Holy shit!
Ice Wind True Blood? Innate Primordial Sword Physique?
One gold ninth-grade destiny, one red first-grade destiny!
It really worked!
Good grief, did this count as exploiting a system bug?
After all, strictly speaking, Su Lianxin no longer had Emperor Blood and was merely an ordinary person, yet the system had still granted a return at the gold aptitude level!
Overwhelmed with joy, Lin Xuan thought of another way to exploit a bug.
If he gave his disciple something the system had returned, could he trigger another return?
If so, wouldn't he be able to nest the returns infinitely?
Looking at his newly accepted disciple, Lin Xuan felt as though he were looking at an enormous treasure trove.
Su Lianxin, however, grew rather uncomfortable under Lin Xuan's gaze, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"My disciple, take what's inside this jade bottle."
Lin Xuan tossed out another jade bottle, this one containing the Ice Phoenix True Blood.
Taking the jade bottle, Su Lianxin was somewhat curious, but she did not hesitate. She opened her mouth and swallowed its contents, not at all worried that Lin Xuan would harm her.
Leaving aside the fact that she did not believe Lin Xuan would harm her, even if he really wanted to, the disparity in their strength meant he had no need to go to such lengths.
"So it doesn't work after all."
The system's notification never sounded, leaving Lin Xuan somewhat disappointed.
It really did not work after all.
He had been getting ahead of himself, thinking he could make the system's returns nest infinitely.
How could the system allow such an obvious bug?
Su Lianxin, meanwhile, began to feel cold all over shortly after swallowing that drop of Ice Phoenix True Blood.
But this did not last long, and she returned to normal.
This meant that the Ice Phoenix True Blood had completely fused into Su Lianxin's body.
Su Lianxin, too, sensed that something was amiss.
The rate at which I absorb spiritual power...
How could it be this fast?
It was far too fast, countless times faster than her previous absorption rate!
Just what had Master given me to swallow?
"Master, what was inside that jade bottle you gave me?"
Su Lianxin could not suppress her curiosity after all.
"One drop of Ice Phoenix True Blood."
"It may only be a drop, but it's true phoenix blood. Its value far surpasses even the Emperor Blood that was extracted from you."
Naturally, the Su Ancestor's Thearch Blood was not bad, but it was only gold first-grade.
The Ice Phoenix True Blood, on the other hand, was gold ninth-grade. Although both were gold, there was a full nine-level gap between them.
"Huh?"
More precious than the Emperor Blood that was extracted from me?
"Master, this... this is far too precious. I..."
Before Su Lianxin could finish, Lin Xuan cut her off.
"I'll give you a goal."
"In the future, I want to see you trample that Su Ditian beneath your feet!"
"If you can do that, then granting you such precious Ice Phoenix True Blood won't have been in vain."
"Rest assured, Master. Xin'er... will absolutely not disappoint you!"
Not just Su Ditian, but Nangong Yaoyue too!
Of course, Su Lianxin kept that last sentence to herself.
Although she did not know where that drop of Ice Phoenix True Blood had come from, Su Lianxin still knew what she should and should not ask.
Regardless, Lin Xuan suddenly began to seem incomparably mysterious in Su Lianxin's eyes.
Ice Phoenix True Blood...
A supreme treasure like this was something not even the Su Clan's main lineage could produce, let alone the tiny Azure Yang Sword Sect.
This was not even a supreme treasure that should have appeared in the Profound Domain.
After Su Lianxin fused with the Ice Phoenix True Blood, Lin Xuan could also clearly sense that his own rate of absorbing Spiritual Qi had increased countless times.
"As expected of a gold ninth-grade destiny."
He glanced at Su Lianxin's information again. Sure enough, Ice Phoenix True Blood (gold ninth-grade) had appeared in the destiny field.
"Then hasn't this newly accepted disciple of mine become even more talented?"
Lin Xuan's eyes shone again.
There was another good thing in his storage ring.
An incomplete cultivation method named the Cavern Profound True Instruction.
Lin Xuan had spent a considerable number of Spirit Stones to obtain it at an auction years ago.
