Chapter 90 - 33-42

Chapter 33 ~ A Sack of Rice (1)

"In the north, in a country called Water Nation, there's a lake. At the bottom of the lake, there's a ring. This ring has the ability to enhance lightning techniques and conjure true lightning," Yan Yu said.

Yan Yu then closed her eyes again, as if she had just said a trivial thing. Liu Xing's entire fighting style revolves around lightning, and even though he already has his overpowered gun, information about another treasure that helps him become stronger is valuable.

"Is this how you thank me?"

Because if it is, it feels too good to be true. Liu Xing just carved a hole and brought her here. A feat he accomplished in less than five minutes. Is it a trap? Is his action to help her so meaningful to her?

"Yes." Yan Yu said simply.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xing smiled. "Is that so?"

Liu Xing started to change his mind about Yan Yu. Maybe she is not a bully, maybe she is not as bad as he thinks. She might still be a ruthless cultivator to her enemies, but if she is good to her friends, then Liu Xing would not mind being her friend.

Liu Xing jumped out of the caves and ran towards his sect at full speed. He doesn't know where the hell Water Nation is, so he needs to check his sect's library again.

***

Inside the cave, lying on the cold ground, Yan Yu murmured. "If he survived, I might befriend him. He is stronger than I thought and would be a powerful ally when the time comes."

If Yan Yu is not mistaken, the Palace of the Unbroken Tournament will be held in a few years. If Yan Yu wants to take revenge and change the world, she needs to start preparing from now.

One of the preparations she has in mind is to gather powerful allies and strengthen them, and Liu Xing is perhaps one of the strongest of her generation. She wondered what happened to Liu Xing in her past life, but soon she dismissed the thought and focused on recovery.

***

"Finally, back to the sect." Liu Xing said as he arrived at the base of the white stairs. Tilting his head, he can see the white staircase snaking around several mountains.

Liu Xing takes one step, then another and another. He can easily run to the gate, but he chose to climb these stairs slowly, after all, he ran at full speed from the Dragon Skull Forest, and while his body is still full of energy, his mind needs rest. The mountains rising to the sky, the green that covered them, as well as the blue sky, the white cloud, and the breeze would refresh his mind.

As he walked, he observed his surroundings and breathed deeply, feeling his mind become calmer. He walked with his hands at the back of his head and began to whistle with a random melody. Sometimes a bird would answer him, and Liu Xing would try hard to answer back, creating a random bird song.

After about half an hour, Liu Xing found something new in his vision. In front of him is a boy carrying a sack of rice. He is walking slowly, his back is bent, and although Liu Xing cannot see his face, the skin on his neck and arm is red.

Liu Xing raised his eyebrows. He did not feel any qi from this boy, which means he is a mortal.

Looking back, Liu Xing can't see the bottom of the stairs, so this boy has probably already walked for hours, and since there is no sight of the stairs ending, this boy would walk for dozens more hours. Hell, it would probably take him a whole day to get to the gate.

Liu Xing approached the child.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Liu Xing asked.

Hearing his voice, the boy jumped. The sack on his back fell onto the stairs.

When the boy realized that the sack he was carrying had fallen, his eyes widened. He tried to reach for the sack, but then he stopped as if he had realized something important, and then bowed deeply to Liu Xing.

"Greetings, esteemed cultivator. My name is Chu Zen. I'm here to deliver this sack of rice!"

"You don't have to bow to me," Liu Xing said.

From the perspective of mortals, a cultivator is a living legend. They can fly, have unfathomable strength, and perform feats that no mortal can accomplish. It's normal for mortals to be extremely polite to cultivators. After all, a cultivator can kill a mortal with a simple flick of his finger. But Liu Xing was also an ordinary human once in the past, and although he can do crazy things now, Liu Xing did not think that he needed to be respected just because he was a cultivator. As long as people were polite to him, he would repay that politeness.

"My name is Liu Xing, and I would not eat you or kill your entire family if you offend me. So you don't need to be as polite as if you were talking to an emperor."

Beads of sweat fall from Chu Zen's forehead, glistening in the sun. His red face looks like a cooked lobster, and he glances at Liu Xing as if wondering if Liu Xing is telling the truth or just making a sarcastic remark.

To prove his point, Liu Xing grabbed the sack on the stairs and hoisted the sack of rice onto his shoulders.

Seeing this, Chu Zen's eyes widened.

"Esteemed cultivator, you do not need to help me!"

"Why not? You are a mortal, aren't you? And since we are climbing the same stairs, our destination is the same."

Chu Zent thought for a moment, then nodded. "Then thank you for your help."

"You're welcome." Liu Xing started to walk and Chu Zen followed. Seeing this, Liu Xing asked Chu Zen to walk beside him, and he complied.

As they walked, Liu Xing observed Chu Zen. Chu Zen's clothes are gray, and white powder has stained his clothes. From his appearance, Liu Xing can deduce that he is not wealthy, but not poor either, since his gray clothes have no tears or permanent stains.

"So, Chu Zen, why are you delivering this rice?"

This boy is about ten or eleven years old. His red cheek still has a hint of chubbiness, and this sack of rice is considered large for a child to carry.

"Esteemed Cultivator--"

"You can call me Liu Xing, or if you want to be polite, add senior before my name."

He nodded. "Senior Liu Xing, the reason I am carrying this sack of rice is because a cultivator from your sect ordered it."

Liu Xing's eyebrow rose, "Really?"

"Yes." Chu Zen nodded.

Liu Xing can't feel qi from the sack he's carrying, so it's not spiritual rice, it's just ordinary rice. Why would someone, possibly a cultivator, want ordinary rice?

"Who ordered it?"

"A cultivator named Shen Ye comes to my father's shop and orders a sack of rice. After paying for it, he leaves."

Liu Xing remembers this name. When he eats in the Eating Hall, a certain group gossips about extraordinary new disciples. One of them is Shen Ye.

This Shen Ye is a prince of an empire, has a high level of cultivation, and would probably become an inner sect disciple soon. He did not understand why Shen Ye needed a sack of rice, but people have their own secrets, and Liu Xing would not pry too much.

"So? Why are you the one to deliver this rice?"

The town near the Purple Moon Sect must know that this white staircase is long. Surely, a father would not want his young son to go up those long stairs.

"Are you hated by your father?"

"No!" Chu Zen replied immediately. "My father loves me. He cherishes me and is the greatest father in the world! The reason I am the one who delivered the rice is because we have no employees and my father is not well."

"Is that so? Is your father sick?"

"Yes. My father's health has been declining for several years. His hair has turned white even though he is only forty years old. So the one who takes care of the shop is me. It's not a big deal because our customers are usually just people in our town, but... I never expected a cultivator to come to our shop one day."

"I see." Liu Xing nodded. "I take it this is the first time you have climbed these stairs?"

Chu Zen nodded. "I have heard about this staircase. People say it reaches to the sky! That's obviously an exaggeration, right?" He asked with anxious eyes.

Liu Xing smiled. "Well, it is indeed an exaggeration, but for a mortal like you, I think even if you walk seven nights and six days, you wouldn't reach the top of the stairs."

Hearing this, Chu Zen's eyes widened. "Are you serious, senior?"

"I'm joking, of course," Liu Xing said.

Chu Zen sighed in relief. "Don't joke like that! While the pay is really good that I can close the shop, walking for a week is hell for a little kid like me!"

"Good thing you met me then, because I will help you carry this sack."

Chapter 34 ~ A Sack of Rice (2)

Liu Xing was joking, but he still thought that it would take Chu Zen at least a full day to arrive at the outer sect gate. The Purple Moon Sect covers a large area, including several mountains and peaks, and has many gates, the closest one being the outer sect gate, while the furthest ones are the gates to the inner sect. There is also a gate from the outer sect to the inner sect that is located behind the Outer Hall, but let alone a mortal, even an outer sect disciple can't cross the gates.

Liu Xing begins to chat with Chu Zen. This kid is really expressive and really good at talking. The city below the sect is called Purple Shield City. Chu Zen said that a long time ago an inner disciple built a hut there, and over time more and more people gathered around the hut. This disciple also left a purple shield in the center of the town, saying that whoever could claim the shield would be guaranteed a place as an inner disciple. Chu Zen said that the purple shield finally found an owner a few weeks ago, a man with black hair that was so long and beautiful that from behind he looked like a woman.

Liu Xing asked how people live in the Purple Shield City. What kind of work is there in Purple Shield City, is there a doctor, and even asked if he knew about bacteria, which Chu Zen answered with a blank face. When he crossed over from earth to Liu Xing's body, he was already a disciple in the outer sect, and while Liu Xing is not from a big family, the Liu clan is a cultivator family.

Chu Zen said that there are many professions in the city. There's a farmer, a blacksmith, a shopkeeper, and many important jobs. The most interesting occupation is umbrella maker, hat maker, and a theater troupe that would occasionally hold a performance.

