The stars twinkled brilliantly, shining bright and clear.

By the crystal-clear lake, with its gently swaying water grass, fish darted to and fro, occasionally sending up strings of pearl-like bubbles to the surface.

Sitting cross-legged beside the lake, Qi Xiu's eyes quietly watched the wind-stirred ripples on the water, his fingers unconsciously caressing a ring on his hand.

"Are you troubled by something?"

Arriving beside Qi Xiu, Wei Wujie, sporting panda eyes and a face full of bruises, plonked down beside him.

"It's not so much trouble," Qi Xiu replied, "just that after this trip outside, the world suddenly feels much more vast, and I can't shake this feeling of insignificance."

Glancing at his eldest senior brother's face, Qi Xiu chuckled and threw a pebble into the lake.

PLOP. Ripples spread out, but they were quickly smoothed over by the surface waves, as if they had never been there.

"It's not surprising," Wei Wujie said, hearing what was in Qi Xiu's heart and also picking up a pebble. "Having seen the towering Dao Experts and Primordial Spirit masters, it's normal to feel small. Not to mention you, even we in the Blood-Stained Realm are as feeble as ants compared to those mighty beings."

"How long have you been cultivating?" Wei Wujie asked.

Qi Xiu's eyes flickered, and after a moment, he said, "All in all, it's been twelve years."

"Twelve years?" Pausing in his actions, Wei Wujie looked at his junior brother in surprise and couldn't help asking, "How old are you this year?"

"Thirty."

With a wry smile, Wei Wujie tossed aside the pebble in his hand. "You're only thirty and already have such cultivation. What's there to be melancholic about? When I was thirty, I hadn't even entered the sect yet. 'The path is long; keep walking, and you will reach your destination.' 'One should never be hasty in cultivation.' The world is vast, isn't it perfect for us to freely spread our wings? Your journey is still long."

Responsible and unentangled, such a temperament is more precious than any talent for cultivation. Qi Xiu thought, greatly impressed by Wei Wujie's eternally optimistic demeanor.

"Eldest senior brother is right," Qi Xiu said. "I was just reflecting a little."

"That's the spirit! Come on, I 'borrowed' a few jars of hundred-year-old fine wine from master. Let's have a good drink tonight. Forget the worries—let's enjoy ourselves first."

They drank merrily through the night.

After the brief reunion, as dawn broke, Wei Wujie was dragged away by an irate Daoist Yunxiong, clutching the back of his neck. Qi Xiu and the others returned to their own courtyards.

The affairs of Divine Sorrow Ridge had come to a close for now. The Demonic Enclave in Dianchuan Province had suffered a great loss but could only grit their teeth and swallow it down. They were in the wrong from the start, and they didn't have the power to wrestle with the Shenxiao Sect in a blatant and uncivilized manner. They could only feign ignorance, pretending they knew nothing, waiting for time to gradually dilute the incident.

「Spring turned to autumn, the years flowed by, and three years swiftly passed.」

The disciples of Yunti Peak, who had reconvened in the sect to rescue Ge Ping, left one after the other over these three years.

The first to leave was the eldest senior brother, Wei Wujie. After staying in the sect for more than half a year, he was already scratching his head and jumping around in impatience. Had it not been for his master, Daoist Yunxiong, telling him not to be in a hurry to leave, he wouldn't have lasted a month before vanishing without a trace. Holding on for over half a year was already quite an achievement. So, one dark and stormy night, after leaving behind a letter for his master and fellow disciples, Wei Wujie left the Shenxiao Sect to resume his journey of roaming the world.

Following Wei Wujie, the third junior brother, Li Jun, left. His departure wasn't because he couldn't stay in the sect, but rather because Qi Xiu's fourth senior brother, Song Guanjia, whom Qi Xiu had never met, had sent seven consecutive letters urgently seeking his company. It seemed there was an emergency mentioned in the letters. Among all the disciples, Li Jun and Song Guanjia were the closest, almost inseparable. Seeing that his fourth brother was in trouble, Li Jun quickly bid farewell to his master and Qi Xiu and the others, and left the sect.

And today, Nangong Qingqiu, who had lived on Yunti Peak for three years, was also ready to set out from the mountain.

"How long do you plan to be gone?" Taking the teacup handed to him by Nangong Qingqiu, Daoist Yunxiong gently blew on the steam.

"A short trip might be three to five years, but a long one... it's hard to say." Putting down the tea set, Nangong Qingqiu took out a brand new indigo blue Daoist robe. "You've worn that robe for over a hundred years. This is a new one, and no worse than the one you're wearing. Change into it when you have time."

"Hehe, it's true what they say: girls are attentive," Daoist Yunxiong chuckled. "Not like your eldest senior brother, who left a letter for his master. It was not even five sentences long and had twenty-seven typos." Mentioning his wildly untamed first disciple, Daoist Yunxiong looked resigned.

"That wild monkey has always been like that, Master, you needn't mind," Nangong Qingqiu said, her eyes clear and voice calm. "On this trip beyond our sect, apart from seeking experiences to hone my heart, I also want to find someone."

"Who?"

"A renounced disciple of the Lingguang Treasure Sect, Daoist Qingya."

"Hmm?" With a change in expression, Daoist Yunxiong looked directly at his second disciple. "Why seek him out? The man's whereabouts are erratic, his nature ambiguous, and his cultivation is profoundly unfathomable…"

"I seek him out on behalf of Junior Brother," Nangong Qingqiu stated.

"For Xiuer?"

