Chapter 16 - 55-64

Chapter 55 I Want to Report

The crowd harbored doubts in their hearts. If the Ancestor Master was asking everyone to meet Master Li Cheng, then had he been subdued or not? 

If he had been subdued, then paying respects would only be expected. 

If not, based on the previous situation, there was a high chance both parties would become enemies, and then there would be no need for formal greetings —just start fighting. 

But from their positions, it was clear he hadn't been subdued. 

This was contradictory, leaving everyone perplexed. 

However, one does not disregard the Ancestor Master's words lightly. 

The crowd bowed in unison, "We pay our respects to Master Li!" 

Li Cheng's gaze swept over the crowd, he nodded slightly in response, without saying much. True Yuan lifted Qi Jingtian, and he tore through the sky and left. "He's leaving just like that?" Wan Zhongshan glanced in the direction Li Cheng departed, then turned to Feng Wanli. 

"Isn't that too disrespectful to the Ancestor Master? To leave without saying a word?" 

"Exactly, so many Loose Immortals are paying him respects with a bow, and he doesn't even acknowledge it?" 

All the Loose Immortals were dissatisfied. 

Feng Wanli had a solemn expression, and as his gaze swept over, the Loose Immortals quickly shut their mouths. 

"From now on, never again entertain the thought of targeting Li Cheng, this man must not be provoked!" Feng Wanli declared, his tone brooking no argument. 

The Loose Immortals were all curious, could it be that the Ancestor Master suffered a loss at Li Cheng's hands? 

That can't be right, can it? 

The Ancestor Master was a fearsome being on the verge of becoming a True Immortal, to suffer loss at Li Cheng's hands? 

"Return to the sect!" 

Feng Wanli was the first to fly onto the airship, entering the cabin directly. 

The crowd exchanged glances, the Ancestor Master personally took action, and yet unexpectedly returned without achieving anything. 

Wan Zhongshan looked at the Emperor Grade Responding to Calamity Pill in his hand; thankfully, there was hope for his injuries. 

Elsewhere, Li Cheng, carrying Qi Jingtian, was speeding across the sky. 

Qi Jingtian was visibly excited, "Master, you are so fast!" 

Li Cheng rolled his eyes in secret; what a thing to say… 

"Master, you are so powerful! Those were all Loose Immortals, weren't they? And they all bowed to you!" Qi Jingtian remarked with emotion. 

"They were just following orders, it wasn't a salute from the heart, there's no need to get excited," Li Cheng said calmly. 

Qi Jingtian pondered, "In any case… Master, you are amazing!" 

Li Cheng nodded, "Mm." 

As long as he didn't go to the Immortal World, there would be no comparison, and thus no harm. 

In the Heavenly Mechanism Sect, at the Eighteenth Peak, Li Cheng had already returned with Qi Jingtian without disturbing the higher ranks of the sect. 

After imparting the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture to Qi Jingtian, Li Cheng went to the peak of the mountain. 

While his three disciples were getting acquainted with each other, Li Cheng was alone on the mountaintop, organizing his next plan. 

At present, there was no shortage of Immortal Stones, so he could focus on refining Immortal Stones, maximizing the transformation of the True Yuan inside his body into Immortal Yuan. 

This was a necessary path for cultivating the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture to the tenth level, a path that he had to take! 

Next was the heritage of Qi Jingshen. It could be fully comprehended with one or two moments of enlightenment, and it definitely should not be wasted. After all, the more he knew, the more he could teach his disciples, so he also needed to comprehend it. 

Thirdly, there was the Space Law. As long as he mastered several Space Laws, he could attempt the Immortal Spirit Step—a step that covered a distance of one hundred twenty-nine thousand six hundred li. Such a powerful technique was a must-learn! 

Refining Immortal Stones required time, so there was no rush. 

The heritage of Qi Jingshen could be comprehended with one or two moments of enlightenment, so that would be first on the list! VịSit no(v)3lb/!n(.)c𝒐m for new 𝒏ov𝒆l𝒔

Once he made his decision, Li Cheng deployed several formations to envelop the mountaintop, then began his seclusion. 

He had no plans to leave seclusion until he had exhausted all twenty-five chances for enlightenment. 

As time went by, day by day, the Heavenly Mechanism Sect finally settled down. 