"Usually they would perform heroic stories of cultivators around the world, and although I like it, it's kind of repetitive. Most of the stories are like: a guy found a treasure, he saved a girl, and in the end one or two demonic sects were annihilated."

Liu Xing has never seen a live performance before, but he has read so many xianxia stories that he can relate to what Chu Zen said.

After several hours, Liu Xing stumbled upon a topic that interested him greatly.

"Although my father is sickly, he is still a good merchant and has many connections. A few years ago, my father managed to secure a sack of spirit rice from the Water Nation. This nation is really famous for their method of farming, where they plant the rice plant in the water instead of on the ground. My father sold that spirit rice so cheaply. At that time I was confused about the price, but now I understand that keeping the spirit rice would bring trouble because many people would want to get their hands on it, whether my father wanted to sell it to them or not."

Liu Xing nodded. "I understand. A long time ago, there was a guy in the outer sect who was lucky enough to get a pill that could triple his cultivation speed. That guy was robbed and beaten, and he almost died."

This poor guy is actually Liu Xing before he transmigrated. And even though he did not experience it himself, the memory is so vivid.

"Anyway, about the Water Nation, do you know about it? I happen to have some business there."

"I don't know much. I only know about their spirit rice farm, and I've heard that it's a beautiful country far away from here." Chu Zen pinched his chin. "Although I have heard from my father about a legend there."

"Oh, can I hear it?"

"Sure." He cleared his throat. "They say a long time ago, when the Water Nation was just a wilderness, there was a family that gave birth to a genius. This genius is Tang Wenjie, and she is so strong that she united several tribes and formed a nation. One day, a warlord heard about Tang Wenjie's plan to conquer his land, so the warlord prayed to the guardian beast from under the water. Some people said it was a dragon, some said it was a turtle, some said it was a snake, and some said it was a fish. The most important thing is that these guardian beasts agree to help the warlord, and they launch a counter-invasion against the nation. They fight for a month and create many lakes, rivers, water sources, and flood a large area. In the end, Tang Wenjie wins, and the guardian beast and the warlord die in the battle. Tang Wenjie was furious with the warlord's tribe, and she cursed the whole tribe, and they became ghosts. They said that the ghost is still in our world, waiting for revenge."

Liu Xing tries to memorize the whole legend. Although there's no mention of the Lightning Ring that Yan Yu mentioned, there's still a possibility that this legend is related to the Lightning Ring.

"There is also a version of the story that says Tang Wenjie stole the method of farming on the water from the warlord because the warlord tribe lives in a lake, but I think it's false."

Chu Zen's story begins to drift from the legend and to speculate about how a farm can be built on the water. Liu Xing knows about hydroponics, and when Chu Zen heard about it, his eyes shone as if he had just heard the greatest secret in the world. He said he wanted to try this hydroponic method for his little garden.

Several more hours pass, and the sky turns orange. Chu Zen's feet begin to tremble, and Liu Xing offers to deliver this sack of rice himself while Chu Zen rests, but Chu Zen refuses. He says it is a matter of principle.

"If I don't meet the customer, how can I make sure the customer is satisfied with my service?"

Thus, their pace slowed down, but after the sun went down, they finally arrived at the outer sect's gate. There are two guards standing in front of the gate. They are disciples as well, and they have taken on the mission of guarding the gate. Usually they stand lazily, but now their backs are straight and their eyes are alert.

There's a man standing in front of the gate. This man is younger than Liu Xing, with his hand behind his back and a proud aura emanating from him. His eyes are sharp, as if he can easily cut through people, and his expression is aloof, as if the world must bow to him. Liu Xing knows his face. When he sees Yan Yu for the first time, he also sees his face in the crowd of new disciples. He doesn't know his name, but he can guess who he is.

"Senior Liu Xing, thank you for your help, but I have to carry the sack myself from now on!"

Liu Xing looked at the sack on his shoulder, nodded, and handed it back to Chu Zen. Chu Zen lifts the sack onto his shoulder and starts to walk respectfully towards the man.

Liu Xing watches the man, who is probably Shen Ye. One of the strongest new outer disciples of the sect and also a prince of the Phoenix Empire. He is wearing the cultivator robe provided by the sect, and a gold medal engraved with a phoenix dangles from his neck.

Chu Zen kneels in front of Shen Ye, puts down the sack of rice, and clasps his hand.

"This is the rice you ordered, esteemed cultivator Shen Ye."

Shen Ye looked at the sack. "Do you know how long I have been waiting?"

"My sincerest apologies! I delivered this sack of rice as fast as I could!"

"I said, do you have any idea how long I waited?" Shen Ye said. His eyes pierced Chu Zen, then he turned to a guard. "Tell me how long I waited."

"Yes, sir! At least fifteen minutes!"

"Did you hear that? I have been waiting here for over fifteen minutes! Are you not the one who said that you can deliver this rice on time, when the sun goes down?"

Chu Zen starts to pale, and Liu Xing knows that trouble is coming. He summons his gun and gets ready to jump if anything happens.

As he prepares himself, Liu Xing wonders: Did Chu Zen really promise to deliver the goods before sunset? That's quite a bold statement. Without Liu Xing's help, he would have had to carry the sack himself, and Liu Xing doubts that Chu Zen could have delivered it in time. Still, Liu Xing knows that Chu Zen is a smart kid. He probably thought the stairs weren't too long and the customer would be forgiving.

"You are wasting my precious time. You must be punished!"

"W-Wait, esteemed cultivator. I sincerely apologize for the delay, a-and to pay for it, y-you can get a big discount every time you shop at my father's store!"

When Shen Ye's expression did not change, Chu Zen's face was so pale that it looked like it was made of candle. "Then it's free. It's free! We'll give you free goods!"

"The punishment for making me wait is death!"

Shen Ye points his palm at the frightened Chu Zen, and Liu Xing knows that the situation is already out of control. Although Liu Xing has known Chu Zen for less than a day, he doesn't want him to be harmed.

Liu Xing steps between Chu Zen and Shen Ye.

Chapter 35 ~ A Sack of Rice (3)

"Aren't you too harsh? He's only about fifteen minutes late, surely he doesn't deserve death for it?"

Liu Xing's words were motivated by a mixture of personal and moral reasons. He had taken a liking to Chu Zen and had appreciated the boy's helpfulness in providing him with valuable information. Liu Xing felt that he owed Chu Zen something, and this was a chance to repay that debt. Besides, he didn't like the extreme punishment proposed for such a minor infraction. While he understood the importance of punctuality, the threat of death over a fifteen-minute delay seemed grossly unfair.

Liu Xing knew that he was potentially putting himself in danger by speaking out, but he couldn't stand by and watch someone who had helped him be treated so unfairly. His sense of what was right, combined with his personal connection to Chu Zen, compelled him to intervene despite the possible consequences.

Shen Ye glared at Liu Xing. "Who are you? How dare you talk to me so casually?"

"My name is Liu Xing. I'm no one in the sect, and you're no one either. We're both outer disciples with the same status. If you're thinking about status, then I'm an older disciple of the outer sect, so you have to show me some respect."

He snorted. "Hmph! We're not equal. My name is Shen Ye, and soon I will be an inner disciple. Senior disciple, you say? This Purple Moon Sect is great, but the greatness starts as an inner disciple. A talentless person who stays in the outer sect is mere trash in front of me!"

"Is that so? But in reality, you're still an outer disciple, so by your logic, you're also trash."

Liu Xing honestly didn't think that Shen Ye was trash. After all, he was younger than him, and he was at the seventh stage of the Lock Opening realm. A seventh stage cultivator in the outer sect was the best of the best, and Shen Ye's promotion to an inner disciple was just a matter of time. That's why the disciple who guarded the gate didn't dare to talk, let alone intervene in the matter.

But with his gun, a promotion to inner disciple was also a matter of time for him, and while Shen Ye's cultivation was higher, Liu Xing was confident he wouldn't be defeated by him.

"You dare to defy me, a prince of the Phoenix Empire?" Shen Ye growled.

"I dare, after all, that status is meaningless here. More importantly, this kid, Chu Zen, is just a mortal kid, and he's only fifteen minutes late. Trying to kill someone for that little thing is going too far."

"Hmph! Don't you understand how precious time is? A war can be lost if a messenger is five minutes late, let alone fifteen."

"But we're not at war, right?"

"My life is war!" Shen Ye growled. "My fifteen minutes are more valuable than his fifteen lives."

Liu Xing's lips formed a tight line. In this world, he understood that a cultivator would think of himself as better than mortals. After all, cultivators have long lifetimes; some can even live forever. But Liu Xing didn't think that a cultivator could kill a mortal without justification, and Liu Xing still thought that Chu Zen's lateness was not to be punished by death.

"Look, if you spend your time arguing, you will waste more of your time. Surely it is faster to let go of this matter than to try to kill him."

"That's because you are in my way."

"And I would stand between you and this kid forever if you try to lay a hand on him." Liu Xing turned his head to Chu Zen, who was pale and had wide eyes. "Chu Zen, your delivery is complete. Leave and never show your face in front of Shen Ye again."

