Only then did Zhou Cheng learn that the experts of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect would soon set out to join forces with the Da Feng imperial family, the Sun Moon Sword Sect, and Shaolin to wipe out the Demonic Cult.
This time, the Ten Thousand Stars Sect was sending four hundred Qi Refining Realm disciples and forty Xiantian experts to eradicate the Demonic Cult.
"His Majesty has confirmed that the Demonic Cult's headquarters is near the Blackwater Mountain Range and Hundred Flowers City in Dongsheng Province. That's why, half a month ago, he ordered the provincial authorities to deploy troops and seal off every entrance and exit to the Blackwater Mountain Range and Hundred Flowers City, to prevent the Demonic Cult from committing more crimes and escaping!" Su Huang declared.
"For killing a Qi Refining First Layer demon, the sect will reward you with one Star Gathering Pill, one hundred taels of silver, and ten sect contribution points."
"For killing a Qi Refining Second Layer demon, the sect will reward you with two Star Gathering Pills, two hundred taels of silver, and twenty sect contribution points."
"The same goes for the rest."
Su Huang's voice rang through the great hall.
"Besides the sect's rewards, His Majesty has also promised that whenever a disciple from one of our three great sects kills a Qi Refining First Layer demon, they'll receive one Azure Green Pill, one hundred taels of silver, and ten imperial merit points!"
"The same goes for the rest."
Zhou Cheng was surprised. He hadn't expected the rewards for wiping out the Demonic Cult to be so generous.
Both the Star Gathering Pill and the Azure Green Pill were medicines that increased a Qi Refining cultivator's inner power. Each pill was worth a fortune.
What's more, sect contribution points and imperial merit could be exchanged for treasures from the sect and imperial treasuries, as well as martial arts manuals.
Zhou Cheng's Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist had now reached 64. He was still thirty-six fist manuals short of breaking through to the pinnacle realm!
Once a Houtian martial art reached the pinnacle realm, it gave rise to martial intent.
For example, when his Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist reached the pinnacle realm, it would give rise to fist intent!
Fist intent was even rarer than a Xiantian Supreme Grandmaster. Once a fist art possessed fist intent, it could be said to be virtually unstoppable, its might unmatched.
Ten Qi Refining Level Ten experts would struggle to stand against a Xiantian Grandmaster. But if they cultivated fist intent, even a Qi Refining Level Ten expert could kill a Xiantian First Level Grandmaster.
That showed just how formidable fist intent was.
If Zhou Cheng cultivated the Demon-Subduing Saber Technique to the pinnacle realm, it would give rise to saber intent!
Then he would possess two kinds of martial intent.
Su Huang finished speaking and swept his gaze over everyone. "Does anyone have any questions?" He then turned to the elders. "If there are no questions, notify the disciples on the list. We leave promptly this afternoon!"
A few elders asked questions, then each left the great hall.
Su Huang suddenly turned to Zhou Cheng. "Upholding justice and protecting the weak are among the Ten Thousand Stars Sect Rules. Junior Brother, you're now an inner sect disciple of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect, so you'll come with us to Dongsheng Province this afternoon."
Though he asked Zhou Cheng what he thought, his tone was unmistakably commanding.
When Xing Yao heard this, he said to Zhou Cheng, "You've only just joined the sect and aren't familiar with many things yet. The Demonic Cult expedition is dangerous. If you don't want to go, then don't. Stay here and focus on your cultivation."
His protectiveness was plain as day.
Su Huang was just about to speak when Zhou Cheng said to Xing Yao, "I understand, Master. But Senior Brother is right: upholding justice and protecting the weak are among the Ten Thousand Stars Sect Rules. I'm an inner sect disciple now, so I should take part in this operation to eradicate the Demonic Cult with everyone else."
This was a rare opportunity, and Zhou Cheng didn't want to miss it.
Besides, the Demonic Cult's headquarters should have plenty of martial arts manuals. Perhaps he could find thirty-six fist manuals there. Then he wouldn't have to exchange for them with the sect or the imperial family to cultivate his Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist to the pinnacle realm.
Seeing that Zhou Cheng wanted to go, Xing Yao didn't try to stop him. He knew that Qin Meng and Lin Ru, who were by Zhou Cheng's side, were both Xiantian Seventh Level Grandmasters, so he wasn't too worried about Zhou Cheng's safety.
Still, he had been thinking about Qin Meng and Lin Ru these past few days. He couldn't understand why two Xiantian Seventh Level Grandmasters like them had pledged themselves to Zhou Cheng.
"Senior Brother, I'd like to go to the Blackwater Mountain Range alone," Zhou Cheng said to Su Huang.
He still had forty-three movement manuals to cultivate, and wanted to use the journey to study them.
It wouldn't be convenient if he went with the others from the Ten Thousand Stars Sect.
Su Huang frowned. "You want to go to the Blackwater Mountain Range all by yourself?"
Gao Yi, standing nearby, spoke up. "The Ten Thousand Stars Sect has its rules. If everyone acted alone, wouldn't that throw everything into chaos? Little Martial Uncle, your status may be special, but you still have to follow the sect's rules, don't you?"
"Besides, who knows if you'll really go to the Blackwater Mountain Range? Maybe you'll go sightseeing somewhere else, then come right back."
Xing Yao didn't look at Gao Yi. He simply said amiably to Zhou Cheng, "If you want to go alone, then go alone."
Gao Yi looked to his master, Su Huang. When Su Huang said nothing, he had no choice but to let it go. He disliked Zhou Cheng more than ever.
After returning to his courtyard, Zhou Cheng packed up with Qin Meng, Lin Ru, and the others, then left the Ten Thousand Stars Sect for Dongsheng Province.
"Master, that Zhou fellow has left," Gao Yi said as soon as Zhou Cheng was gone. "He's relying on Grandmaster to back him up and clearly doesn't take you, the sect master, seriously."
"If Grandmaster weren't here, I'd have loved to slap him."
Su Huang's expression remained calm. "At thirteen, he reached Qi Refining First Layer and was accepted as a personal disciple by one of the world's five Supreme Grandmasters. It's only natural for him to be young and arrogant."
"Master, should I send someone to follow him?" Gao Yi asked.
Su Huang considered it. "All right. But don't use anyone from the sect."
"Understood."
An hour later, however, Gao Yi's face was grim. The men he'd sent out had been knocked unconscious, their heel tendons severed, and dumped in a patch of weeds.
None of them even knew who had attacked them.
For the next two days,
Zhou Cheng and the others rode at a hard gallop.
To cultivate his movement techniques, Zhou Cheng had a carriage prepared. While they traveled, he sat inside and leafed through martial arts manuals.
After two days, Zhou Cheng had finished reading all forty-three movement manuals, and his Wind-Facing Willow Steps had risen to 44.
As for the Spirit Monkey Hundred Transformations Movement Technique, he cultivated it quickly. Over the past seven or eight days, it had advanced on its own to 90 in the Mastery Realm.
It would break through to the Perfection Realm within a day at most.
After finishing all forty-three movement manuals, Zhou Cheng began studying sword techniques.
Of the martial arts manuals Xing Yao had given him, sword manuals were the most numerous—seventy-four in all—enough to keep him busy for several days.
Among the seventy-four sword techniques, Xing Yao had specifically recommended the Taiyi Sword Technique and told Zhou Cheng to practice it well. So it was the first one Zhou Cheng studied.
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