"How strange, the calamity predicted by the Heaven Secret Technique has vanished!" 

More than ten days had passed, and the high-ranking members of the sect had gathered once again. The former Sect Master gave everyone a surprise. 

As his words fell, indeed, all the high-ranking members were overjoyed, "This is excellent news, former Sect Master, I presume we had the help of a powerful figure!" 

The former Sect Master glanced at everyone, "It is good news. The sect is safe, and we old fellows can now rest assured and go into secluded cultivation!" "That's right, the most important thing now is to go into seclusion to adjust our state, and strive to maximize the effects of the Responding to Calamity Pill to endure several more Loose Immortal Tribulations." 

A few days ago, the former Sect Master had predicted a disaster for the sect, so the Loose Immortals did not dare to enter seclusion and were waiting. 

Now that the calamity had dissipated, they naturally couldn't wait to adjust their state and undergo the Loose Immortal Tribulation. 

In an instant, only the Elders and the Sect Master remained in the grand hall. 

Mu Xingzhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With these Loose Immortal seniors present, the pressure was enormous! 

"Seventh Elder, how is the preparation for the Rising Yuan Pill materials coming along?" Mu Xingzhi asked with a solemn expression. 

These days, with the Loose Immortal seniors around, his dignity as Sect Master had almost vanished, and he had been extremely cautious every day. 

Now that the Loose Immortal seniors had gone into seclusion to prepare for the tribulation, he finally felt like the familiar Sect Master again! 

The Seventh Elder promptly clasped his hands together, "Replying to the Sect Master, we have made preparations to our utmost capability. From first-grade Rising Yuan Pills to eighth-grade ones, the quantity is absolutely astonishing!" Mu Xingzhi nodded, "Before the junior grand uncle left, he entrusted us with tasks that 1 believe you would accomplish very well. Since the preparations are almost complete, let us pick a date to seek out the junior grand uncle!" 

The peak of the Eighteenth Peak was enveloped in formations, undoubtedly, the junior grand uncle had already returned. 

When he exits seclusion, it will be time to perform alchemy. 

"Sect Master, 1 have an accusation!" 

Just at that moment, the Sixth Elder, with a darkened face, spoke out discontentedly. 

Mu Xingzhi looked puzzled, "What's the matter?" 

The Heavenly Mechanism Sect had been unprecedentedly united since it became the tail among the top ten sects; conflicts among the high-ranking members were very rare. 

The sudden claim from the Sixth Elder that he wanted to make an accusation made Mu Xingzhi's heart skip a beat. Were the high-ranking members going to have a dispute? 

It's normal for disciples to have conflicts. Furthermore, these high-ranking members even deliberately create conflicts to stimulate competition among the disciples below. 

But the high-ranking members shouldn't have irreconcilable major disputes! 

The Sixth Elder pointed toward the Seventh Elder, fuming with rage, "I accuse the Seventh Elder. He took advantage of my absence to sell all the stored weapons and equipment of my Sixth Peak. Now, the entire armory is empty!" "I also accuse him; the Seventh Elder has emptied the warehouse of my Ninth Peak…" 

"I accuse him too…" 

With the Sixth Elder leading the way, suddenly, all the Elders, except for the top five in rank, joined in the chorus! 

Their peaks had all been afflicted by the Seventh Elder! 

The Seventh Elder kept a straight face, as if pretending not to hear. 

After the Elders had finished speaking, Mu Xingzhi's brows knit together, and he turned his gaze toward the top five ranked Elders, "First Elder, was your peak not affected?" 

The First Elder smiled smugly, "Sect Master, as the respected First Elder, how could 1 let the Seventh Elder harm me? Rest assured, my First Peak is all right; not a single thing was lost." 

The Second Elder and others nodded as well. 

The First Elder continued, "Ever since we learned that the Seventh Elder falsely claimed the Sect Master's orders to strip the peaks clean, we've been on guard against him!" 

Mu Xingzhi's frown deepened, and his indifferent eyes slowly moved towards the Seventh Elder, "Seventh Elder, what kind of work have you been doing?" 

The Seventh Elder had a bitter expression and opened his mouth as if he found it difficult to speak. 