Chu Zen froze for a moment, then he bowed, said "Thank you!" so fast the words were almost gibberish, then he bolted.

Shen Ye glared at Liu Xing. "This means you're the one who takes responsibility for his mistake."

Liu Xing began to think about how to resolve this dispute. His main goal was to protect Chu Zen and probably his family as well. While Shen Ye was blaming Liu Xing right now, there was still a possibility that Shen Ye still wanted to punish Chu Zen. So he had to make sure that Shen Ye completely forgot about Chu Zen, and the only thing he could think of in that short time was to make sure that Shen Ye was more pissed off at Liu Xing than at Chu Zen. This was actually a terrible choice. Liu Xing didn't want to create an enemy, especially a talented cultivator with a prominent background, but it was the only choice he had.

"You know, I think this whole thing is kind of fishy. You take the trouble to go down to a small town, visit a store that is owned and operated by mortals, and order just one sack of ordinary rice. It's as if you were trying to trick Chu Zen into delivering that rice, knowing that he would be late."

Shen Ye snorted. "I went to his shop because it was the first shop I saw in that small town, and when I ordered the rice and asked if he could deliver it on time, he said he could. There's nothing more or less to it."

Liu Xing grabbed a sack of rice from the ground and shoved it at Shen Ye. "Then here is your precious rice. I delivered it."

Shen Ye's face became red, and he vibrated as if he would explode.

"What's your name?" he said sternly.

"Liu Xing."

"All right, Liu Xing, it seems you want to die!"

"I don't want to die, actually. And we're on sect grounds. Killing other disciples is prohibited."

"We're not. The gate is still behind me." He pointed to his back.

Liu Xing nodded, activated his lightning cloak, and moved. The world suddenly blurred, and now, instead of being face to face with Shen Ye, Liu Xing stood behind the gate with Shen Ye several meters in front of him.

"I'm on sect grounds now, so the rules apply."

When he said that, the two guards who stood beside the gate flinched and suddenly turned around. Eyes wide and mouths open wide, as if they were seeing something truly incredible. Shen Ye turned around too, and while his expression was still pissed, there was a hint of caution and calculation in his eyes.

"I've killed other disciples on sect grounds; you think I wouldn't do it again?" Shen Ye said after several moments, his tone lower than before.

"I don't doubt it, but let's just make this official. I challenge you to a duel. If I win, you will let this matter about Chu Zen slide."

"But what if I win?" he asked.

"Well, what do you want? I'm broke. My sect points are in the negative. If you want a favor, then I'll give you one if you win."

He snorted. "I don't need your favor."

"So you don't want to duel then?"

Shen Ye was silent for a moment, regarding Liu Xing with serious eyes. Liu Xing guessed there must be a little doubt in his heart. After all, Liu Xing was in the sixth stage, while Shen Ye was at the seventh stage. Normally, people with a lower realm wouldn't dare to challenge people in a higher realm. The ones who do so either have strong backing or have an ace up their sleeve to win a fight.

"All right, I, Shen Ye, accept your challenge. Tomorrow when the sun sets, I will wait for you at the arena in training ground one. If you win, I'll let this matter slide and won't harm that mortal or his family. But if I win, you will lick my shoes a hundred times and then cripple your cultivation. How about it?"

Shen Ye smirked, as if he already knew that Liu Xing would lose.

Liu Xing realized that this duel had no favorable outcome for him. If he won, he would get nothing, and if he lost, he would lose everything. And all of this was just because of a mortal kid. In the corner of his heart, he thought that maybe backpedaling and abandoning Chu Zen was the most logical thing to do. But he didn't want to do it. Before he met Nui, Liu Xing would think about his life first, and everything else was second, but meeting Nui and getting the gun was a life-changing event. Liu Xing would never forget his main goal, which was to defeat the darkness in this world, but he also wouldn't forget Joni's question.

What did he want to do? He wanted to be a legend. And no legend would be born of a guy who backed down and regretted his actions because he was afraid. True, this duel wouldn't become his beginning as a legend, but he thought if he backpedaled now, then later, when hard times came, he would choose the easy way.

"Then it's decided. We will fight."

Shen Ye gave a little smirk. Liu Xing couldn't decide what the meaning of this smirk was. Was he mocking Liu Xing, impressed by him, or just thinking that he was foolish?

Either way, Liu Xing understood that he needed to win tomorrow's battle to ensure his legend would be born.

Chapter 36 ~ Statute Summoning Technique (1)

Liu Xing is now sitting cross-legged on top of his cultivation mat. He breathes evenly and tries to absorb the qi from the air around him. The qi feels like cold water. Every time this qi comes inside his body, it jolts him and makes him aware of it, as if the qi wants to be noticed.

As he breathes in and out, his mind clears and becomes peaceful. The matter of the duel still lingers in his mind, but Liu Xing has already decided that he would win it, so there's nothing else to do.

When he arrived at his cave, at first he thought to sleep, but then decided against it. As a cultivator, he didn't need much food or sleep, and since his body was still full of energy, thanks to his advancement to the sixth stage, he only needed to freshen his mind, and breathing exercises as well as cultivation accomplished it.

"It's kind of different from before," he muttered.

Before he got the gun, his cultivation was not really peaceful. He would try to gather more and more qi to his body, and would be disappointed with how little qi he gathered. But now, since his advancement is almost guaranteed, he feels like his cultivation is calmer, and with this calm, he can absorb more qi.

Like this, several hours passed and Liu Xing decided it was time to move.

When he opened the door of his cave, he was greeted by fresh air and a clear night sky, with the moon shining so brightly that he could see the clearing before him so clearly. Before, his clearing looked like a buffalo had run through it, ruining the grass and splashing mud everywhere, but now the ground is firm, the grass is tall and dancing with the night wind.

Liu Xing moves slowly through the path, enjoying the night and the breeze and the moon. It's peaceful, with insects singing in unison.

As he walks, Liu Xing centers his mind and glances at the library tower that is his destination. The library is full of techniques and cultivation scriptures, but it is also filled with normal books. His main goal now is to find information about the Water Nation: where it is placed, general info about them, what native spirit beasts live there, and also where the lake that contains the lightning ring Yan Yu mentioned is located. Also, while his points are in the negative, he also wants to find a nice technique that complements his fighting style. The first is a maneuvering technique and the second is a cultivation method that can be used while moving. While he can't afford them now, it would be nice if he already knew the options.

Not long after, Liu Xing arrives at the library. It's still open but empty. Seeing this, Liu Xing smiles. An empty library is more welcoming than a bustling library, because he feels it belongs to him.

He comes inside and walks between the shelves. Since his state of mind is clear now, he decides to browse slowly. When there's a book that piques his interest, he grabs it, reads it for several minutes, and then closes it.

"This library is really full of bizarre techniques," he comments.

He can only read the introduction chapter, but reading it makes him realize that cultivating lightning makes him miss so many weird and interesting techniques.

For example, Liu Xing is now reading the introductory chapter of the Silver Song Technique. This technique is not activated by a qi cycling method, but by the use of a flute. The effect of the technique is to create illusions in the opponent's sight and hearing. The one who uses this technique is an illusionist, and the combination of flute and illusion reminds him of a redheaded tomboy from a group that kidnapped an emo character.

He reads another book about a cool technique named Heaven Twisting Technique. The name is grandiose, and he thinks it's just a marketing ploy. After all, there are many grandiose-sounding techniques, like Heaven Shattering Fist, but the effect is just lame.

This Heaven Twisting Technique is not like that. In fact, it's a really cool technique. It controls the air around an opponent, latching onto anything the air touches and then twisting it. It's cool, like a technique usually used by a character named Scarecrow. The requirement to learn this technique is quite high. Not only do you need to have a high affinity for air, but you also need to have an affinity for spatial techniques.

Liu Xing also finds some interesting books about non-cultivation matters, like books about herbs, beasts, history, geography, and many more.

Liu Xing decides to check a book about geography since he can see a map in the first two chapters. According to this book, there are five continents in this world, and the Dark Forest continent is in the center of the world, with a size dozens of times bigger than any other continent. The shape of the Dark Forest Continent reminds him of Java Island, since it's really stretched long to the west and to the east. There are many islands surrounding it, with four big islands around it that are supposedly continents.

Seeing this, Liu Xing wonders if this book is true or if the creator of this map is biased towards other continents. He wants to cross-check the map to verify it, but Liu Xing decides not to do that today. Today, he wants to gather information about the Water Nation, and if he has time, maybe browse through cultivation methods and techniques that would fit his fighting style.

"Hmm, I think I need to rethink my approach. Since I have a duel with Shen Ye tomorrow, I want to check out the technique section first, then the cultivation methods that allow me to cultivate while moving, and then find out about Water Nation."

Nodding, Liu Xing decides to follow his new plan. His steps become lighter, and a smile starts blossoming on his lips. He realizes perhaps his decision is not entirely based on the fact that he needs to duel Shen Ye, but because he wants to find another cool technique. The thought that he can only browse and cannot buy the techniques makes him kind of sad, but he soon brushes that feeling aside.