He had thought he might glean something from it, but it was far too incomplete. Though Lin Xuan had continued studying it over the years, he had gained little.
Lin Xuan was certain that this Cavern Profound True Instruction was no low-grade work. Had it not been incomplete, it would have been a Venerable Grade cultivation method at the very least.
Unfortunately, it was incomplete.
But on reflection, that made sense. If it had not been incomplete, how could it have ended up in Lin Xuan's hands?
A Venerable Grade cultivation method was not something Lin Xuan's meager wealth could afford.
"This is an incomplete cultivation method. I've studied it for years without gleaning anything, so I'll give this to you as well."
As he spoke, Lin Xuan took the incomplete Cavern Profound True Instruction from his storage ring and handed it to Su Lianxin with a casually chosen excuse.
Ding! Congratulations, host. Invested: "Cavern Profound True Instruction fragment." Return: "Azure Emperor Scripture fragment."
凸(艹皿艹)!
Lin Xuan immediately began cursing inwardly.
This system really is crafty. I invested a fragment, and you returned another fragment to me?
Fortunately, when Lin Xuan examined the returned Azure Emperor Scripture, he found that although it was incomplete, it differed somewhat from the Cavern Profound True Instruction. The Cavern Profound True Instruction was incomplete right from the beginning, with missing pieces here and there that made it impossible to cultivate.
As for this Azure Emperor Scripture...
Lin Xuan checked it. Only its latter portion was incomplete; the beginning was perfectly intact!
"At least you damned system have a little conscience."
The Azure Emperor Scripture, a Saint Grade cultivation method.
The first five levels were intact, while the sixth and seventh were incomplete!
A Saint Grade cultivation method!
Lin Xuan's breath caught.
Was this what Su Lianxin could do after her talent skyrocketed?
You truly are my wonderful disciple!
I merely gave you a fragment of a Venerable Grade cultivation method, and you returned a Saint Grade cultivation method to your master?
Although it was also incomplete, that did not have much impact on Lin Xuan as he was now.
Glancing at his storage ring, Lin Xuan sighed.
Over the past few years, healing his injuries had emptied Lin Xuan's coffers. He had neither Spirit Stones nor medicinal pills.
At present, he had virtually nothing good left to invest, only a few medicinal pills.
Without much thought, Lin Xuan took them straight out and gave them to Su Lianxin.
Qi Gathering Pills, Essence Augmenting Pills, Realm-Breaking Pills...
Ding! Invested: Essence Gathering Pill. Return: Six-Transformation Profound Spirit Pill [seven markings] ×1. Ding! Invested: Essence Augmenting Pill. Return: Sword Intent Pill [four markings] ×2. Ding! Invested: Realm-Breaking Pill. Return: Great Dao Golden Pill [nine markings] ×1.
!!!
Pill markings!
The returned medicinal pills were all above fifth-grade!
Medicinal pills were divided into nine grades, corresponding to the major cultivation realms. Among the Qi Gathering Pills, Essence Augmenting Pills, and Realm-Breaking Pills Lin Xuan had invested, only the Realm-Breaking Pills were fourth-grade; the rest were third-grade.
Moreover... the returned medicinal pills were all Pill Pattern Grade!
There was even a nine-marking pill among them!
Pill markings, even a single one, were exceedingly rare. Ordinary Alchemists could not produce them at all, and every additional marking brought an enormous improvement!
Medicinal pills commonly available on the market rarely had pill markings. Even those that did mostly had only one or two.
Six-Transformation Profound Spirit Pill: a sixth-grade medicinal pill that could greatly increase cultivation, usable by those below the Emperor Realm.
Sword Intent Pill: a seventh-grade medicinal pill that could help one comprehend the Sword Dao True Intention, a treasured pill countless sword cultivators dreamed of obtaining. This pill was only a legend; no one had ever seen it. Some even believed it was merely a legend and did not truly exist.
Great Dao Golden Pill: a sixth-grade medicinal pill, a spirit pill from High Antiquity long since lost, which could help its user comprehend at least nine Great Daos when breaking through to the King Realm.
"A Great Dao Golden Pill, and a nine-marking one at that!"
