Great Cultivator of the Qi Refining Realm

"I also have spiritual roots?"

Hearing the silver-robed woman's words, Chen Changming felt a stir in his heart, filled with a touch of joy.

Although this five-element mixed spiritual root was of a very low grade, in his eyes, being able to step through the gates of immortality was already a heaven-sent opportunity.

Linger became anxious the moment she heard the silver-robed woman speak; if Chen Changming remained here, he would surely be wanted by the authorities, and he might even be captured and beheaded.

"Master, can you take Brother Changming away from here?"

"I shall grant my disciple's wish."

The silver-robed woman stroked Linger's forehead with affection and gave a light wave of her sleeve; both of them, along with Chen Changming in the snow, vanished simultaneously.

In the Northern Region, within the borders of the Yue Kingdom, a flash of light flickered inside a lush, verdant valley, and three figures appeared.

The silver-robed woman held Linger's small hand as they slowly ascended into the air. Looking down from above with a detached expression, she said, "Little child, this is within the borders of the Yue Kingdom, a great distance from Xiliang City in the Chu Kingdom..."

"Many thanks, Immortal Master."

Chen Changming expressed his gratitude.

Regardless of how much the other party looked down on him, his crisis had been averted. This place within the Yue Kingdom was as warm as spring, and he would no longer have to worry about a source of food.

Seeing the youth bow his head in submission, the silver-robed woman nodded with satisfaction and said, "Since you also possess immortal roots, this Seat shall see this good deed through to the end. Take this..."

With that, she waved her hand, and an ancient-looking cyan token appeared out of thin air before Chen Changming.

"I once did a favor for the Lingxiao Sect of the Yue Kingdom. With this token, you may enter their sect."

The silver-robed woman spoke with a detached expression, "Even if you are only of the lowest-grade five-element mixed spiritual root, you can at least serve as an inner disciple..."

Her tone was laced with disdain, and her gaze was lofty, as if the youth before her were as insignificant as an ant.

Seeing that his Master had made proper arrangements, Linger let out a long breath, her heart feeling much more settled.

"Very well, Linger, come back to the sect with me."

The silver-robed woman straightened her expression, took Linger's hand, and the two vanished abruptly amidst a burst of light.

A long time passed.

"It feels like a dream..."

Chen Changming sighed softly as he took the token, examined it carefully for a moment, and then tucked it away inside his robes.

His body swayed unsteadily; Chen Changming coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, his consciousness gradually blurring.

Having starved for two days in the freezing snow and then surviving a brutal battle while suffering heavy injuries, it was a miracle he had held on this long.

Through his hazy vision, Chen Changming vaguely saw an old man with white hair and a white beard drifting toward him.

"Eh? This little child actually has spiritual roots. Truly, heaven is helping this old man..."

Zhu Fang crouched down and, after using a special detection technique to examine the youth, a look of pleasant surprise immediately appeared on his face.

"You..."

Chen Changming had barely managed to utter a single word before a medicinal pill was shoved into his mouth.

"Don't speak. Just focus on healing."

Zhu Fang chuckled, then pulled out a yellow talisman and slapped it onto the youth's forehead, causing him to lose consciousness instantly.

He hoisted the youth onto his shoulder, ducked into the forest, and after winding through various paths, finally entered a cave.

Deep inside the cave stood a large wooden barrel about half a meter high, filled with reddish-copper mud. With a splash, Chen Changming was tossed inside.

Zhu Fang muttered incantations, continuously pointing at the yellow talisman.

Chen Changming's body moved uncontrollably, shifting its posture until he was sitting cross-legged within the mud, his hands forming a seal over his lower abdomen.

The medicinal pill caused Chen Changming's injuries to heal rapidly, and after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he finally regained consciousness.

What is this old man trying to do?

Upon opening his eyes, Chen Changming discovered he could not move his body and was soaking in a barrel of mud. Although he felt a bit panicked, he appeared very calm on the surface.

Perhaps it was because he had just killed someone, but his courage was much greater than usual.

"Your injuries are much better, aren't they? Cooperate obediently with this old man and practice the Spirit Armor Art. If you do, I might just grant you a stroke of fortune; otherwise, I will kill you right now!"

Standing before the wooden barrel, Zhu Fang sneered coldly, his expression unreadable.

Cold light flickered in his eyes, and the muscles on his face twitched, giving him an extremely fierce appearance.

"Fine."

Chen Changming did not hesitate and agreed immediately.

He had no leverage now; his life was in the old man's hands, so he could only agree to the other party's demands for the time being.

There was no doubt that this person was also an Immortal Master.

But Chen Changming could not understand why this man wanted him to practice the Spirit Armor Art.