Soon he finds himself among shelves full of lightning techniques. He wants to find a technique that will allow him to maneuver easily in the air, like Air Steps, but Liu Xing wants to start with the lightning based techniques. Who knows, maybe there's a technique that's better than techniques like Air Steps that use lightning instead of air.

He browses here and there. Sometimes he stops to read a cool technique, like that Dragon Breath Lightning Attack. That technique is so cool no matter how many times he reads it.

He also finds another cool technique that can blind enemies, using lightning to bind enemies, and even a mundane technique to convert lightning qi to floating fire the size of a torch. He finds several more movement techniques, but they're no better than his Lightning Cloak.

Finally, after several hours, Liu Xing finds a promising technique. This technique is called Floating Lightning Shield. This technique is derived from the normal Lightning Shield.

The Lightning Shield is a technique that allows the user to create a lightning shield from their palms. While this Floating Lightning Shield can materialize a floating shield anywhere around the user within a radius of half a meter. The primary use of this technique is to create a small shield to intercept an attack. The introductory chapter mentions that the small size and ease of use make the materialization of this shield very fast, but the creator of this technique also laments about the weakness of this shield, which is kind of brittle. This technique can only work to intercept an attack that has the maximum power at the seventh level of the Lock Opening realm, which makes this technique actually bad even for a Base Grade Technique.

At first, Liu Xing thought that while this technique was suitable, it was not good for him. His Lightning Cloak made his body move faster, but if he wanted to maneuver in the air with this shield, using it as a stepping stone, then he needed to kick the shield as hard as possible. Can a brittle shield withstand his kicks? Now it can, but after he crosses the seventh stage, even if he improves the technique with his gun, will it still be able to withstand Liu Xing's kick?

There's a possibility in this technique, but for now he needs to hold his opinion. He would keep searching, and who knows, maybe he'll find a better technique that derives from this Floating Lightning Shield technique. But, since he knows shield techniques can be used as stepping stones, Liu Xing is paying more attention to this type of techniques.

There are actually not many shield techniques in the section of lightning techniques. It actually makes sense, since lightning is not a stable element and doesn't suit becoming a shield.

Chapter 37 ~ Statute Summoning Technique (2)

Since he couldn't find much shield technique in the lightning section, he checked another section. The fire technique session was not better than the lightning one, while the earth technique session was full of defensive techniques. But weirdly, there weren't many defensive techniques that created a floating shield, instead most of the shields were connected to the ground or covered the user's body in a layer of earth.

After searching a bit more, he found the perfect fit technique for him: The Stepping Stone technique. This technique materialized a flat stone below the user's feet and could be used as a stepping stone.

While this technique is fitting, this was an earth technique, and Liu Xing was primarily a lightning technique user. To use earth techniques, he needed more effort and more qi. Still, with his gun, using this technique was probably manageable, so he held onto this technique for now.

Liu Xing browsed again, and in the wind section, he found the Air Step technique. It was categorized as a movement technique, since each step the user took made them move faster.

Seeing this, Liu Xing grinned. While the Stepping Stone technique also fit him, this technique was way cooler! If he needed to choose one of them based only on its coolness, then he would choose this technique in a heartbeat. Liu Xing put down the book of Air Steps technique and made a mental note of the book's position. If he didn't find a more suitable technique, then he would buy this one.

Liu Xing continued his browse, and while he found cool shield techniques, there was nothing better than Air Steps.

Liu Xing glanced at the window not far from him. Seeing through the window, Liu Xing could see green mountains illuminated by the soft glow of the morning sun. It seemed like he had spent more time than he intended on browsing techniques.

"All right, let's go find information about Water Nation."

Liu Xing searched around. This library had a section for techniques, so Liu Xing suspected there was a section for geography or politics.

He browsed here and there, crossing the medicinal book section and the cool illusion technique section. After several moments, he finally found a place where the shelves were full of maps.

Thinking he was in the right area, he started to check the books and the scrolls around him. The first book he grabbed was coincidentally about the Phoenix Empire.

Holding this book, Liu Xing thought for a moment. He wanted info about Water Nation, but since later he would duel Shen Ye, he would like to learn more about him and his family.

Finding a table, Liu Xing sat and started reading.

The first chapter was about the history of the Phoenix Empire: when it was founded, who founded it, and then it moved on to the present. One of the main pieces of info in this first chapter was about the three hundred provinces under the Phoenix Empire.

Reading there were three hundred provinces in this book, Liu Xing wondered how big the Phoenix Empire was. Indonesia, the place where he had lived for most of his life, had thirty eight provinces, and it was the largest country in Southeast Asia.

"Doesn't China only have twenty-two provinces?" Liu Xing muttered.

There was a time when he thought learning Chinese was a good idea, and he had come across that information. Although he wasn't sure that his memory was correct. "How many states does America have? At least forty, right?"

Still, assuming China or America or Indonesia, which have less than fifty provinces/states, are already that large, how big was this empire that had three hundred provinces? Could the whole of Asia fit into this empire? Liu Xing blinked several times, trying to make sense of the size of this world. Sometimes, he forgot how big this world was. This world was probably hundreds of times bigger than Earth. Hell, perhaps bigger than the sun from his old life.

Shaking his head, Liu Xing stopped thinking about the scale and focused on the book.

The Phoenix Empire in the past was only a small nation, but when the Shen clan took over the nation, it expanded rapidly. It was believed that the Shen clan had a Phoenix bloodline and great control over fire. The book said that one member of the Shen clan could fight a thousand cultivators in the same realm.

"That's an exaggeration, obviously."

If every single member of the Shen clan was that strong, then they would not have become a vessel of Purple Moon Sect. The Purple Moon Sect would have become Phoenix Empire's vassal.

"Seems this book is written by a loyalist of the Phoenix Empire."

Which meant Liu Xing needed to approach this book with a healthy dose of pessimism.

He read on, and while he found this book interesting, there was nothing that could benefit Liu Xing. Half of this book was just praise of how great the Phoenix Empire was, and the other half was actually delving deep into interesting places, legends, or commodities in each province. While reading about the legend of a buffalo that cultivated until it could challenge the Phoenix Empire was interesting, he decided reading this book was a waste of time. At least for now.

Returning the book to where he found it, Liu Xing browsed around until he found a book about Water Nation. This book had the title "Seven Wonders of Water Nation".

He grabbed it, but he decided to browse more books. In the span of dozens of minutes, Liu Xing found several more books: there was a history of Water Nation, a bestiary of local spirit beasts in Water Nation, a novel set in the Water Nation, a book about the Tang clan of Water Nation, as well a recipe book.

Liu Xing decided it was enough for now, when he found another interesting book beside the recipe books.

This book was gray, looked old and brittle, and was really thin compared to the books that clamped it. The thing that made Liu Xing interested was the title: "Statue Summoning Technique".

Liu Xing knew that his library was not the most orderly one. Sometimes he found history books in a shelf full of techniques, but the opposite actually never occurred. Seeing this technique here was like seeing a lion in the middle of a group of sheep.

"What are you doing here?" Liu Xing grabbed the book and opened the introductory chapter. But since his left hand was full of other books, when he opened the book with only his right hand, he accidentally opened several pages.

Liu Xing expected to see the words moving like a busy ant colony, but when he saw the words not moving, his eyes widened.

This book was not encrypted!

"Is this real?" Liu Xing whispered.

To test this theory, he opened a random page from the book, and when he still saw the unmoving words, his heart started racing.

It really was an unencrypted book!

Liu Xing checked his surroundings, and when he didn't see anyone, he decided to put every other book on a random shelf and hide this technique inside his robe. The book felt rough against his belly skin, but this feeling was a reminder that the book was real, not an illusion, probably not a joke, but a real technique.

Liu Xing tried to calm his heart. He felt excited as well as anxious. What was the meaning of this? Every other technique in this library was encrypted to ensure that disciples would work hard to get sect points. It was one of the ways the sect induced their disciples to grow. After all, someone wouldn't become strong by sitting on their butt forever. Every cultivator needed experience, whether in life or in battle. Therefore, free techniques were not something that would exist in this library.

He could think of several reasons why this book was unencrypted. The first reason was that this book didn't belong to this library. Someone had placed this book here on purpose, probably an elder or perhaps an older student who had learned this technique and decided to pass it on through this library.

"There's that story," Liu Xing muttered.

There were some old stories about this library. Some of them were insane, like this library actually being a girl who fell in love with the sect patriarch and decided to devote herself by becoming a library, or that this library was actually a spirit beast. But the main thing about all of this story was that the library had a will of its own.

The story of disciples getting an unencrypted book was not unheard of, as were stories of disciples who, whether they grabbed a book about techniques, history, or anything else, after opening the book, it had the same content about a short story about a man who shit himself, as if the library was pissed at him.

But, Liu Xing thought that this kind of story was just an urban legend, until he found this unencrypted book.

"Is a sentient library a thing in this world?" he muttered.

