After exhausting the effects of the Qi Gathering Pill he had taken, Ye Xuan stopped.
"Sure enough, a high-grade Spirit Root lived up to its reputation. My cultivation speed is dozens of times faster than before."
"But the Spiritual Qi I need to break through to the Qi Refining Fourth Layer is actually a hundred times what I needed for the Qi Refining Third Layer. What would originally have taken a few days will now take a month."
"At this rate, who knows what year of the monkey I'll reach the Foundation Establishment Realm?"
Ye Xuan sighed at how difficult the Chaos Dao Scripture was to cultivate, but he had no intention of abandoning it.
He had also experienced the Dao Scripture's might. At only the Qi Refining Third Layer, he could instantly kill someone at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer. Once he cultivated it to greater depths, he would be invincible among those of the same realm.
"Fortunately, my understanding of the Dao Scripture has deepened a little lately."
During his several days as a Dao attendant, although he had not cultivated, he had repeatedly studied the Chaos Dao Scripture in his spare time. Combined with the cultivation he had just done, this allowed him to make rudimentary use of the Chaos Spiritual Qi he had cultivated.
Chaos Spiritual Qi could conceal any presence and imitate any presence.
Ye Xuan closed his eyes. His presence fluctuated, and one presence after another that did not belong to him emerged from his body.
Wang Liang, Ji Fenghe, Xu Li-the three men's presences switched rapidly, indistinguishable from the real thing.
"If used well, this ability could also be a way to save my life."
Ye Xuan excitedly switched the presence emanating from his body, pondering how to use this ability.
"Hmm? Someone's coming. Xu Li, and someone at the peak of Qi Refinement."
Ye Xuan narrowed his eyes and considered his options. Then his eyes suddenly lit up, and he smiled.
"This is the place."
Xu Li led Hu Yi to Ye Xuan's residence and pointed at his house.
"Call him out."
Hu Yi spoke indifferently. He could sense that Ye Xuan inside had only a Qi Refining Third Layer cultivation.
"Yes."
Xu Li clutched the wound on his chest. He was still a little afraid of Ye Xuan, but remembering Hu Yi's methods and his master emboldened him. He immediately shouted toward the house.
"Ye Xuan, hurry out and pay your respects to Senior Brother Hu!"
"Scram!"
A cold shout came from inside the house. At the same time, a terrifying pressure rose within and bore down on the two men.
Thud!
Xu Li felt as though he were carrying a mountain on his back. His knees buckled, and he fell to his knees.
Beside him, Hu Yi's expression changed drastically. He roused his own imposing presence to resist, veins bulging on his forehead as the bones throughout his body cracked and creaked.
Foundation Establishment!
Xu Li roared inwardly. He had never expected to kick an iron plate this time. He had only ever felt such a terrifying presence from an outer sect steward.
"Raaagh!"
Hu Yi's knees slowly bent. Even though he was already using all his strength, he still could not stop himself from sinking toward his knees.
"Senior, I had eyes but failed to recognize Mount Tai. I have greatly offended you. Please accept these fifty Spirit Stones as an apology."
Seeing that he was about to fall to his knees, Hu Yi, his face flushed red, struggled to take fifty low-grade Spirit Stones from his Qiankun Bag and set them on the ground.
Huff, huff, huff!
The moment Hu Yi finished speaking, he felt the oppressive presence bearing down on him vanish. He staggered and nearly fell to his knees.
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Senior!"
Hu Yi took a deep breath, stared fixedly at Ye Xuan's house, then dragged away Xu Li, who lay collapsed on the ground.
He had never imagined that a servant disciple he had picked at random would actually be a Foundation Establishment expert.
But he had already memorized the other party's presence. Once he reached Foundation Establishment, he would personally avenge today's humiliation.
"Huff, huff! Finally, they're gone."
