effect on breaking through the Body Tempering Realm.]

However, when his gaze—or rather, the system's scan—fell upon one particular pill that looked unremarkable, the information that popped up was completely different!

[Item: Inferior Qi Gathering Pill (Defective)]

[Description: Refined with crude techniques, the medicinal energy is impure. Due to a loss of control over the heat, it contains a trace of highly unstable fire-attribute spiritual energy. The medicinal effect is only 70% of a normal Qi Gathering Pill; consuming it carries a 30% chance of causing blood flow reversal and meridian burns.]

[Value: 10 Gold Touch Value]

[Can be subjected to Enlightenment!]

Seeing this description, Zhou Xuan's eyes narrowed instantly, and a sharp glint erupted from the depths of his pupils!

An inferior product!

And an inferior product containing unstable spiritual energy at that!

A bold and crazy plan instantly took shape in his mind.

Doesn't Chief Steward Wang want an opportunity?

Doesn't he think I have a secret that can make a piece of trash soar to the heavens?

Fine!

Then I will give you a massive opportunity!

The corners of Zhou Xuan's mouth curled into a cold and eerie arc.

"System, if I consume Gold Touch Value to perform Enlightenment on this Inferior Qi Gathering Pill, not for the purpose of restoration, but for the purpose of catalysis and disguise, what will happen?"

[Ding! Generating Enlightenment plan based on the host's intent...]

[Plan 1: Perfect Restoration. Consume 10 Gold Touch Value to enlighten it into a [Top-Grade Qi Gathering Pill]. Medicinal effect increased by three times, with no side effects.]

[Plan 2: Directed Mutation. Consume 5 Gold Touch Value to catalyze and compress the unstable fire-attribute spiritual energy within, perfectly wrapping it in mild medicinal properties. This will make it appear identical to a Top-Grade Qi Gathering Pill on the surface, with an even stronger medicinal fragrance.]

[Directed Mutation Effect: The consumer will receive a massive infusion of spiritual energy in a short period, causing their cultivation to skyrocket. However, the compressed fire poison will erupt completely after forty-nine days, incinerating the dantian and ravaging the meridians. The lightest consequence is the total loss of cultivation, while the most severe is immediate death. This side effect is extremely concealed and cannot be detected by anyone below the Golden Core Realm.]

Looking at the second option provided by the system, Zhou Xuan's heart couldn't help but race.

What a brilliant Directed Mutation!

And what a perfect "undetectable by anyone below the Golden Core Realm"!

This was practically a death warrant tailor-made for Chief Steward Wang!

Doesn't he want to reach the heavens in a single bound?

I'll give you a chance to see the gates of heaven!

Doesn't he want my secret?

I'll wrap that secret up in a pill and deliver it right to your lips myself!

As for whether this opportunity is a blessing or a curse, whether it carries you to ascension or sends you to the grave, that is no longer for me to decide.

Zhou Xuan's eyes became brighter than ever before. He looked at Chief Steward Wang in the distance, who wore an expression of absolute certainty, and felt no more tension in his heart. All that remained was the cold, expectant gaze of a hunter watching his prey step, one by one, into a trap.

The afternoon matches?

It seems that not only must I attend, but I must also find a way to win a few rounds.

After all, only by ranking at the top will I have the qualifications to deliver that carefully prepared gift to Chief Steward Wang!

Zhou Xuan lifted his head, meeting the gaze of Chief Steward Wang under the shade of the trees in the distance—a gaze filled with scrutiny and greed—and forced a perfectly measured smile onto his face.

That smile carried a hint of humility, a hint of obsequiousness, and just the right amount of panic and submission, as if he had been caught by a superior with his secret exposed.

He was like a child who had stolen a piece of candy and been caught red-handed by an adult, both afraid of punishment and desperate for forgiveness and leniency.

This expression perfectly interpreted the only choice a lowly servant could make in the face of absolute power: surrender.

Under the shade of the trees, Chief Steward Wang's corpulent body leaned comfortably against a grand armchair, and he saw this sensible smile from Zhou Xuan.

A look of satisfaction flashed through his squinted eyes, the curve of the fat on his cheeks deepened, and he nodded slowly.

It was as if he were saying: Kid, you know your place.

One thought he controlled everything, while the other was silently laying a trap; in this moment, a strange, unspoken understanding seemed to form between the two.

The afternoon matches began soon after.

The so-called arena was merely an expanded version of the open space used for the morning tests; there wasn't even a proper platform, just a large circle drawn on the ground with white lime.

As for any process like drawing lots to determine opponents, that simply didn't exist.

Chief Steward Wang was the only rule.

He sat with his legs crossed, holding a cup of hot tea, blowing on it slowly.

His gaze swept over the dozen or so servants qualified to compete, much like a butcher picking out pork at a market.

"First match, Zhang Bai against Li Quan!"

"Second match, Wang Qiu against Zhao Gan!"

His voice was languid; whoever he pointed at had to go up.

The two who were called stepped into the circle and, amidst the jeers of the surrounding servants, fought in the most primitive, savage way, trading punch for punch.

The winner walked out with his head held high, while the loser was dragged to the side, bruised and battered.

Simple, brutal, and filled with the wildness of the law of the jungle.

"Next match!"

Chief Steward Wang took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and called out slowly.

"Chen Hu, against Zhou Xuan!"