As someone who had once attempted to break through to the King Realm, Lin Xuan naturally knew what this Great Dao Golden Pill meant!
Although the Great Dao Golden Pill was only sixth-grade, its value surpassed even ordinary eighth-grade medicinal pills!
Normally, when Tribulation Realm experts broke through to the King Realm, they had to comprehend at least one Great Dao.
The vast majority of King Realm experts had comprehended only one Great Dao when breaking through, as had Lin Xuan.
Back then, he had attempted to comprehend the Great Dao of the sword to charge into the King Realm.
But he had ultimately failed.
King Realm experts who comprehended two Great Daos were exceedingly rare. Upon breaking through to the King Realm, they would also be much stronger than ordinary King Realm experts who had comprehended one Great Dao.
As for King Realm experts who comprehended three Great Daos, they were rarer still.
Existences of that caliber possessed strength comparable to King Realm Second Layer or even Third Layer experts, even immediately after entering the King Realm.
And the Great Dao Golden Pill could allow Lin Xuan to comprehend at least nine Great Daos! That did not even include the Great Daos Lin Xuan comprehended himself!
How was this a sixth-grade medicinal pill? Even a ninth-grade emperor pill probably amounted to no more than this.
No words could describe Lin Xuan's feelings at that moment.
Just then, the other two disciples whom Su Lianxin had gone to notify earlier arrived, forcing Lin Xuan to suppress his excitement.
Wang Yan and Qu Youmeng.
Of the two, Wang Yan was Lin Xuan's disciple and had fairly good talent.
Qu Youmeng was not Lin Xuan's disciple; she had joined Starfall Peak a year earlier.
When she joined, Lin Xuan had found it somewhat strange.
Although this girl's talent was not particularly good.
It was still decent.
She could have joined any of several peaks ranked above Starfall Peak, yet she had chosen Starfall Peak instead.
However, Lin Xuan had been concentrating on healing his injuries at the time and had little attention to spare for her.
Using the system's inspection function, Lin Xuan examined their information.
Name: Wang Yan Age: 19 Cultivation: Qi Gathering, second level Identity: Starfall Peak disciple, Lin Xuan's disciple Destiny: Strength to uproot mountains and rivers (green first-grade) Recent events: Busy cultivating in preparation for the Azure Yang Sword Sect's grand competition in six months. Name: Qu Youmeng Age: 17 Cultivation: Earth Profound Third Layer Identity: Starfall Peak disciple Destiny: Nether Water Profound Physique (orange eighth-grade) Recent events: Just obtained a Venerable Grade cultivation method from the Heavenly Venerable Realm soul within her body and is preparing to cultivate it.
"Hmm?"
Wang Yan's information was fairly normal.
But what was going on with this Qu Youmeng?
Earth Profound Third Layer?
Good grief, without the system's inspection function, she really would have fooled Lin Xuan.
The cultivation she displayed outwardly was merely first-level Qi Gathering!
And... a Heavenly Venerable Realm soul?
Could this... be the soul of a fallen Heavenly Venerable Realm expert hidden within her body?
Venerables were divided into three realms: Venerable, Earth Venerable, and Heavenly Venerable.
At that level, the gap between each realm was enormous.
Although the Profound Domain had a number of venerables, the vast majority were in the Venerable Realm. Only a handful had reached the Earth Venerable Realm, while as for Heavenly Venerables... the Profound Domain had none.
A Heavenly Venerable Realm pocket grandpa? A pocket granny?
His Starfall Peak truly was a place of crouching tigers and hidden dragons!
First Su Lianxin, then Qu Youmeng; only Wang Yan was normal.
Qu Youmeng, a seventeen-year-old at the Earth Profound Third Layer. Talent like this... was no ordinary monstrous talent.
Even compared to Lin Xuan's former disciple, Nangong Yaoyue, she was by no means inferior and might even surpass her.
With her talent, which great sect in the Profound Domain could she not join?
Why had she come to this tiny Azure Yang Sword Sect?
And even joined his Starfall Peak?
She was probably plotting something.
But Lin Xuan had no intention of exposing her for now.