Chapter 38 ~ Race (1)

Actually, the more he thought, the more plausible reason was that someone had left this book unencrypted. The story of a sentient library that deemed a disciple worthy of a technique actually sounded like hogwash.

"Let's not think too deeply about it."

The fact was, he got free technique!

Liu Xing smiled, but he soon controlled his expression. Getting a free technique was something he had never dreamed of, and yet here he was, getting a technique even though his sect points were in the negative.

Deciding to postpone the matter of Water Nation, Liu Xing walked slowly and deliberately between the shelves, trying to emit an air of someone who didn't have a book under their robe.

He fought the anxious feeling in his heart. He was afraid this was a setup by the librarian. If he were caught stealing a book, then not only would he be banned from the library, he would also need to pay a fine that would make his sect points drop lower.

When he arrived at the double doors of this library, which offered a serene view of the Purple Moon Sect, with its elegant building with a stylish roof, several towering pagodas, and green peaks, his heart was beating so fast that he felt like he was about to have a heart attack. To be honest, Liu Xing was not someone who would steal. But who would ignore an unencrypted technique?

"Keep calm," Liu Xing muttered.

He believed that this library had sensors or alarms that would detect a little thief who stole a book. If that alarm sounded when he took a step outside the library, he would be doomed, but if he went back and put the technique back, he was afraid someone would take it.

Psyching himself up, Liu Xing inhaled and took a step. When there was no alarm, he took another step, and another until he was now standing outside of the library.

The sun was shining, the air was fresh, and no alarm was heard.

Liu Xing realized that he had succeeded.

"All right, let's run!"

His anxiety was still gnawing at his heart. He wouldn't find peace if he was still in the open; he needed to go home, to his hidden and protected cave!

For a moment, Liu Xing had a mind to summon his gun and activate Lightning Cloak, but he decided against it. There was no rule against using techniques in the sect, but he was afraid he would look suspicious. So, he just ran as fast as he could like someone who needed to go to the toilet.

As he ran, he passed many disciples. Some shouted at him, but Liu Xing ignored them and just ran. Soon, he found himself near a training ground. This training ground was occupied by many people, but not as packed as usual. Probably because while it was already morning, the day was still young, and many people were probably still eating at the Eating Hall or still cultivating in their respective houses.

When Liu Xing turned around, he could no longer see the library, and since no one was chasing him, he concluded that he was truly safe!

He wanted to shout. He got free technique! But he restrained himself. Shouting about his gain was so foolish; it was like trying to lure robbers to him.

"Let's just walk," Liu Xing muttered.

He walked normally. Each step he took made his heart calmer and more sure of himself. It seemed like this technique truly didn't belong to the library.

As he walked, he wondered what the Statue Summoning Technique was. He had actually never heard of summoning techniques before, which kind of made sense, because of the sheer amount and variety of techniques. Out there, there must be bizarre and weird techniques he had never heard of. This summoning technique was one of them.

From the name of it, this technique's function was to summon statues. Were they normal statues or magical statues? Did he need to make them himself or not? Did he need a place to store the statues he wanted to summon or were the statues from some pocket dimension?

There were so many questions, and one of the most important was what grade this technique was. Liu Xing suspected it was only Base Grade, but since he still hadn't read the introduction chapter, there was a possibility it was above Base Grade. He prayed it was a Heaven Grade technique, but even if it was only a Base Grade technique, he wouldn't complain.

He soon arrived near the Eating Hall, from which disciples were pouring out like purple water spilling. People talked and chatted and shouted, creating a cacophony of sound.

Liu Xing walked faster. The rumor about his duel with Shen Ye was probably already spreading, and while most of his worst bullies were either inner disciples or dead, there were still some that would like to mock him.

But, before he could walk further, there was a sound that jolted everyone, making everyone stop talking.

"Attention!"

That sound was far yet also close, as if someone whispered in front of his ear.

"To all outer disciples of Purple Moon Sect. My name is Zhang Zhenking, the leader of Outer Court. If you can hear my voice, then you need to gather at the Outer Hall as soon as possible regarding an urgent matter. If you hear this voice but ignore it, I will personally kick you from the sect. I repeat--"

The announcement was told three times, signifying that it was truly an urgent matter.

"Zhang Zhenking? Isn't he one of the Twelve Elders? The one who's responsible for the outer sect?" someone commented.

"I heard nobody has ever seen him. Some rumors say he spends most of his time in seclusion."

"What are you talking about? Didn't you hear it? We need to gather at Outer Hall now. No chit-chat!"

"You're right. I don't want to be kicked from the sect!"

Similar chatter was heard here and there, and Liu Xing also realized the importance of this announcement. Liu Xing had heard the name of Zhang Zhenking before.

Purple Moon Sect had many elders. But below the patriarch, there were the Twelve Elders. When he first arrived in this world, he imagined the Patriarch was a president while the Twelve Elders were the ministers. Each of them was responsible for an important matter, and Zhang Zhenking was the one responsible for the whole outer sect.

Liu Xing licked his lips. All around him, disciples rushed toward the Outer Hall. The Outer Hall was placed in the center of the outer court, so it could be reached from all places in the outer sect in about the same time. Liu Xing predicted that in one or two minutes, all disciples would be gathered at the Outer Hall.

"Do I have to put this technique first or rush to the Outer Hall like everyone else?"

Liu Xing glanced at the mountains in front of him; the mountains were where his cave was. If he activated Lightning Cloak, rushed there, put the technique away, and rushed to the Outer Hall, he probably would be in time, but what if he is late, would he risk being kicked from the sect?

He shook his head. "Might as well hold this technique for a while. Hopefully nothing happens."

Liu Xing then rushed toward the Outer Hall with the other disciples. He felt like a fish swimming with their group. To his left, there was a guy he actually knew. He had a mediocre face and nothing interesting, but he was running while holding a notebook in his hand. He realized that he was the man who wanted to be slapped by Yan Yu. He didn't see the baldy and the other guy who was louder; it seemed like they didn't eat together today.

"Hey, what's your name?" asked Liu Xing.

Liu Xing knew he was an old disciple like him, but he didn't bother trying to memorize everyone. After all, in the past Liu Xing had wanted to leave this sect.

The man turned his head. When he saw Liu Xing's face, he observed Liu Xing for a while, like he was calculating something in his head.

"My name is Yuan Tao. Aren't you Liu Xing?"

"Yes I am. You know me?"

"Of course! Who doesn't know the trash disciple that lost his mind and tried to suicide by challenging Shen Ye?" He paused for a moment. "That's what people see you as right now, by the way. Did you really challenge Shen Ye?"

Liu Xing just sighed. His reputation was already rock bottom, and while he was kind of annoyed, he understood why most people would think that way.

"I did challenge Shen Ye, but I didn't do it to commit suicide."

"Must be some serious matters then."

Liu Xing didn't answer. In truth, it was actually about a mortal and a sack of rice.

"By the way, do you know some info about that announcement?" Liu Xing tried to redirect the conversation.

Yuan Tao smiled. "Is my reputation finally spreading? It seems like my dream of becoming a legendary informant is about to come true! And as for your question, although I don't have any concrete information, I think I know what the announcement will be."

Chapter 39 ~ Race (2)

"Really, can you tell me?"

"Hmm, no," he shook his head. "You'll know soon enough, and what I know isn't that important, but I can give you a hint. It's about our Patriarch's youngest son, Hao Yun."

He knew Hao Yun. In this sect, every disciple had to become an outer disciple before becoming an inner disciple, then a core disciple, and Hao Yun was no exception. Usually, people who successfully became outer disciples were between thirteen and eighteen years old. Liu Xing himself was accepted at sixteen. But Hao Yun became an outer disciple at six years old and was accepted as an inner disciple just a few weeks later. Liu Xing and Hao Yun were accepted in the same year and the same batch. They had even exchanged a few brief words. That kid was a genius, and since about four years had passed, that meant Hao Yun would be around ten this year.

Remembering this, Liu Xing sighed. Hao Yun was the definition of a genius, but he'd heard Hao Yun was actually the least talented compared to his two older brothers, which meant most people would be nobodies compared to them.

If Yuan Tao was right and this announcement was connected to Hao Yun, then Liu Xing didn't see how it related to all the outer sect disciples.

Deciding to wait and hear the announcement, Liu Xing followed the crowd and tried his best to act normal. He also tried not to touch his belly too often, afraid someone would notice the book inside his robe. But it seemed like no one noticed his stolen technique, and he arrived at the Outer Hall with everyone else. His position at the back of the crowd made it easy for him to run if anyone tried to steal his technique.

Focusing his mind, he checked his surroundings. The Outer Hall was huge. The roof was high, with few pillars supporting it, making the hall look spacious. There was a stage at the front, and even though he was hundreds of meters away, he could see a man standing on it calmly.

Despite his young appearance, with silky black hair, sharp eyebrows, and gleaming eyes, Liu Xing knew that Zhan Zhenking was hundreds, maybe thousands of years old. He wore a white robe with a purple sash at his waist and carried a big red sword on his back.