Mu Xingzhi snorted coldly, then said, "You can't even handle such a small matter? I tasked you to strip search all the peaks. Why did the top five peaks go untouched?" 

What? 

The faces of the top ranking Elders froze with the air of smugness, what trick was this? 

The Sect Master had ordered the Seventh Elder to strip search all peaks? Was this a ploy to incite rebellion among the various peaks?

Chapter 56 I Really Admire the Eldest Senior Brother

The First Elder's group of five widened their eyes, looking at the Sect Master and then at the Seventh Elder. What exactly were these two fellows planning to do? 

Were they trying to incite the anger of the various peaks and cause everyone to rebel? 

Had the old Sect Master's prediction from a few days ago, that the sect would face a calamity, been referring to a rebellion among the peaks? 

"You all have such strange expressions. As the Sect Master, I instructed the Seventh Elder to sweep through the peaks for contributions, and you five actually don't cooperate?" Mu Xingzhi spoke indifferently. 

The First Elder frowned and asked respectfully, "Sect Master, what is the meaning of this?" 

Mu Xingzhi raised his eyebrows, "The Seventh Elder didn't tell you?" 

The Seventh Elder quickly took over the conversation, "Sect Master, truly, there hasn't been a chance to explain to them, these days they all avoid me whenever they see me." 

Mu Xingzhi understood, indeed, everyone already knew you were coming to gather resources, why would they wait around? 

If it weren't for the fact that they had always had a good relationship, they would probably have just given a beating and thrown them out, instead of avoiding. 

Thinking about it, the Seventh Elder must have had a difficult time these past few days, surely having endured countless curses and disdainful glances. 

With this thought, Mu Xingzhi couldn't help but smile, switching to a consoling expression, "Seventh Elder, we've wronged you. You've worked hard!" 

Without giving the Seventh Elder a chance to lament, Mu Xingzhi continued, "Gentlemen, although the Seventh Elder… well, I'll just say it straight. The Seventh Elder suggested that every peak should fully contribute resources to gather Rising Yuan Pill materials!" 

"Once little martial uncle refines the Rising Yuan Pills, they will be returned according to each peak's contribution." 

"I think the Seventh Elder's suggestion is excellent. It can gather Rising Yuan Pill materials in the fastest and most abundant way, and also allow each peak to control a large number of Rising Yuan Pills themselves, so I agreed." 

As soon as Mu Xingzhi finished speaking, the First Elder, unable to wait, hurried to the front of the Seventh Elder and directly stuffed his storage ring into the Seventh Elder's hand, "Seventh junior brother, why didn't you say so earlier? Take a look, count my contribution first. I'll immediately move all of the First Peak's valuables over." 

The Second Elder, Third Elder, Fourth Elder, and Fifth Elder had already vanished from the hall; evidently, they had gone back to prepare valuable items. 

The Seventh Elder stroked his beard, "I said from the beginning that we should have discussed this matter at the meeting, let everyone know the purpose, and then it would've been easier to take action." 

"Are you blaming me?" Mu Xingzhi questioned. 

"No, absolutely not, what I mean is, we should've gone to the Hundred Calamities Commerce Union to borrow materials and negotiate a rate of return, then when the time comes return a certain amount of Rising Yuan Pills according to the rate," the Seventh Elder hastened to say. 

Mu Xingzhi shook his head without a second thought, "You want to work little martial uncle to death and then inherit his legacy, don't you? It's not your turn." 

"Eh? Absolutely not, everyone witnesses the skills of little martial uncle. I highly doubt that even if he was given ten thousand batches of Rising Yuan Pill materials, he could refine them all in one go." 

Mu Xingzhi continued to shake his head, "Enough, the collective contributions from all the peaks turned into Rising Yuan Pill materials is already astronomical. It's enough!" 

"You continue with this task, I'm going to the Eighteenth Peak." 

As Mu Xingzhi left, the group of Elders all gathered around the Seventh Elder, "Seventh Elder, we thought you were a spy sent by some other power. Why didn't you say earlier that you were sweeping through our resources for our own good?" 

"Exactly, Seventh Elder. Actually, my Twelfth Peak still has many valuable things, quite a lot of Spiritual Artifacts and Spirit Materials. I'll give them all to you!" 

Everyone clearly understood that with Li Cheng's pill refining success rates and quality, such an operation was guaranteed to make a huge profit. 