After telling Daoist Yunxiong about seeing Qi Xiu use the Observing Qi Skill, Nangong Qingqiu said, "That Observing Qi Skill is Daoist Qingya's exclusive secret technique. I, too, saw him use it by chance once. There are rumors that Daoist Qingya was expelled from the Lingguang Treasure Sect precisely because of this skill. And now, Junior Brother has also mastered this extraordinary technique. I'm worried that Daoist Qingya has some designs on him."

After listening to Nangong Qingqiu's words, Daoist Yunxiong narrowed his eyes and pondered. "I met this Qingya more than a hundred years ago as well. This man has an indistinct appearance and is good at hiding his capabilities, with extremely deep schemes. When he suddenly defected from the Lingguang Treasure Sect, I was quite surprised. After all, the Lingguang Treasure Sect is also an ancient major sect. To be able to escape alone from its mountain gates is not something an ordinary person can do. The Observing Qi Skill...

"I know about this matter, but this person is very dangerous. Do not act rashly after finding him. First, send a message to me, and I will personally go to see him. If he really has any intentions towards Xiuer, it would be just right for me…"

With a slight clench of his five fingers, SNAP! The teacup in Daoist Yunxiong's hand shattered, scattering water droplets. In his tiger-like eyes, a hint of murderous intent flickered.

As for Qi Xiu mastering Daoist Qingya's unique secret technique, he didn't care at all. Although this Qingya was a renegade of the Lingguang Treasure Sect, he himself wasn't a Demonic Evil Cultivator. And even if he were a Demonic Evil Cultivator, what of it? Qingya is Qingya; the Observing Qi Skill is the Observing Qi Skill. Skills are neither good nor bad; it is people who can be kind or evil. Many Shenxiao Sect members cultivate Demonic Path skills. It's not strange for the Shenxiao Sect to possess eighty percent of the secret scriptures from the Hell Dao. The only thing he cared about was whether this Daoist Qingya harbored any ill intentions towards his little disciple.

"Disciple understands," Nangong Qingqiu replied.

After Nangong Qingqiu left, only Daoist Yunxiong, Qi Xiu, and Ge Ping remained on Yunti Peak. Ge Ping, aiming for a breakthrough into the Blood-Stained Realm, had begun a sealed meditation retreat a year ago, making the final push. On normal days, only Qi Xiu was active.

Inside his solitary courtyard, Qi Xiu had spent five hundred thousand Dao coins to invite a formation expert from within the sect to lay out a formation that could expand the Universe Space. The original space was increased tenfold. This additional area was transformed by him into a huge Alchemy Courtyard, with seven Pill Furnaces standing tall within this enormous space.

The flames blazed high, and medicinal mists curled upwards. The rich, smooth fragrance of medicine wafted through the air, almost visibly transforming into countless dazzling divine lights, making one feel as if they were in an immortal realm.

Seated cross-legged on a wooden cushion, with a dragon and tiger revolving around him, Qi Xiu was surrounded by colorful glows that traveled along his body. A golden halo hung behind his head, casting down strands of light that securely enveloped him.

Half a day later, Qi Xiu slowly opened his eyes and parted his lips, gently expelling a breath like a cloud of mist. "One hundred and ninety-nine," he murmured. "Just one short of two hundred."

Through three years of diligent practice, the number of Mixed Primordial Beads within Qi Xiu's body had increased from the original one hundred and thirty-six to one hundred and ninety-nine.

Still one hundred and sixty-six short of the complete number of three hundred and sixty-five. But he had already passed the halfway mark.

After ending his practice, Qi Xiu, as usual, summoned the proficiency panel.

[Calligraphy (Fifth Realm): 71%]

[Human Path Merit (Second Realm): 35%]

[Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery (Level 3): 99%]

[Black Water True Skill (Second Realm): 32%]

[Formless Sword Mantra (Level 4): 16%]

[Palm Thunder (Layer 3): 23%]

[Observing Qi Skill (Layer 3): 83%]

[Myriad Soul White Bone Banner (Fifth Realm): 17%]

[Shangqing Bell (Second Realm): 33%]

[Alchemy (Fourth Realm): 15%]

[Painting (Third Realm): 63%]

[Culinary Arts: 98.9%]

Just one step away... Without paying too much attention to other skills, Qi Xiu's gaze slowly settled on his life-defining scripture, "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture."

With its ability to command all arts, he did not need to specifically practice any one skill. "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture" would naturally elevate the proficiency of other skills. The Myriad Soul White Bone Banner, which had advanced to the Fifth Realm in just three years, was solely because of Tai Yin's efforts while traveling. The same was true for the Mysterious Ability, the Shangqing Bell, acquired only three years prior. This indicated that Tai Yin had treated these two skills as primary techniques while journeying.

There's no time like the present; let's break through today.

With a flip of his palm, Qi Xiu took out a Super Elixir, its surface flowing with an iridescent light and burning hot.

As his life-defining major scripture, "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture" evolved with each upgrade, birthing revolutionary Divine Marvels. Whether it was the Star Absorption Skill, which could be called invincible in close combat, or the ability to command all arts, which saved Qi Xiu a vast amount of arduous practice, each effect, taken individually, was heaven-defying. Now that this True Scripture was about to break through to the Fourth Realm, he was very curious about what kind of Divine Marvel would emerge.

Opening his mouth, Qi Xiu swallowed the Super Elixir and began to circulate "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture," consuming the vast and raging medicinal power that surged like a tidal wave.

A thin cloud of white mist enveloped his body. Qi Xiu entered a deep meditation.

One day…

Two days…

Ten days…

When a new Mixed Primordial Bead slowly condensed within Qi Xiu's acupoint, on the proficiency panel, the 99% behind [Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery] finally, with difficulty, jumped forward one percentage point.

100%!

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