The Pinnacle of Mastery

Just then, Liu Fei, the elder usually in charge of sect missions, rushed in and said to Su Huang, "Sect Master, Zhou Cheng is back."

"Back?" Su Huang was taken aback.

Liu Fei wore a strange expression. "He's at the Mission Hall turning in his mission. He brought back a lot of Demonic Cult disciples' heads."

Su Huang, Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and the others were stunned.

"A lot?" Su Huang asked, puzzled.

Liu Fei's breathing was uneven. "They're still counting and confirming them. So far, we've tallied 132 heads belonging to people in the Qi Refining Realm."

"What?!" Su Huang, Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and the others exclaimed in unison.

"One hundred and thirty-two!" Gao Yi stammered.

Liu Fei took a deep breath. "Sixteen of the heads belonged to Xiantian Grandmasters."

"Sixteen Xiantian Grandmasters!" Gao Yi cried, clearly agitated. "Impossible!"

"To the Mission Hall!" Su Huang shouted. He led the way, using the Spirit Monkey Vaulting Technique to dash out of the hall and toward the Mission Hall.

Shi Fei, Wu Shuo, and the others surged after him.

The Ten Thousand Stars Sect's Mission Hall stood on a nearby mountain, so Su Huang and the others arrived in no time.

When they rushed into the Mission Hall, they saw the floor covered with heads, a dizzying sight. There must have been nearly two hundred.

The Mission Hall disciples, who had been counting and checking the heads, hurriedly stopped when Su Huang, Shi Fei, and the others burst in. They went forward at once to pay their respects.

Su Huang, Shi Fei, and the others acted as if they hadn't seen the disciples and hurried straight to the heads.

When they saw the three long-haired heads arranged at the very front, Su Huang and the others' eyes widened.

"The Three Great Ghost Crones?" Shi Fei managed to say, his mouth suddenly dry.

The Three Great Ghost Crones were the Demonic Cult's top experts, second only to the Left and Right Envoys and the Twelve Demon Generals. All three had been at Xiantian Sixth Level, and now their heads lay before them.

After Zhou Cheng had Qin Meng kill the Three Great Ghost Crones, he had their heads removed. As Xiantian Sixth Level experts, they were worth an astonishing number of sect contribution points and imperial merit points. Naturally, he couldn't let that go to waste.

Everyone stared at the heads of the Three Great Ghost Crones, dumbfounded.

Zhou Cheng, dressed in a pale blue brocade robe, said to Su Huang, "Sorry, Senior Brother. I practiced my fist and saber techniques on the way, so I got held up and returned a little late."

Only then did Su Huang and the others tear their gazes from the Three Great Ghost Crones' heads and look at Zhou Cheng.

"So that's why our little junior brother got back so late—you were practicing your fist and saber techniques on the way." Su Huang forced a smile. "But what's the story behind the Three Great Ghost Crones' heads and all these other Demonic Cult experts? Could you explain?"

Zhou Cheng was only at Qi Refining First Level. There was no way he could have killed experts like the Three Great Ghost Crones.

"Do I really have to explain?" Zhou Cheng didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "If I don't explain, will I be unable to claim the sect contribution points and imperial merit points?"

Su Huang's smile stiffened. "That's not what I meant, Junior Brother. I was just curious."

After the count and confirmation were complete, there were 163 people in the Qi Refining Realm, almost all of them between Qi Refining Seventh and Tenth Level.

There were sixteen Xiantian Grandmasters.

There were 199 in total.

For each person killed at Xiantian First Level, the reward was 1,000 contribution points.

The total came to 47,300 contribution points.

Seeing Zhou Cheng's contribution points, even Shi Fei and Wu Shuo, who were Grand Elders, couldn't help feeling their hearts pound.

Sect contribution points were extremely hard to earn.

Even after serving as Grand Elders of the Ten Thousand Stars Sect for many years, they hadn't accumulated more than 10,000 points.

More than 40,000 contribution points could buy truly astonishing things from the sect.

And this time, there were imperial merit points as well!

Under the complicated gazes of the others, Zhou Cheng left the Mission Hall.

Dafeng Capital.

Zhou Mansion.

Zhou Wei was practicing his fist techniques. Although his heart meridians had been injured, he was fine as long as he didn't circulate his inner force. He could still practice his fists and palms in his spare time.

After finishing a set, Zhou Wei broke into a sweat and stopped. He went to the stone pavilion, poured himself a bowl of wine, and wet his throat.

Just then, the guard Chang Qing came in to report that the Minister of War had arrived.

Zhou Wei told Chang Qing to invite him in right away.

Minister of War Jiang Haidong entered. Seeing Zhou Wei from afar, he laughed heartily. "Congratulations, Brother Zhou! My congratulations!" His joy was plain to see.

Zhou Wei got up and went to meet him. Though puzzled, he smiled and asked, "Old Jiang, my family hasn't had any happy occasions lately. What are you congratulating me for so early in the morning?"

Jiang Haidong smiled. "Word just came in: during this campaign to eradicate the Demonic Cult, Zhou Cheng brought back the heads of 199 Demonic Cult experts!"

"One hundred and sixty-three in the Qi Refining Realm, and sixteen Xiantian Grandmasters!"

"The news has already reached His Majesty. He was shaken by it, and I expect an imperial decree will arrive soon. Brother Zhou, you'd better prepare yourself."

Zhou Wei swallowed the wine in his mouth and stared blankly. "Zhou Cheng?"

Just then, a voice rang out from outside: "The imperial decree has arrived!"

It was Cao Chun, the chief eunuch serving Emperor Zhu Xuan.

Ordinary imperial decrees didn't require Cao Chun to announce them personally. He only did so for important ones.

After returning from the Mission Hall to his own courtyard, Zhou Cheng continued browsing the movement technique manuals he had obtained from the Demonic Cult Treasury.

He had long since trained Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist and Demon-Subduing Saber Technique to the pinnacle of mastery. Of his three martial techniques, only Wind-Facing Willow Steps had yet to reach that level.

Wind-Facing Willow Steps still hadn't broken through to the pinnacle of mastery, but it was close—it had already reached nearly 90.

While Zhou Cheng practiced the movement technique, Xing Yao came to see him.

Seeing his master arrive with another jug of wine, Zhou Cheng could only smile wryly.

As always, the two master and disciple spent the day talking late into the night.

In the morning, Xing Yao had arrived with a jug of wine. When the sun sank below the horizon, he left carrying an empty bottle.

After Xing Yao left, Zhou Cheng continued practicing the movement technique.

Late that night, he finally brought Wind-Facing Willow Steps to the pinnacle of mastery.

After breaking through, Zhou Cheng practiced it in his courtyard. He swayed like a willow in the wind, drifting through the air and refusing to touch the ground for a long time.

At the earlier Perfection level, his Wind-Facing Willow Steps had produced nine afterimages. Now, at the pinnacle of mastery, it produced twelve.

But Zhou Cheng was puzzled. When Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist and Demon-Subduing Saber Technique reached the pinnacle of mastery, they had given rise to fist intent and saber intent. Yet Wind-Facing Willow Steps had produced no martial intent when it reached the same level.

Zhou Cheng checked the system.

Host: Zhou Cheng

Northern Darkness Divine Skill: Qi Refining Ninth Level, progress 92

Primordial Boundless Scripture: Spirit Wandering Realm, progress 63

Tomorrow, with one more Nine-Orifice Golden Pill, he would be able to open the final meridian and break through to Qi Refining Level Ten.

I hope everyone keeps following the new chapters each day and casts a recommendation ticket. During the new-book period, follows and recommendation tickets are very important.