Perfect World? (Seeking Recommendations, Seeking Bookmarks)

Ever since returning from that small town, Xiao Meng had felt a sense of urgency. He wanted to raise his strength as quickly as possible, because his intuition told him that before long, a disaster would affect both him and the Xiao Clan.

Thus, over the next few days, he no longer concerned himself with any of the Xiao Clan's affairs and devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivation.

In the basement, Xiao Meng operated the Eternal Undying Art day and night to consolidate his foundation, drawing upon the origin energy within his Heavenly Palace to nourish his body, hoping to condense his third origin core as soon as possible.

More than ten days later, Xiao Meng finally ended his cultivation.

"I've refined so many precious spiritual medicines, yet I still can't condense my third origin core. Looks like this can't be rushed." Xiao Meng sighed, then rose and left his side hall for a walk.

A few days earlier, Xiao Yan had already become a second-tier alchemist. With his steady supply of first-tier and second-tier pills, the Xiao Clan marketplace's popularity immediately soared.

At the same time, Xiao Zhan and the others had all emerged from seclusion, their cultivation having improved. Pills personally refined by Yao Lao were naturally beyond anything Chang Shan could compare with.

Now, the clan elders intended to temper the Xiao Clan's younger generation, so they handed all the Xiao Clan marketplaces over to the clan disciples to manage, with Xiao Yan as their leader.

As elders, they did not interfere in any marketplace affairs. They were only responsible for protecting the clan disciples.

However, they discovered that Xiao Yan's business sense was simply unbelievable. Many of the decisions he made were far beyond their imagination.

Whenever Xiao Yan made a decision, they often thought it was absurd and bizarre, utterly unworkable, and would cause the Xiao Clan enormous losses.

Yet the final results left them dumbfounded and deeply shocked.

Regarding this, Xiao Meng only wanted to say that Earthlings were still Earthlings. People from any world could only live beneath an Earthling's halo.

Even if Xiao Yan was merely a supporting character, his halo could still eclipse everyone else's brilliance.

The Xiao Clan's situation rapidly improved, but the Gale Clan's situation was far less favorable. Liu Xi's master was indeed a third-tier alchemist, but without enough medicinal ingredients, there was nothing he could do.

Still, the Gale Clan had not made any major moves lately. They seemed to have become much more obedient.

But Xiao Meng knew that this was merely the calm before the storm.

According to information Xiao Yan had gathered from the Mittel Auction House, the Gale Clan was purchasing medicinal ingredients for refining Red Phosphorus Pills everywhere. In just a few more days, they would likely have gathered everything they needed.

Xiao Meng knew very well that the day Liu Xi's master refined the Red Phosphorus Pills would be the day the Gale Clan moved to wipe out the Xiao Clan.

Yet he did not care about this at all.

A tiny Gale Clan could be wiped out with just a few shots from him.

Moreover, his father, Xiao Zhan, had already broken through to become a six-star Grand Dou Shi. As long as Xiao Zhan quickly mastered the first finger of the Great Desolate Heaven-Imprisoning Finger, even if Jia Lie Bi took a Red Phosphorus Pill, he would not be able to do anything to the Xiao Clan.

Recently, another matter had shaken Wutan City. A few days ago, Xiao Yan had clashed with Jia Lie Ao, and Xiao Yan had crippled him.

Now, everyone in Wutan City knew that the Xiao Clan's two so-called trash were actually once-in-a-century geniuses. They had been concealing their abilities all along.

While this left many people stunned, it also made quite a few curse, "Fuck... those two little liars..."

After wandering around for a day, Xiao Meng prepared to return and continue his secluded cultivation. But just as he closed the door, someone knocked.

Xiao Meng frowned. The knocking was heavy, crude, and aggressive. Clearly, someone was dissatisfied with him and had come looking for trouble.

"Could it be that brat Xiao Xun'er? But I didn't provoke her today." Xiao Meng instinctively took out his all-purpose wok spatula before going to open the door. He wanted to see which blind fool dared come and make trouble for him, Xiao Meng.

"Fourth Brother...?" Xiao Meng pushed open the door and saw Xiao Yan glaring at him, raging with anger.

"Did this bastard get fucked by a dog or something?" Xiao Meng found Xiao Yan's blazing fury utterly baffling.

"Third Brother, you actually incited Xiao Ning and the others to ambush me at night, knock me out, and sack me. You have to give me an explanation!" Xiao Yan roared.

Some time ago, he had been beaten while stuffed in a sack three or four times. His luck had also been terrible. Whenever he was attacked, Yao Lao was either not by his side or was using Soul-Nourishing Wood to restore his soul power.