As the last disciple arrived at the Outer Hall, the double gates suddenly closed. The hall's lighting dimmed, with hundreds of lights floating in the air like stars illuminating all the disciples. Soon after, each light transformed into a floating screen displaying the serious face of Elder Zhan Zhenking.

"There are still fools who dare to be late despite knowing this gathering is urgent." As he spoke, the screen right above Liu Xing suddenly changed, showing three disciples banging on the door of the Outer Hall. Their faces were pale, and sweat dripped from their foreheads.

Liu Xing sighed. His decision to rush to this hall had been right. If he had decided to put his technique in his cave first, there would have been four disciples banging on that door.

The screen now showed Elder Zhang Zhenking's face again, and Liu Xing knew he would announce why he had gathered all the outer disciples here.

"This announcement is important, so pay attention," he paused for a moment. "Our patriarch has three sons, and the youngest is Hao Yun. Soon he'll be ten years old, and when his birthday comes, we'll hold a party."

After he spoke, some disciples chatted and whispered, asking and wondering about this birthday party. Liu Xing himself wondered what was so special about it. Sure, a birthday party for the patriarch's son was a big deal, but it was usually only for the most important people of the Purple Moon Sect, the vassal sects, vassal countries, and allies. There was usually no reason to include outer disciples.

"This party is special because not only will we celebrate Hao Yun's birthday, but it will also be the day he officially gets engaged."

Around Liu Xing, the disciples started to chatter. They wondered the same things Liu Xing thought: Who was the woman Hao Yun would be engaged to? Why was he getting engaged so soon? And other questions about this event.

"You don't need to know about his engagement. Most of you won't even be attending the party. No, the reason I have gathered you all here, even though it is related to the party, is because we need to prepare gifts. That is where you all come in. Since this party is going to be special, the gifts have to be special, too, and in order to follow the Patriarch's instructions on how to train disciples, you will be competing with each other to get the best gifts for the party."

After he spoke, the murmurs grew louder. Some were eager to compete, and some wondered what the best gifts for Hao Yun would be. Liu Xing himself was excited about this competition because every competition in Purple Moon Sect had great rewards, and while Liu Xing already had the best weapon in the world, he wouldn't turn down another treasure that could help him become stronger.

A red light suddenly appeared above Zhan Zhenking, forming a large, tall screen. Liu Xing looked at the screen and saw a list of items. There were many herbs, like Heavenly Dragonroot Lotus, Celestial Phoenix Feather Herb, and Azure Moonflower Petal. There were also treasures such as the Luminous Dragon Pearl, and the list even included items like the Celestial Silk Robe of the Heavens, Eternal Nightshade Cloak, Thunderstrike Gauntlets, and Sacred Phoenix Feather Mantle. Each treasure sounded expensive and could probably change the life of an ordinary cultivator.

"This is the list of gifts we need to get. In total, there are three thousand gifts."

"Amazing," commented a disciple.

"Three thousand gifts! And that's only from us. How many gifts will the inner disciples get for Hao Yun?"

"The real question is, how many mountains of gifts will Hao Yun get this year?"

Three thousand gifts sounded a bit much, but it just showed how important this party was.

A yellow light soon appeared around Zhan Zhengking, turning into a yellow screen. Unlike the red screen full of items, this one was empty.

"Each of you needs to get an item. If you fail, you'll be punished. But that's not all. You can, and should, get more than one item. While each item on the list is valuable, it's not that hard to find. The reward for the three disciples who get the most gifts will be instant promotion to inner disciple."

After he said that, the Outer Hall, which was already noisy, suddenly erupted. Usually, only a handful of outer disciples would become inner disciples based on talent alone, but in this competition, everyone had a chance.

Liu Xing was eager too. Before, he had wanted to go to his cave and learn the Statue Summoning Technique, but now he wanted to rush out of the sect to find every treasure on the list.

"Not only that, but the first hundred disciples will also get rewards, whether it's a technique, spirit stones, pills, or other resources. So I suggest you take this mission seriously."

Suddenly, the double doors of the Outer Hall opened. The three people who were knocking on the doors were startled, and Liu Xing and everyone else got ready to run.

"You can see the list, item descriptions, and rankings from your token. There's no time limit, but if you dawdle, you won't get even a single treasure."

Some people said "Yes sir!" to Zhan Zengking.

"Now, go!" shouted Zhan Zengking, and like a starting gun, that shout made every single disciple in the Outer Hall run like their lives depended on it.

Liu Xing was at the front of the pack. He passed the confused three disciples and ran as fast as he could, heading for the main gate of the outer sect.

As he ran at the front, Liu Xing was tempted to summon his gun and use Lightning Cloak, but he chose not to since he wanted to think for a moment. First things first, part of him wanted to go to his cave, put away his new technique, and start packing. He thought this race would last at least for at least a week, and it would be smart to prepare food and emergency pills. But another part of him thought that if he wasted time, he would lose his chance. This part also reminded him that aside from clothes and one or two pills, there was nothing in his cave.

Chapter 40 ~ Race (3)

As he descended the stairs, he could see the outer sect gate wide open, with no disciples guarding it. A fat disciple at Liu Xing's side jumped, and when he landed, he contorted his body in such a way that he formed a big wheel, rolling down the stairs like a runaway tire and taking the lead in this race.

Seeing this, Liu Xing cycled his qi faster. He decided not to pack since there was nothing important he could take. The best thing he could do was to promise himself he'd gather supplies along the way.

Nodding, his mind once again wanted to summon his gun, but he reined himself in and started to think about strategy. The fatty who had rolled through the gates like a wheel was in the lead, and it looked like he would collect more treasure and become an inner disciple. But Liu Xing knew that wasn't true. This race was not a sprint to see who was the fastest, it was a marathon to see who could collect the most treasure. Running blindly seemed like the worst strategy.

More and more people ran past Liu Xing, and Liu Xing tried to think harder because while he knew this race wasn't about being the fastest, he still wanted to lead.

"First, I need to think about the general strategy."

The treasure that all the outer disciples needed to get was probably scattered across the whole continent, but Liu Xing was pretty sure most of it could actually be found in the area of Purple Moon Sect, which was a really, really wide area, since Purple Moon Sect was one of the five great sects that controlled the world.

He thought that most people would hunt for treasure closest to the sect, and then move further away. It was a logical approach. Start with the low-hanging fruit and work your way outward. So, Liu Xing decided he could do the opposite. While the majority of disciples would be swarming over the nearby areas, fighting for treasures close to Purple Moon Sect, he would take a different path. He'd strike out for the distant, less contested regions first.

This strategy was sound, but also risky, since he'd be giving away treasure that he passed on the way. Liu Xing knew that he was taking a risk. As he traveled to these distant places, he would inevitably pass by treasures that were easier to pick.

In this short amount of time, he couldn't think too much, so he just decided that it was the strategy he would follow. He also decided that he would ignore all the herbs on the list. Herbs were probably easier to get, since most of them just needed to be harvested, but to make sure the herbs were fresh, they needed to be preserved and delivered to the sect as soon as possible, which meant cutting the race short.

"All right, the general strategy is formed." He nodded.

Liu Xing knew that he probably forgot or didn't consider other important things, but for now, it was enough, if this strategy is wrong, he can change it later.

He summoned his gun in his left hand and held his token in his right hand. He sent qi to his token, and as he willed it, a screen the size of his palm appeared on top of it, displaying a table full of items that all the disciples needed to get.

To his surprise, on top of the table there was a little triangle that he suspected could be used to sort items, and there was even a search box in it!

"Amazing!"

At first, he thought that maybe the one who designed this interface also came from Earth. This display was kind of similar to a table that someone would find on the internet, but he soon dismissed the idea.

While there was a possibility there were other transmigrators in this world, to judge that the people who designed this interface came from another world was disrespectful. After all, it was just a table with features to sort and search. Something like this could be thought up by anyone, including a cultivator who wanted their table to be more convenient.

He tried the sort function when he heard some shouts and exclamations from behind him.

Turning his head, he saw many disciples pointing to the sky. Tilting his head, he saw a man flying atop a purple shield. His skin was white, his long hair pitch black, and he had a cold and dangerous aura.

"That's Yi Yongrui!" Someone shouted.

"Shit! So that purple shield can be used to fly!"

"How did he get that purple shield? Isn't that shield guarded by a barrier?"

Liu Xing observed Yi Yongrui from below. He wore a standard purple cultivation robe given to every disciple, but he also wore a pitch-black coat on top of it, with gold trimming here and there, and carried a sword on his back. He had heard that Yi Yongrui came from a peasant family, but seeing his appearance, he could be mistaken for royalty.

An explosion was heard from behind, and when Liu Xing turned his head again, he saw someone take off into the sky. In the sky, fire wings sprouted from his back, and an explosion behind him made him fly like a fighter jet. This man had a serious expression on his face, the golden medallion swinging around his neck as he tried to catch up with Yi Yongrui.

