"Little brother, in return for your Purple Spirit Grass, how about I give you a body-refining method of the human race?"
Just as Chen Changming was in a daze, another pleasant, tinkling laugh rang in his ears.
Chen Changming nodded woodenly.
At a time like this, did he dare refuse?
That Red Great Bird could kill him with a single glare. He had no leverage to bargain with her.
A faint glimmer shot into his forehead.
At that moment, Chen Changming felt that a cultivation method had appeared in his mind.
Heavenly Furnace Body Refining Art.
Before he could examine the method, a voice sounded in his ear. "Little brother, this technique is quite powerful. It's enough to cultivate all the way to the Nascent Soul Realm."
Nascent Soul Realm?
Chen Changming blinked, then could only smile bitterly.
He knew next to nothing about cultivation realms. So far, he only knew of the Xiantian Realm and the Qi Refining Realm.
Another streak of green light flashed past.
A Bronze Key floated before Chen Changming's chest. Its ancient surface was covered in mysterious patterns, and even one glance was enough to dazzle the eye.
"Little brother, I've fallen on hard times, and I'm afraid I can't keep this key safe. Could you look after it for me for a while?"
The Red Great Bird spoke in a grave tone. This was clearly an extremely important matter.
Look after it?
Chen Changming gave a self-mocking smile and shook his head. "Sister, with my paltry abilities..."
"That's exactly why you're so weak—you won't attract anyone's attention."
The Red Great Bird giggled.
She gave a slight nod. The Bronze Key turned into a streak of green light and vanished into the boy's chest.
The boy hurriedly pulled open his clothes, only to find a small green dot on his chest, like a blue mole. It was inconspicuous.
"Little brother, I'll come find you when I return..."
The Red Great Bird beat her wings. In an instant, she tore through the void and disappeared.
"The miasma in this valley has mostly been purified by me. You can leave safely..."
As Chen Changming stood there in a daze, the voice sounded in his mind again.
After the Red Great Bird left, the oppressive feeling disappeared, and Chen Changming gradually regained his composure.
"This demon called herself a princess, so her identity must be extraordinary. And that Bronze Key must be no ordinary object. It's probably why she's being hunted..."
Chen Changming thought to himself.
He felt as though he'd been swept into a vast whirlpool. Yet beneath the raging flood, the lives of the lowly were worth less than ants. Caught up in such a mighty current, what could a nobody like him possibly do to resist?
For now, all he could do was take things one step at a time, keep as low a profile as possible, and focus on staying alive.
After a moment of silence,
Chen Changming rubbed his chest and pulled his clothes closed. Then he looked behind him, and his face lit up with joy.
The miasma had indeed thinned considerably. As long as he kept walking through the valley, he could get away from Zhu Fang for good.
"Damn it, that little bastard still isn't dead!"
A figure emerged faintly from the mist behind Chen Changming.
It was Zhu Fang.
He looked wretched, his entire body a sickly blue-green, corroded until he resembled an evil ghost.
The light on his Spirit Armor was dim, as if it might go out at any moment.
Seeing the boy's back only made Zhu Fang angrier.
Luckily, the miasma in the valley had suddenly thinned. If he hadn't chased after him, the little bastard would have escaped.
Though he was a Qi Refining cultivator, he was badly injured and the spiritual energy in his body was scant. If he didn't reclaim the Purple Spirit Grass and take it in time, he might not survive three months.
At that moment, Zhu Fang grew cautious.
After cursing under his breath, he drew a steel saber and crept closer without making a sound, intending to land a surprise attack and kill the boy in one strike.
Meanwhile, Chen Changming had no idea anyone was behind him.
He hadn't even considered that Zhu Fang would risk his life by venturing deep into a valley full of miasma.
"Die!"
Zhu Fang roared and brought all his strength to bear as he swung.
Whoosh!
A blade of icy light tore through the mist and crashed down with tremendous force.
Though he was a Qi Refining cultivator, Zhu Fang was no martial arts expert. In his youth, he'd been stronger than an ordinary man, but now he was old and frail, and gravely wounded. That single swing drained all his strength.
There was only one reason—
To break through the boy's Spirit Armor and kill him outright.
"Not good!"
Chen Changming was startled by the sound. He vaguely heard the blade whistling toward him, but it was already too late to dodge. He could only circulate the Spirit Armor Art with all his might, hoping to withstand the attack.
Boom!
The steel saber struck the Spirit Armor with a thunderous crash. The tremendous force split the armor open, and the blade hacked through, striking Chen Changming in the back.
Chen Changming grunted. As he staggered forward, he abruptly turned around, pulled something from his clothes, and hurled it at the figure behind him with all his strength.
It was the Silver Stone.
The stone was the only thing Chen Changming had that could serve as a weapon.
The Silver Stone cut through the mist like a shooting star and struck Zhu Fang squarely in the forehead.
With a thud, the Silver Stone buried itself deep in his forehead. Blood and brain matter burst out, and the frail old Zhu Fang was killed on the spot by Chen Changming!
Chen Changming bent over, panting heavily. Blood poured from the wound on his back, and the pain made him bare his teeth.
Fortunately, his Spirit Armor Art had grown stronger. Otherwise, that strike would have taken his life.
"Qi Refining cultivators really are formidable..."
Chen Changming walked over to Zhu Fang and let out a breath, looking noticeably more relaxed.
For the past month, the old man had hung over his head like a sword, leaving him constantly on edge, never knowing when disaster might strike.
Now that the old bastard was dead, he was finally out of danger.
He had killed one person in the Chu Kingdom and another in the Yue Kingdom. In the span of a month or so, a nine-year-old boy had killed two people. The experience had made Chen Changming far more composed.
He knew very well that, born into a chaotic age, he was like a duckweed without roots. To make his way in the world, he needed a few ruthless tricks.
Chen Changming searched the corpse, but found only a battered cloth pouch.
Inside were several dozen taels of broken silver, a saber scabbard, and a tattered, yellowed book.
"Five Tigers Soul-Severing Blade?"
Chen Changming picked up the manual with interest, but after reading only the foreword, disappointment appeared on his face.
This wasn't a cultivation method.
It was a martial art from the jianghu, and even the most skilled practitioner could only reach the Xiantian Realm.
As for the Xiantian Realm, Chen Changming had already reached its peak.
"I have the token given to me by the immortal master. If I want a cultivation method, I can just join the Lingxiao Sect. For now, the Five Tigers Soul-Severing Blade is still suitable for me to practice. At least it'll give me another means of protecting myself..."
Chen Changming murmured to himself, his eyes growing brighter.
Once he'd practiced this blade art enough, its power would increase. By then, there wouldn't be many people below the Qi Refining Realm who could threaten him.
He picked up the steel saber, slid it into its scabbard, and fastened it to his waist. Then, staggering, Chen Changming slowly left.
Three months later.
A small village a hundred miles from Miasma Valley suddenly grew lively. Many boys and girls, accompanied by their parents, gathered in the square at the village entrance, watching one spot with eager anticipation.
In a small courtyard, the door to a side room opened, and a boy slowly walked out. Seeing a sturdy old man chopping wood, he smiled and asked,
"Uncle Liu, is there some happy occasion in the village today?"
"An immortal master is coming."
Uncle Liu set down his hatchet and said with a chuckle, "The immortal masters from the Lingxiao Sect come to the village every three years to recruit disciples. Everyone in the village hopes their child will be chosen and become a member of an immortal sect."
The Lingxiao Sect!
Chen Changming's heart stirred with excitement. He had never imagined that while recovering from his injuries in the village, he would get to see the Lingxiao Sect come to recruit disciples!