Ye Xuan panted heavily and swallowed several Qi Gathering Pills in one go. Imitating a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator's presence had placed too great a burden on him. Maintaining it for just a few breaths had already consumed most of his Spiritual Qi.
Had Hu Yi held on a little longer, he would have had to find another way to deal with him.
"I hope he'll keep quiet for a few days."
After retrieving the Spirit Stones outside, Ye Xuan immersed himself in cultivation again. With an enemy at the Qi Refinement Peak who was about to reach Foundation Establishment, only arduous cultivation could keep him safe.
"Investigate this Ye Xuan for me. I want all his information tomorrow!"
Hu Yi slammed Xu Li onto the ground and looked back toward Ye Xuan's house with a sinister expression.
He had been caught off guard and rattled earlier. Now that he thought it over carefully, he noticed several suspicious points.
First, that presence had seemed somewhat familiar. He had felt it before from a Law Enforcement Hall disciple.
Second, Ye Xuan's imposing presence seemed to have dissipated outright rather than withdrawn into his body.
Finally, he did not believe a mere fifty low-grade Spirit Stones could make up for his offense. He had been ready to raise his offer to two hundred Spirit Stones.
With that, Hu Yi flew away on his sword, leaving Xu Li behind alone.
Xu Li wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked toward Ye Xuan's house in great fear. After hearing Hu Yi's orders, he headed toward the nearby outer sect disciples' quarters with a mournful expression.
He did not dare investigate a Foundation Establishment cultivator himself. He could only pay Spirit Stones to ask others to investigate.
The next day, Ye Xuan left early and arrived at the outer sect's Spirit Gathering Pagoda.
The Spirit Gathering Pagoda had five floors in total, each inscribed with a Spirit Gathering Formation. The concentration of Spiritual Qi increased with each floor.
One day of cultivation inside the Spirit Gathering Pagoda equaled several days of arduous cultivation outside. Cultivating on the fifth floor would equal half a month of arduous cultivation outside.
"Hello, may I ask what you'd like to... hmm?"
Li Liang, the outer sect disciple guarding the Spirit Gathering Pagoda, heard someone enter. He was just about to ask Ye Xuan which floor he wanted to cultivate on when he noticed his servant disciple robes and immediately lost interest.
"There are no vacancies in the first-floor cultivation rooms right now. Come back tomorrow if you want to cultivate!"
Li Liang glanced at Ye Xuan, then lowered his head again to fiddle with the keys in his hand. A first-floor cultivation room cost one low-grade Spirit Stone a day, while a second-floor room cost three. He did not believe a servant disciple would spend three low-grade Spirit Stones on a second-floor cultivation room. He would be better off buying more Qi Gathering Pills.
"Give me a fifth-floor cultivation room!"
Ye Xuan took out fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones and lined them up in front of Li Liang.
"Hiss!"
Li Liang froze for a moment, then sucked in a sharp breath, looking at Ye Xuan differently. Usually, only disciples at the Qi Refinement Peak would spend money to rent a fifth-floor cultivation room.
And at fifteen low-grade Spirit Stones a day, not just anyone could afford one.
Even an elder's disciple like Hu Yi normally rented only a fourth-floor cultivation room, occasionally renting one on the fifth floor when he had money to spare.
"502. Here's your key."
Watching Ye Xuan walk away, Li Liang muttered inwardly.
Whose wastrel disciple is this? Using a fifth-floor cultivation room when he's only at the Qi Refining Third Layer.
Upon reaching the fifth floor, Ye Xuan entered the cultivation room. Sure enough, the concentration of Spiritual Qi inside was very high, more than ten times that outside.
Ye Xuan had chosen a fifth-floor cultivation room mainly for the check-in.
"System, check in!"
[Ding!] [Check-in successful!] [Host's first check-in at the Spirit Gathering Pagoda. Congratulations to the host on receiving a hundred years of cultivation! (Based on the host's current cultivation speed!)] [Claim the check-in reward now?]