"That's Prince Shen Ye!"

"I too came from the Phoenix Empire. The royal family is famous for their Fire Wings!"

It seemed like Shen Ye didn't want to lose either.

As Liu Xing was thinking about his duel with Shen Ye, a cold breeze came from behind. When he felt the air, Liu Xing knew who was causing the cold breeze. Looking around, he soon found Yan Yu not too far away. She jumped gracefully into the sky, her robe and hair fluttering, and then, as if to welcome her, a layer of ice materialized in the air. When Yan Yu landed on it, she stood like a proud goddess, her electric blue eyes shining. The ice sheet then moved in the air as if Yan Yu was riding a horizontal elevator.

"Wow! That's Yan Yu! As expected, she's beautiful!"

There was a guy who hollered embracing lines like, "Marry me!" and "You can slap me!" which sounded suspiciously like something that guy with the notebook, Yuan Tao, would say.

Yi Yongrui, Shen Ye, and Yan Yu glanced at each other, and as if there was a spark between them, they tried to increase their speed. Yan Yu also glanced at Liu Xing, as if wondering what Liu Xing would do, and then focused on catching up to the other two.

Seeing the three of them, Liu Xing felt his heartbeat rising. Adrenaline filled his body, and excitement coursed through him. The three of them looked so cool! He too wanted to look cool.

He turned his head to his left hand, his black gun gleaming under the sun.

"Time to shine, buddy."

As he said that, Liu Xing cycled his qi in the familiar pattern. In less than a fraction of a second, the cycling pattern was complete, the technique was absorbed, and as if his gun was also eager to show off, it returned the technique really fast.

Suddenly, Liu Xing's body was shrouded by lightning. People to his right and left widened their eyes in surprise, and before they could comment, Liu Xing kicked the ground and jumped toward Yan Yu.

In a fraction of a second, Liu Xing arrived atop Yan Yu. She tilted her head, and their eyes met.

"Seems like you've already recovered," said Liu Xing as he stepped on top of Yan Yu's shoulder, and then launched himself toward Shen Ye.

As he landed on Shen Ye's back, Shen Ye turned his head and growled. "You! How dare you land on me!"

Liu Xing smiled. "I just want to tell you that our duel is postponed." He kicked Shen Ye's back a little stronger than necessary, making Shen Ye wobble in the air. Liu Xing flew straight toward that Yi Yongrui guy. This Yi Yongrui seemed like a dangerous fellow. His eyes were serious, as if he would slash everyone in this world to advance.

As Liu Xing approached Yi Yongrui, he unsheathed his sword.

"Don't you dare step on me."

Their eyes met, and Liu Xing didn't try to stop himself. After all, he still didn't have a maneuvering technique. When Liu Xing arrived within reach of Yi Yongrui's sword, he thrust his sword. That sword thrust wasn't a technique, and it was kind of slow. Liu Xing rotated his body, and then he stepped on the tip of his sword.

"Is that so? All right then."

Liu Xing then jumped from the tip of the sword, glimpsing Yi Yongrui's wide eyes before he flew past him and soared into the sky.

As he flew, the wind hit his cheeks, and his black hair fluttered. A smile bloomed on his face.

"Let's race!" Liu Xing shouted.

Chapter 41 ~ Race (4)

In the Outer Hall, there's a stage. This stage is portable and flexible. It can grow and shrink as the wielder of the treasure wills. After all the disciples run like a pack of hungry hyenas, the Outer Hall is now empty. Only Zhang Zhenking stands in the wide and glamorous Outer Hall, hands behind his back, and spine straight.

After seeing almost all his outer court disciples leave, he knows that the Purple Moon Sect would face some trouble. After all, they're the ones given the mundane and most numerous missions. Moreover, since this treasure hunt race includes every disciple, pill production, weapon production, and talisman production are also halted. He's serious when he says every outer disciple needs to gather. Whether they're old or young, whether they're combatants or not. Everyone needs to gather gifts for Hao Yu.

After all, this is a really urgent matter, even if his definition of urgent differs from the disciples'.

Turning around, Zhang Zhenking starts to walk toward a golden gate. This golden gate connects the outer court and the inner court. The gate opens on its own when he approaches, and when he passes through, it closes behind him.

Several meters in front of him, a kid stands with a smile on his face. This kid is wearing a dark blue cultivator robe that matches his blue hair and blue eyes. He puts his hands behind his back and puffs out his chest as if trying to make himself bigger.

"Elder Zhang Zhenking, what a coincidence to meet you here!"

In this Purple Moon Sect, elders have greater status than the patriarch's son, but even he doesn't dare to harm this kid. After all, this kid is Hao Yun. The son of heaven. The most talented human being on the continent. The Demon Kid.

If he had a choice, he'd never want to interact with this kid. But he doesn't have a choice, so he needs to be careful around him.

"Indeed, what a coincidence."

Hao Yun grins, hands behind his head. "Perhaps it's fate! Since you can't attend my tea party due to this urgent matter, I thought we'd only meet next week when the Twelve Elders have a meeting. But here we are, meeting by chance."

"It's the will of heaven," Zhang Zhenking humors this little devil.

Zhang Zhenking resumes walking, his steps measured and purposeful. Hao Yun, not wanting to be left behind, quickly falls into step beside him. The elder and the young disciple move forward together, their contrasting figures creating an interesting sight as they traverse the hallway.

Hao Yun grins wide. "It's true! I was just exploring the sect when I got lost, and then I ended up here when you announced that race. Speaking of that race, I'm so excited! Three thousand gifts, and they're all for me! It's a shame I can't join the race. I should have stayed in the outer court longer. Perhaps I could transfer to the outer court and become an outer disciple. That way, I could join the race!"

"Please don't joke around."

"Hehe. Yes, I'm joking. While it's a shame I can't join the race, it's still exciting, especially your hidden agenda."

"It's not my hidden agenda. It's our sect's hidden agenda."

"But you're the one who formed the plan and is executing it, so I say this is your agenda."

"I don't agree with your assessment, but you can think whatever you want. Just know that I'm loyal. Everything I do is for the sect."

"I didn't question your loyalty. I'm sorry if I offended you."

"I'm not offended," Zhang Zhengking said.

Zhang Zhengking has already decided that he would devote his life and give his loyalty to the sect. The enemy of the sect is his enemy, and he would destroy his enemies.

"I think this plan of yours is brilliant." Hao Yun gives a thumbs up.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhenking nods. "Thank you."

"The preparation for war, disguised as a race to get as many gifts as possible." Hao Yun grins. "The icing on the cake is that it's for my birthday! How amazing is that?"

Zhang Zhenking controls his expression. He knows that his plan isn't a secret for the upper echelons of the sect, but hearing someone say it out in the open somehow feels wrong, as if his secret is now out there. "Don't forget your engagement too."

"Ah, right, I forgot. It's just that the birthday party is more special to me since it's dedicated only to me, not shared with someone else." He pouts. "I still wonder why I'm the one getting engaged, not my brother."

Zhang Zhenking is sure this kid knows the reason. But unlike him, Zhang Zhenking wouldn't talk about secret matters out in the open.

"Anyway, since you've already made the preparations, do you already know who our enemy is?" Hao Yun asks nonchalantly.

In front of them is a statue of a golden lion. This statue stands in the hallway as if to scare off anyone who tries to pass by. But when the lion sees that it's Zhang Zhenking and Hao Yun, it bows, its eyes glowing, and the wall to its right slides open, revealing a secret passage right into the innermost deep area of the sect, where the most important people live. He is one of them, just like Hao Yun.

As he walks down this short passage, with light glowing at the end of the hallway, he finally answers Hao Yun's question. "No. I still don't know who our enemies are."

This fact makes Zhang Zhenking restless. He's not the most intelligent person among the Twelve Elders, but since the seventh seat is now empty, he's also in charge of information gathering. Two to three years ago, he hoped Hao Yun would fit this seat, but right now, the chance of that happening is almost zero. Hao Yun would sit in a higher seat.

And he, the one in charge of information gathering, presented with a wide-area information network, one of the best on the continent, still doesn't know who or where or why about the enemy.

The only thing that helps him sleep at night is that he stumbled upon a fact about these elusive enemies: they're attacking all the great sects at the same time, creating a multitude of seemingly unconnected accidents to destabilize all of the sects. Their main primary method of attack is targeting talented disciples, ensuring the weakening of great sects in the future.

"Do your best, I believe in you," Hao Yun said.

Zhang Zhenking turns his head and sees the little smile on the kid's lips. The smile looks genuine, and probably is, but he needs to remember that the seventh seat of the Twelve Elders is empty because of him.

"Anyway, this year's outer disciples are great! I see some individuals worth our time. Have you already decided who your disciple will be?"

His mind flashes to three exceptional individuals and one anomaly.

"I can't decide before the race is over. Who my disciples will be doesn't depend on my decision, but on the three who gather the most gifts."

"Is that so? I thought you would choose that guy who can use your technique fully. What's his name again, Liu Xing?"

