Spirit Stones Stolen

"Phew!"

With spirit stones in his hands, Ye Fei took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He silently recited the incantation, setting the Free and Easy True Formula into motion within his body.

Only an instant later, Ye Fei's eyes snapped open.

He discovered that the moment he began circulating the formula, two surging streams of Spirit Power entered his body through his palms.

These two streams of Spirit Power were exceptionally pure. They needed hardly any conversion before the circulating Free and Easy True Formula transformed them into strands of true qi that surged toward his gate origin acupoint.

A membrane blocked the gate origin acupoint, preventing the qi from entering, so Ye Fei could only circulate the qi-guiding incantation, directing the true qi within him to batter the membrane again and again.

Fortunately, the membrane was thin. In less than half a quarter-hour, the true qi broke through it.

Then strand after strand of true qi surged into Ye Fei's meridians like wild horses freed from their reins.

However, the true qi advanced only a short distance before encountering the membrane at his stone gate acupoint.

"Break through!"

With two spirit stones providing an endless supply of Spirit Power, Ye Fei gritted his teeth and accelerated the circulation of his formula.

Strands of true qi charged forward one after another, striking the membrane repeatedly.

In another short span of less than half a quarter-hour, the membrane at his stone gate acupoint broke as well.

The true qi in Ye Fei's meridians continued forward, charging toward his sea of qi acupoint...

Through Ye Fei's relentless efforts, the true qi in his meridians became unstoppable. In just six hours, it broke through eighty membranes and opened eighty acupoints.

Once the eightieth acupoint opened, the two spirit stones in Ye Fei's hands crumbled to dust, their Spirit Power completely exhausted.

"Spirit stones really do have an astonishing effect on cultivation."

Sensing the changes within his body, Ye Fei was wild with joy.

As more and more acupoints opened within him, Ye Fei could clearly feel a marked improvement in both his hearing and his eyesight.

As long as he could make progress, Ye Fei did not mind consuming spirit stones.

After all, his monthly stipend was four times that of the other outer disciples.

At his current pace, another ten spirit stones would let him open all his meridians.

Once all his meridians were open, true qi could complete a full circuit within his body, which would mean he had successfully entered Qi Refinement.

The thought sent a surge of excitement through Ye Fei.

After resting briefly, Ye Fei took out another two spirit stones and resumed attacking the remaining acupoints.

Clavicle basin, qi household, storeroom... one acupoint after another opened.

Six hours later, when the energy in the two spirit stones was exhausted once more, Ye Fei had opened another sixty-nine acupoints.

By then, Ye Fei discovered that the more acupoints he opened, the more true qi it took to open each new one.

"At this rate of diminishing returns, I'll probably struggle to open all my acupoints this month."

Remembering the change in Li Zaitian's attitude toward him that day, Ye Fei felt a trace of worry.

He could not be certain he would receive a sufficient stipend next time.

"I'll worry about whether I can get it when the time comes."

Ye Fei did not continue cultivating. He threw together something to eat, then lay down and went to sleep.

The next day, after breakfast, Ye Fei sat cross-legged on his bed again and continued attacking his acupoints.

That day, he consumed four spirit stones and opened a hundred and four acupoints.

And so Ye Fei consumed four spirit stones a day to cultivate. Two days later, he had opened another sixty-eight acupoints.

After four days of cultivation, Ye Fei had consumed sixteen spirit stones in total and opened three hundred and twenty-one acupoints.

Of the three hundred and sixty-one acupoints in his body, forty remained unopened.

By then, Ye Fei had only three spirit stones left.

"I'll use them all!"

Glancing at the more than half-full sack of rice, Ye Fei made up his mind.

After completely exhausting his last three spirit stones, he had opened another thirty-four acupoints.

Looking at the empty cloth pouch, Ye Fei could not help giving a wry smile. Although he had no spirit stones left, he did not stop cultivating.

He still sat cross-legged on his bed every day, using his own abilities to convert the Spirit Power in the air little by little and attack the final five acupoints.

Unfortunately, even after cultivating for half a month straight, Ye Fei failed to break through so much as a single acupoint through his own abilities.

"My aptitude really is terrible!"

Half a month later, Ye Fei gave a self-mocking smile, left his cave dwelling, and headed to the Reception Pavilion again.

To Ye Fei's surprise, after he explained why he had come, Li Zaitian did not make things difficult for him. He simply handed him a cloth pouch and a jade bottle.

The cloth pouch contained twenty spirit stones, and the jade bottle held two Qi-Replenishing Pills.

"With these spirit stones, even a pig could enter Qi Refinement."

Feeling the spirit stones tucked against his chest, Ye Fei's heart surged with excitement.

"Stop!"

Just as Ye Fei reached the mountainside, four young men approached from ahead and blocked his path.

All four wore gray robes and looked to be around twenty, with longswords strapped to their backs. Their eyes were full of greed as they looked at Ye Fei.

"Do you need something?"

Seeing their expressions, Ye Fei quietly put himself on guard.

"Nothing much. We saw you coming out of the Reception Pavilion. You must have gone to collect your stipend, right?"

The long-faced young man leading the four stepped forward and looked at Ye Fei with a smile.

"What do you want?"

Ye Fei's heart tightened.

"We don't want much. Hand over eighty percent of your spirit stones, and we'll let you leave."

