Stronger, Stronger, and Stronger Still

"Spirit Stones are even distributed by the sect?!"

Looking at the Spirit Stones in the storage pouch in his hand, aside from Ye Qingyao, who knew nothing of their value and wore a bewildered expression, the other three disciples were all stunned.

A sect that handed out Spirit Stones—looking across the entire continent, no one had ever heard of such a thing!

One Low-Grade Spirit Stone cost at least two thousand taels of gold on the black market, and even then, it was something with a price but no market.

Xiao Yan, in particular, felt this most deeply and directly.

After all, the net profit the entire Xiao Household earned through a year of painstaking business across Cloudwater City's six markets might not even reach a thousand taels of gold.

As for Spirit Stones, they did not even dare dream of them!

Xiao Lingxi also revealed an expression of utter shock. The Xiao Household was a great lineage, yet Spirit Stones were still scarce resources. Even she had never received a single one!

"Master, how could this disciple dare accept something so precious?" Zhuge Feng hurriedly refused. This was far too valuable!

It was worth more than ten thousand in gold!

That was an astronomical sum he could never hope to reach in his lifetime!

Even the Lingxiao Sect could be entered with ease, and it would be enough to purchase the entire Qi Refining portion of the Spirit Firmament Scripture!

As for other sects, it could even buy a basic medicinal pill for Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation!

"Master, we cannot accept this!"

Xiao Yan and Xiao Lingxi both shook their heads as well. It was simply too valuable; they could not bear to accept it!

Seeing her senior brother and sister act this way, Ye Qingyao also shook her head, not daring to accept it.

Su Bai smiled faintly. "Do you know what the Heavenly Dao Sect lacks most right now?"

The four disciples were all puzzled.

Su Bai said with a faint smile, "What we lack most is outstanding disciples!"

"When the day comes that you can roam the world on your own and make the name of the Heavenly Dao Sect resound, that will be the moment our Heavenly Dao Sect shines in glory!"

"In this world, enemies will not reason with you or speak of righteousness. Only the fist is truth."

"Therefore, your only task now is to cultivate, cultivate, and cultivate again—to grow stronger, stronger, and stronger still!"

"Remember this: only powerful strength can protect yourselves and safeguard the sect!"

Su Bai's words were solemn and earnest, each word reaching the ears of the four.

Zhuge Feng and the others were stirred to the core. Their faces flushed red, their fists clenched, and their bodies could not help trembling.

What their master said was true. Only powerful strength could shelter themselves and safeguard the sect!

For Zhuge Feng, he needed strength to avenge his parents!

For Xiao Lingxi, she needed strength to break free from her lineage and Zhao Baoxiao!

For Xiao Yan, he needed strength to defeat Liu Yanran and prove that he was not trash!

For Ye Qingyao, she needed strength to find her elder sister!

Only by becoming strong could they possess everything!

Only by becoming strong could they protect themselves!

Only by becoming strong could they safeguard the sect!

"This disciple shall obey Master's command!"

Almost at the same instant, the four spoke in one voice.

Almost at the same instant, the sect loyalty of all four disciples soared to ninety-five.

They were all just one step away from one hundred.

"Hurry and cultivate. More enemies are already before us," Su Bai instructed, patting their shoulders.

"This disciple takes his leave!"

They respectfully bowed, then turned and continued cultivating.

At the foot of the mountain, quite a few people were still gathered to watch, waiting for the experts of the Jade Spirit Sect and the Lingxiao Sect to arrive.

A hundred li away, inside the main hall of the Jade Spirit Sect.

Bang!

The sound of something being smashed made even the ground hum and tremble.

"Outrageous! This is simply bullying us beyond all measure!"

"What the hell is the Heavenly Dao Sect? They actually dared kill more than a hundred of our disciples and even one elder! They are courting death!"

More than a dozen people had gathered in the hall, each of them filled with righteous indignation.

Before them sat a gray-robed man, his face full of fury as a sharp killing intent radiated from his body.

This man was broad and muscular, his eyes cold and sinister, his entire body exuding a fierce and savage aura. He was none other than the Jade Spirit Sect's sect master, Ling Langxuan!

A powerhouse at Perfected Foundation Establishment!

The dozen or so people in the hall were all Foundation Establishment elders of the Jade Spirit Sect. With more than ten Foundation Establishment elders, the sect's strength was plain to see!

"What is the background of this Heavenly Dao Sect?" Ling Langxuan asked coldly.

"Reporting to Sect Master, according to the scouts, it seems to be a newly risen sect. It has no great experts, only a sect master of considerable strength, allegedly suspected to be Golden Core!" a Foundation Establishment elder replied.

"A newly risen sect? Suspected to be Golden Core? Then he is not Golden Core!"

"Heh. Since it is a newly established sect, it certainly has no foundation. Our Jade Spirit Sect could wipe out such a sect ten times over with a casual slap. There is no need to make a fuss over it!"

"Sect Master, there is no need to argue with this kind of backwater sect. Once we destroy the Heavenly Dao Sect, we can seize that little girl and present her to Zhao Baoxiao. When Zhao Baoxiao rewards us with a few Foundation Establishment Pills, our Jade Spirit Sect can gain another one or two Foundation Establishment elders."

The Foundation Establishment elders all clamored in agreement, never once placing the Heavenly Dao Sect in their eyes.

The elder who had died was merely at First-Level Foundation Establishment, the weakest among them. Even if he had been killed, they did not think the Heavenly Dao Sect was particularly powerful.

After pondering for a moment, Ling Langxuan suddenly said coldly, "This matter cannot be delayed. Since they have already declared war, then we must meet it!"

"Notify all disciples and elders outside the sect to return immediately. We attack at dawn tomorrow!"

"Also, spread word of our Jade Spirit Sect's departure. Let the people of the surrounding cities see just how miserable the consequences of provoking our Jade Spirit Sect will be!"

A thousand li away, inside a room in the Lingxiao Sect.

"What? That bitch Xiao Lingxi has been found?"

"Where is she?"

"Why was she not brought back?"

Zhao Baoxiao's face twisted like that of a vicious ghost as he roared again and again.

"Reporting to Young Master, we saw that even a Foundation Establishment elder from the Jade Spirit Sect had been killed, so we..." A steward spoke tremblingly, misery lodged in his heart with nowhere to voice it.

Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator had gone and never returned. What use would they Qi Refining cultivators be, even if they were at the eighth or ninth level?

"Trash! Worthless fools!"

Zhao Baoxiao flew into a rage and slammed his palm onto the table. The table instantly exploded into splinters.

"Young Master, what should we do?" the steward asked cautiously, terrified that Zhao Baoxiao would vent his anger on him.

"Hmph!"

"A mere newly risen force actually dares challenge the dignity of my Lingxiao Sect!"

"Daring to dig earth over the head of the Grand Duke—he truly does not know how the word 'death' is written!" Zhao Baoxiao snorted coldly.

"Notify Retainer Liu. Have him send a few outer sect elders to help you bring that bitch back!"

Xiao Lingxi was the woman he wanted, yet she had actually run away!

Since when had Zhao Baoxiao ever failed to obtain something he wanted?

Humiliation!

A towering humiliation!

"This subordinate will make the arrangements at once!" The steward wiped away his sweat and raced out of the room, terrified that if he moved any slower, he would step onto the road to the Yellow Springs.

P.S. Happy New Year! May everyone have more joy and fewer troubles in the Year of the Snake, see their achievements rise step by step, and have fewer and fewer worries~