Whatever the case, in the year since she had joined Starfall Peak, she had done nothing to harm it.
"A Heavenly Venerable Realm soul. Interesting."
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes, looked at Qu Youmeng, and said, "I called you here because I intend to formally take you as my disciple. Are you willing to accept me as your master?"
Although he did not know what this woman was plotting, Lin Xuan did not care. All he cared about was that Qu Youmeng could give him an enormous boost to his cultivation speed!
With an orange eighth-grade destiny, her talent likely surpassed even Nangong Yaoyue's back then!
It would truly be a pity not to take her as a disciple and have her boost his cultivation speed.
As for what would happen later, that was a matter for later.
"Accept you as my master?"
Lin Xuan's words left Qu Youmeng stunned.
Clearly, she had never considered taking Lin Xuan as her master.
She had already kept as low a profile as possible, displaying talent no different from an ordinary disciple's, all to keep herself hidden and avoid attracting attention.
Her delicate brows furrowed slightly, but soon returned to normal.
Yet Lin Xuan still caught that subtle change.
"It's fine. Agree to it. We still need to stay in this Azure Yang Sword Sect for a while."
An aged voice rang out within Qu Youmeng's sea of consciousness.
"Master, please accept my bow."
Hearing this, Qu Youmeng no longer hesitated and knelt directly to acknowledge him as her master.
After she became his disciple, Lin Xuan could clearly feel that the rate at which he absorbed Spiritual Qi had increased by another substantial margin!
Originally, his cultivation speed had only been about the same as Su Lianxin's.
Now, it had already surpassed hers by a fair margin.
Next, Lin Xuan bestowed the cultivation Method Formula for the first level of the Azure Emperor Scripture upon his three disciples. With the system, he was certain to obtain better cultivation methods in the future, so he was not stingy. Besides, this was only the first level of the Azure Emperor Scripture.
Still, Lin Xuan warned the three of them not to pass it on to anyone else.
Lin Xuan did not tell them that the Azure Emperor Scripture was a Saint Grade cultivation method.
After all, that was a little too earth-shaking.
A Saint Grade cultivation method surpassing even the Thearch Grade had actually appeared in this tiny Tangqing Empire...
Once they cultivated it, they would naturally discover how extraordinary the Azure Emperor Scripture was.
Su Lianxin possessed the True Phoenix Bloodline. With this Saint Grade cultivation method added to it, her cultivation speed would likely soar once again to an astonishing degree.
And with that, Lin Xuan's cultivation speed would also soar by several levels once again.
As for Qu Youmeng... she would not necessarily cultivate the Azure Emperor Scripture.
And things turned out just as Lin Xuan had expected.
After receiving the cultivation method Lin Xuan bestowed upon her, Qu Youmeng tossed it straight into a corner of her storage ring without even glancing at it.
In her eyes, Lin Xuan was merely the master of a peak within the Azure Yang Sword Sect, not even in the King Realm. What good could anything he gave her be?
Compared with the Venerable Grade cultivation method her "master" had just bestowed upon her, not only Lin Xuan's cultivation method, but even the Azure Yang Sword Sect's sect-guarding cultivation method was no different from trash in her eyes.
Never mind cultivating it-she could not even be bothered to glance at it. If she had not needed to keep up appearances, she would not even have bothered accepting it and letting it take up space in her storage ring.
After learning that "the one" within her sea of consciousness had once been a Heavenly Venerable Realm mighty figure, Qu Youmeng's standards had risen considerably.
Ordinary things could no longer catch her eye.
Seeing Wang Yan and Su Lianxin's faces filled with shock and wild joy after receiving the cultivation method Lin Xuan had bestowed upon them, Qu Youmeng found it rather amusing.
A cultivation method she could not even be bothered to glance at had left the two acting as though they had obtained a priceless treasure.
"There is less than half a year until the sect tournament. I hope you will cultivate diligently and secure a good result for your master when the time comes."
After giving them a few more instructions, Lin Xuan dismissed them.
Next, he would begin digesting the "treasures" he had obtained.
For instance... those three spirit pills.
And... the red first-grade destiny, the Innate Primordial Sword Physique!