"Indeed, my Lightning Cloak finally found a worthy user. But as I said, I can't decide about it. Moreover, if I have to choose, I can't just choose one disciple. I need three disciples. And as the rule says, to create a team is to consider everything, but the most important thing is harmony."

This Liu Xing is one of the least talented people in the outer sect. Usually, people like him would die in a corner of the world. Whether peacefully or gruesomely. But it seems like he found a stroke of luck and turned his life around.

Hao Yun sighs. "That's right. Other people have teams. Only I don't have one."

"That's because you don't need a team."

"Bullshit!" He pouts, and the two of them finally exit the hallway. They stand in front of a beautiful garden. Colorful birds are chirping, flowers in many colors bloom, and butterflies dance between the flowers. If someone looks at the sky, instead of seeing a roof, they would see a blue sky so clear there's not a speck of cloud in sight. And despite it being daytime, a moon, glowing with purple light, can be seen in the sky, watching everything below it, as if it's the eye of a god.

"Anyway, if that's all, we need to part here. I have matters to attend to," Zhang Zhenking said.

"Ah, right, thank you for your time. I only have two questions left," Hao Yun said.

Zhang Zhenking remains silent, allowing Hao Yun to ask his questions.

"What would you do if the enemy is inside our sect?"

Chapter 42 ~ Mystic Moon City (1)

As Hao Yun asked the question, the world suddenly fell silent. The birds stopped their song, the butterfly landed, and the flowers around Hao Yun and Zhang Zhenking seemed to lose their luster, as if something was draining their very essence.

Zhang Zhenking then saw the true face of the Devil Child. His blue eyes were piercing, and his shadow morphed into a thousand tiny tentacles, wiggling, trying to find anything to strangle. Zhang Zhenking was in the later stage of the Black Sun realm. While his cultivation was not the highest among the Twelve Elders, he was one of the most talented. But even for him, the aura of this kid who was only at Sun Refining was still spine-chilling. If he didn't have full control of his body, a single bead of sweat would have formed on his back.

Calming his mind, he answered the question with full conviction. "My loyalty lies with the sect. If there's someone inside this Purple Moon Sect trying to destroy it from the inside, then I would destroy them."

"Good." Hao Yun nodded; the chilling aura around him vanished, and he smiled childishly. "You're so cool! When I grow up, I want to be like you!"

Zhang Zhenking inwardly sighed in relief. "Then, what is your second question?"

"Ah, it's not too important. I'm just wondering what would happen if one or several outer disciples met our enemy. After all, they would roam around in the eastern section of our continent."

That question was also something he could answer easily. "Truthfully, there's nothing they can do besides die."

One of his concerns was actually about the most exceptional outer sect disciples being targeted by this mysterious enemy or other great sects. But he couldn't confine the most talented disciples while others tried to gather treasures. After all, this race was one of the opportunities where someone could hone their skills.

Of course, he didn't ignore this problem entirely. After all, while the main goal of this race was to get as many treasures as possible to prepare for the war that would happen—either with the mysterious enemy or with other great sects—there was also a goal to gather as much information as possible. If talented disciple students stumbled upon something deemed a threat to the sect, his subordinates, who mingled with outer disciples, would help them. But he had limited subordinates, and he reckoned there would probably be many disciples who would die in this race.

"That's unfortunate," Hao Yun put his hands behind his head. "Hopefully, the most interesting ones will live. Alright then, Elder Zhang Zhenking, see you later."

As Hao Yun left, Zhang Zhenking wondered about Hao Yun's last words. He said the most interesting ones, not the most talented ones. This meant that Hao Yun had his eyes on someone.

Zhang Zhenking started to walk again. He prayed that whoever interested Hao Yun was a person who deserved to die painfully.

***

Liu Xing was sitting on top of the roof of a high tower. From his position, he could see the entirety of Mystic Moon City. This city was so large, there were man-made buildings as far as he could see.

This view reminded him of the skyline from his balcony on Earth. But where his old home had been surrounded by bland skyscrapers and cookie-cutter apartment blocks, Mystic Moon City was a feast for the eyes. Pagoda-style towers with sweeping, tiled roofs punctuated the skyline. Elegant bridges arched over canals, connecting neighborhoods of whitewashed houses with intricately carved wooden balconies. Even the simplest dwellings sported colorful paper lanterns and potted bonsai trees, a far cry from the utilitarian structures of his past life.

As he scanned his surroundings, Liu Xing thought about what he would do. This Mystic Moon City was only a day away from the sect—although that was at his full speed using Lightning Cloak.

Sooner or later, the disciples from Purple Moon Sect would come to this city and try to find treasures here, but tonight, Liu Xing was pretty sure he was the only one in this city. Before, he thought that he would pass treasures near the sect, but as he contemplated here, he thought that it would be a waste. Hence, why he sat on the roof of the highest building with a dilemma: stick to his original plan, or alter it a little.

Holding the token, Liu Xing checked the leaderboard. This leaderboard was still empty, but Liu Xing knew that soon, there would be disciples on this list.

"Calm yourself," Liu Xing muttered.

If he wanted to win this race, then he needed to be patient. He needed to ignore the leaderboard and focus on his efforts.

Opening the list of treasures all disciples needed to get, Liu Xing scanned the items. As he scrolled through it, Liu Xing chose one item randomly and read its full description.

Name: Flute of Serenity

Location: This item's whereabouts are near Mystic Moon City.

Description: This item was originally created by a master instrument maker as a gift to his nephew in the Purple Moon Sect. He was killed by a group of bandits, and the flute was stolen. This item can slightly increase cultivation speed.

"Interesting."

The description wasn't too helpful. This flute apparently could increase cultivation speed, but it didn't say how fast or how to use the item. Instead, the description focused on the background of the item.

Checking other items, he realized there was a similar pattern. Thunderstrike Gauntlets' location was also near this city, created by a blacksmith from the north. This blacksmith was affiliated with Purple Moon Sect but was killed by Ethereal Wing Sect, which apparently was affiliated with Verdant Mountains Sect, one of the five great sects. The Red Lotus Staff was stolen from a member of the Purple Moon sect, and then lent to a loose cultivator, and so on.

As he browsed, he realized that most of the items he checked were near this city. But Liu Xing didn't sort it out. Hell, there was no indication that he could sort by location. Which meant one thing.

"The interface knows my location and is prioritizing treasures near me!"

He tried to scroll to the bottom of the list, and indeed, the last item was located in a country he had never heard of, but the top items in the list were all in this city or near it. He counted at least ten items nearby.

This revelation was slightly changing his mind. He thought that in this race, while he got basic info, he needed to get the detailed info by gathering information himself. But this list made everything convenient. With this list, he would know what items were nearby.

"Let's see if there's another hidden feature in this interface."

He remembered Joni from his last life. That guy was crazy rich, but also talented in many things. One topic that he remembered till now was when he delved into web and app development. That guy learned an entire JavaScript language in merely a month and started contributing to large projects from Meta by the name of React.

In this period of time before he got bored and returned to binge-watching anime again, Joni said that most developers actually cared about user experience and usually designed user interfaces that could be used by almost everyone, including blind people, whether fully blind or just color blind, people who couldn't use their hands to interact with a mouse and keyboard—including people with suddenly broken keyboards or mice—and many other types of disabilities. He told him that sometimes, there were hidden features that would never be used by normal people but used by a small percentage of users who didn't interact with the web in the normal way.

The takeaway was, most developers cared about users and usually obsessively designed features that would not be used by many people. He joked that the only thing stopping them from polishing every little feature was the company they worked for.

After that, every time William found a web app, he would tinker with it a bit. Sometimes, he would discover that the app had many keyboard shortcuts, and other times he would find weird color schemes designed to accommodate color-blind users.

Now, this interface was probably not a website, but it could still be classified as an app. Which meant what Joni said probably could be applied to this interface.

This interface was as convenient as a modern app, and if his hunch was correct, then perhaps there were hidden features here that could make him abandon his original plan.

He came back to the page of Flute of Serenity and tried to tinker with it. He rotated the interface, used voice commands, and even tried to tap it with his index finger. When all of them resulted in nothing, Liu Xing decided to send qi toward the token, and change indeed happened!

Below the description, there was a little down arrow. And when Liu Xing focused his attention there, new different items showed up.

Additional information: This item is suspected to be in the hands of a cultivator named Qian Biaou, a member of the Qian clan.

When seeing this additional information, Liu Xing stood up and shouted, "Hell yeah!"

Sitting cross-legged again, he suspected there was another feature, so he focused on the name of the Qian clan and added more qi to his token. Suddenly, there was an underline below the name of Qian Clan.

Excited, Liu Xing focused his attention on those underlined words, and the page suddenly changed.

Name: Qian Clan

Location: North of Mystic Moon Town

Description: A small clan that specializes in making pills.

As he saw this new page, Liu Xing's eyes widened. So it was true. The interface had many hidden features, and they could be activated probably by giving more qi to the token while willing the hidden feature to show up.