This technique sounded like something of a very high level.

"You little brat are quite sensible. Come, come, follow the path of the spiritual energy circulating within your body..."

Zhu Fang nodded in satisfaction, then waved his hands continuously, guiding the flow of spiritual energy inside the boy's body.

Chen Changming silently memorized the route of the spiritual energy.

This Spirit Armor Art was incredibly convoluted, and since his own comprehension was mediocre, it took him a full day to commit it entirely to memory.

This infuriated Zhu Fang, who cursed him as a good-for-nothing.

A day later, Zhu Fang left in a hurry, leaving Chen Changming alone in the cave to cultivate.

Because of that yellow talisman paper, Chen Changming was unable to move, so Zhu Fang left with complete peace of mind.

The cave was dim and extremely quiet, with only the sound of rhythmic breathing to be heard.

After the time it takes to burn a stick of incense.

Chen Changming stopped his cultivation, slowly opened his eyes, and gazed deeply into the pitch-black rock wall.

Yesterday in Xiliang City, he had actually killed a burly man who knew a thing or two about fighting despite his own frail body; it was truly inconceivable!

Recalling the details now, the boy found it endlessly fascinating.

At the moment he had collapsed from exhaustion, even though his blade had missed, he had still completed the action of a "slash."

Immediately afterward, a strange warmth had surged from the soles of his feet, and a sound like a thunderclap had echoed within his body.

"Ten thousand blade strikes!"

After that voice, something had been added to his body, instantly turning him into a martial arts expert. With one strike, full of mysterious changes, he had slit the throat of that damned scoundrel!

"What on earth is going on... could it be..."

Chen Changming whispered to himself, his eyes growing brighter.

During the days he had spent making a living by chopping wood, that firewood blade had gone dull more times than he could count, meaning he had performed a vast number of strikes.

But as for the exact count, the boy had never kept track.

Perhaps that failed, empty slash had been the ten-thousandth, triggering the warmth in the soles of his feet.

In the center of the boy's soles were two black moles the size of black dates, which had been considered an omen of misfortune since he was a child, leading his grandmother to change his name to "Chen Changming."

"These moles are not a curse, but my good fortune..."

Chen Changming's expression relaxed, and he let out a sigh of relief.

These two moles were the same size and so conspicuous that every time the boy had looked at them in the past, he had felt deeply gloomy.

But after the battle in Xiliang City, that worry had vanished into thin air.

"Now I am trapped in this wooden barrel, unable to move due to the talisman, still a dead end..."

After failing to move, Chen Changming sighed helplessly, his bright eyes gradually dimming.

Another day passed.

Zhu Fang returned in high spirits, and as soon as he arrived, he shoved a medicinal pill into Chen Changming's mouth, which immediately eased the latter's hunger.

"Your progress is very slow, kid?"

Zhu Fang looked the boy up and down with a sinister gaze and snorted, "You haven't been cultivating properly, have you?"

Chen Changming remained silent.

Pacing around the wooden barrel twice with his hands behind his back, Zhu Fang muttered to himself, "You're about the same as me, a piece of trash with Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Roots. After a month of cultivating the Spirit Armor Art, you should at least have reached the peak of the Xiantian realm, right?"

Chen Changming's eyes grew strange.

This guy was also a Five-Element Mixed Spiritual Root?

"My big mouth! Ptooey, ptooey!"

Realizing he had said the wrong thing, Zhu Fang couldn't help but slap himself and spat a few times.

Chen Changming's heart stirred, and he tentatively asked, "Immortal Master, are you also at the peak of the Xiantian realm?"

"To hell with your mother's nonsense! I am a great cultivator of the Qi Refining realm!"

Zhu Fang was furious.

Even if he were only at the first level of Qi Refining, he was still a cultivator of the Qi Refining realm!

"So you are a peak Qi Refining cultivator, sir!"

Chen Changming feigned sudden realization.

He didn't know how many minor stages the Qi Refining realm was divided into, so he was testing him on purpose.

Zhu Fang suddenly became interested, as if he wanted to show off in front of this boy who knew nothing of cultivation. He puffed out his chest and said with pride, "Kid, listen well! Above the Xiantian realm is the Qi Refining realm, which only immortals can possess. I have dominated the martial arts world for decades; I am a genuine great cultivator at the first level of Qi Refining!"

"Immortal Master, how many levels are there in this Qi Refining realm?"

Chen Changming asked with feigned shock.

"Ten levels! Don't look down on me just because I'm only at the first level of Qi Refining; dealing with Xiantian experts in the martial arts world is as easy as chopping vegetables, hehe..."

Zhu Fang laughed triumphantly, his goat-like beard trembling, and his laughter echoed throughout the entire cave.