So he had no idea who the culprit was.

However, almost all the Xiao Clan disciples had benefited from him these days, and their cultivation had improved rapidly. Thus, he had become very close with the other disciples. Until earlier, when he gave a first-tier pill to Xiao Ning.

Perhaps Xiao Ning had been grateful, or perhaps his conscience had condemned him. He told Xiao Yan about it, repeatedly reminding him not to tell Xiao Meng that he had been the one to reveal it, afraid that Xiao Meng would cause him trouble.

The moment he heard that Xiao Meng had forced them to do this, Xiao Yan nearly vomited blood from rage. What the fuck was this even about?

Unable to stomach it or understand it, he came to ask Xiao Meng why he had done such a thing.

Xiao Meng's expression froze. After thinking about it, there really had been such a matter—but he had already forgotten all about it.

But could he admit it?

Absolutely fucking not.

"Fourth Brother, what are you talking about? Why can't your Third Brother understand a word of it? Knocking you out? Sacking you?" Xiao Meng's expression stiffened as he put on a thoroughly confused look.

"Third Brother, stop playing dumb. If you hadn't incited them, would Xiao Ning and the others have dared attack me from behind?" Xiao Yan was furious at Xiao Meng's act.

"Xiao Ning told you that?" Xiao Meng did not get angry. Instead, he asked pleasantly.

"Who told me doesn't matter. You have to give me an explanation today!" Xiao Yan snapped.

"I'll give you an explanation..."

Bang—

A cold smile appeared at the corner of Xiao Meng's mouth. He struck decisively, sweeping his wok spatula with his right hand while driving a straight punch forward with his left. "This is my explanation."

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"You disrespectful little brat with no sense of seniority! Is 'Third Brother' something you're allowed to call me?"

Xiao Meng pinned Xiao Yan to the ground and gave him a savage beating.

"You still dare block? Let's see how many hits you can take."

Xiao Meng sneered. "If your brother wants to beat you, would I need to incite others? Would I need to ambush you at night, put a sack over you, or knock you out...?"

"Are you overestimating yourself, or looking down on me?"

"I already told you—your brother will always be your brother. Learn some respect. Why can't you remember that?"

Xiao Meng curled his lips. "I'll make you call me Third Brother. I'll make you call me Third Brother."

Xiao Yan: "I%￥@#..."

That night, screams echoed throughout the Xiao Clan. Ninety percent of the disciples wailed like ghosts and howled like wolves after being brutally beaten by Xiao Meng.

Xiao Ning had it even worse. After being beaten unconscious, he was thrown into the latrine.

"Dare slander Brother Meng, and this is the result." After leaving those words on the wall, Xiao Meng casually returned to his side hall.

After arriving in the basement, Xiao Meng thought things over and decided to fish once.

He still had five fishing attempts unused. He wanted to see whether he could catch some treasure that would help him break through in cultivation.

After taking out his fishing rod, he began fishing.

Very soon, he saw a boundless desert. Golden grains of sand shimmered, dazzling the eye, while heat waves rolled like a vast sea, making the land look like a giant furnace.

"There's a small pool there, and there seems to be some kind of liquid inside."

Following the route along which the hook extended, Xiao Meng saw a divine pool. It was only about a meter wide and not very large, but it stood out strikingly amid the golden desert.

Though the divine pool was small, it emitted a vast, undulating aura, like a boundless ocean rising and falling, inspiring fear. The divine liquid inside glittered with sacred radiance, casting out streaks of rosy light. Mist swirled upward, auspicious brilliance burst forth, and everything around it was shrouded in splendor.

Even though Xiao Meng could not identify the precious liquid in the pool, he knew it was an extraordinary treasure worth a fortune.

But at that moment, Xiao Meng noticed a group of people approaching the divine pool. Every one of them was extraordinary and immensely powerful.

Xiao Meng heard their conversation, and his expression changed slightly.

"Wonderful! The rise of my Rain Clan is finally within reach. If we obtain such a pool of water, our clan is destined for incomparable glory in the future, restoring the prestige of our ancient surname." An old man was so excited that even his beard and hair trembled.

The group stared longingly at the divine pool caught on the fishing hook. Every one of them was thrilled, their bodies shaking.

A middle-aged man cautioned, "Be careful. Taiyi True Water has a spirit. We cannot forcibly destroy the runes. We must approach it bit by bit and use our Rain Clan's innate affinity with water to communicate with it and gain its trust."

"Rain Clan, Taiyi True Water?"

Xiao Meng froze, then cried out inwardly, Is this Perfect World?