The long-faced young man spoke with a sinister air.

"We're fellow disciples, and we've never even met. Why would you rob me of my spirit stones?"

Once he knew their intent, Ye Fei's voice turned cold as well.

"Why?"

"These are the rules of the Free and Easy Gate's outer sect."

"As an outer disciple of the Free and Easy Gate, you have to follow these rules."

"Hand over your spirit stones obediently, and we'll let you leave. You'll spare yourself a beating, too."

"The remaining ten percent in Spirit Stones will be enough for you to live in the Free and Easy Gate."

The long-faced young man made no attempt to conceal his purpose.

"You're doing this so openly. Aren't you afraid the Sect will punish you?"

At the word "rules," the corner of Ye Fei's mouth twitched, and he asked with a frown.

"Punish us?"

"I already told you these are the rules. Why would the Sect punish us?"

The long-faced young man looked at Ye Fei with mockery written across his face.

"Exactly. The Sect doesn't bother with this sort of thing. If you can't even survive inside the Sect, how could you survive outside?"

"This is a kind of trial for you, too."

A short, fat young man beside the long-faced youth added this with a smile, his eyes full of greed as he looked at Ye Fei.

"So that's how it is."

"You can rob other people, but do you know who I am?"

Seeing how fearlessly the four behaved, Ye Fei understood. But he did not panic, looking at them calmly instead.

"You have someone backing you?"

The long-faced young man's face was full of disdain.

"I'm an honorary disciple of the Grand Supreme Elder."

Ye Fei simply revealed his status.

Regardless of whether he had a mixed spiritual root, that status remained a fact, and it ought to carry some deterrent weight.

"Ha ha!"

"You're killing me!"

"An honorary disciple of the Grand Supreme Elder?"

"If you were an honorary disciple of the Grand Supreme Elder, why would you be in the outer sect, on Black Cloud Peak?"

"I've heard that line plenty of times, but all those people still obediently handed over their spirit stones."

After hearing Ye Fei's words, the long-faced young man showed no fear at all. Instead, he burst out laughing and looked at Ye Fei as though he were an idiot.

Clearly, he did not believe a word Ye Fei had said.

Faced with their disbelief, Ye Fei felt utterly helpless.

What frustrated Ye Fei even more was that he did not have any evidence on him to prove he was the Grand Supreme Elder's honorary disciple.

Even a hundred mouths could not clear his name. For a moment, his expression turned rather ugly.

"Well?"

"Still haven't made up your mind?"

"We brothers don't have time to play with you. If you don't make a decision soon, we'll just have to make it for you."

Seeing Ye Fei's ugly expression, the long-faced young man revealed a cruel smile.

"If you want my spirit stones, beat me first!"

Ye Fei narrowed his eyes slightly, without a trace of fear on his face.

A person's strength might be meager, but he could not be without dignity. That was Ye Fei's bottom line.

Even if he could not protect the spirit stones in his possession, Ye Fei would not meekly submit. He would fight to the end.

"Trash that doesn't know when to quit."

Seeing that Ye Fei refused to submit obediently, the long-faced young man sneered in disdain.

Then he swung a fist straight at Ye Fei.

Although Ye Fei still had a mortal body, he had practiced martial arts since childhood. Coupled with having opened most of his body's acupoints, his strength was not to be underestimated.

Ye Fei did not flinch at the incoming fist.

He stepped forward with his left foot and easily dodged the long-faced young man's punch.

At the same time, Ye Fei concentrated his internal energy in his right fist and smashed it viciously toward the long-faced young man.

"Oh-ho!"

"To think a mortal like you actually has a few moves."

The long-faced young man smiled disdainfully. He made no attempt to dodge, throwing his own right fist to meet Ye Fei's.

In an instant, their fists collided.

With a bang, Ye Fei was sent flying backward and slammed hard onto the ground.

"Pfft!"

Immediately afterward, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale.

Clearly, the punch had injured him badly.

The long-faced young man, by contrast, remained standing in place without budging an inch.

Although Ye Fei knew some fighting techniques and possessed considerable internal energy, cultivators and martial artists were simply not on the same level. Such an outcome was inevitable.

"If you'd handed over your spirit stones earlier, why would you have had to suffer like this?"

Looking at Ye Fei lying on the ground and coughing up blood, the long-faced young man shook his head. He walked straight over and seized the spirit stones tucked against Ye Fei's chest.

"You've got quite a few spirit stones on you, kid."

"But according to the outer sect's rules, we only take eighty percent. These four are yours."

Seeing the spirit stones in the cloth pouch, the long-faced young man was slightly surprised.

Still, he took sixteen spirit stones and tossed the remaining four onto Ye Fei.

"Remember, my name is Duan Hong. Whenever your cultivation surpasses mine, you can come find me for revenge."

Having achieved his aim, Duan Hong left those words behind, then turned and departed with his three lackeys.

Watching the four retreating figures, Ye Fei spat out another mouthful of blood before struggling to his feet.

Picking up the spirit stones from the ground, Ye Fei limped down the mountain.

At that moment, Ye Fei was utterly calm inside.

He did not resent those four. He only hated his own lack of strength.

Although he had left no fierce threats behind, he, Ye Fei, would remember this day's grievance.

After Ye Fei left, a white light flashed in the mountain woods nearby, and a young man in white stepped out.