They would invest everything they owned, and in return, they would receive more than ten times the profits! 

Of course, such an excellent opportunity was something to rush for! 

On the Eighteenth Peak, Yun Tianqiong was sparring with Qi Jingtian. Ever since Qi Jingtian had arrived, Yun Tianqiong had found a suitable sparring partner and no longer needed to bother Ling Xi. 

Qi Jingtian's physical body was so strong that Yun Tianqiong could go all out without worry of injuring him. Thus, this new junior brother had already become his sword practice partner. 

Yun Tianqiong thrust his sword, sending out a whip-like Sword Qi mixed with thousands of Sword Path Rules, striking Qi Jingtian in the chest like lightning! "An external enemy?" 

Mu Xingzhi, who had just arrived, saw this scene and his eyebrows raised. 

Yun Tianqiong had stepped into the early Golden Core Stage. Although the sturdy youth opposite him, measuring three meters tall, was in the late Golden Core Stage, with the Sword Path Rules imbued in that strike, if hit, death was certain! 

Such a deadly move was definitely meant for an external enemy. 

XXX 

Hmm, even a big toe could have figured that out. 

Meanwhile, Mu Xingzhi was shocked to his core. Yun Tianqiong truly was a sword path prodigy, only at the Golden Core Stage yet he could mobilize thousands of sword path rules! 

You should know, even those at the Tribulation Crossing Stage might not be able to mobilize the power of rules. 

Although Mu Xingzhi knew it was because of Yun Tianqiong's previous extraordinary encounter, seeing him able to mobilize the sword path rules still involuntarily sent shivers down his spine. 

Bang! 

The burly young man was blasted by the sword qi, with a dull thud emanating from his chest, yet the youngster just lightly dusted off his clothes and chuckled amiably, "Big Senior Brother, that was a powerful strike!" 

Yun Tianqiong rolled his eyes, "Little Junior Brother, is it really okay to discourage someone like that?" 

Yun Tianqiong was speechless inside. He couldn't even injure him, and yet he was still praising him for being strong! 

If someone didn't know better, they might think he was showing off. 

"It really was strong, I admire you, Big Senior Brother!" Qi Jingtian said again. 

Yun Tianqiong sheathed his longsword, "Got it, Little Junior Brother, let's call it a day here. Come on, let's go check on Ling Xi." 

As the two were about to leave, Mu Xingzhi finally came back to his senses. 

Taking a deep breath, Mu Xingzhi swiftly moved and positioned himself in front of the two, his gaze boldly sizing up Qi Jingtian. 

'Terrifying physical strength. Without using True Yuan, I'm afraid I might not be able to withstand one of his punches!' Mu Xingzhi inwardly exclaimed. 

"Greetings, Sect Leader Senior Brother!" Yun Tianqiong hastily bowed, making sure to tug at Qi Jingtian. 

Qi Jingtian, comprehending the situation, also bowed, "Greetings, Sect Leader Senior Brother!" 

Mu Xingzhi steadied his spirits and nodded slightly, "Very good. You're the new disciple taken in by little uncle?" 

Mu Xingzhi's tone was calm, even carrying a hint of joy. 

But who knows how bitter he felt inside! 

Heavens! Little uncle has accepted another disciple! 

They were still hoping little uncle would ascend, but he seemed to be getting further away on the path of taking in disciples! 

It couldn't go on like this. Otherwise, when would little uncle be able to ascend? 

Surely little uncle didn't want to leave a legacy far and wide, did he? 

"Sect Master Brother, his name is Qi Jingtian, the True Disciple of our master," Yun Tianqiong said with a smile. 

His words pulled Mu Xingzhi back to reality. 

Mu Xingzhi nodded with a smile, "An impressive physique. Little uncle has taught you the sword dao, and Ling Xi the Alchemy Dao. What about you?" U//ppTodat𝒆d fr/𝒐/m nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)\/m

As the Sect Master, he had to maintain a warm and approachable demeanor in front of his junior brothers! 

Even if his mind was filled with a thousand complaints, he couldn't let the junior brothers notice anything amiss. 

"Replying to Sect Master Brother, my master has passed on the Array Path to me!" Qi Jingtian said with a beaming smile, showing his white teeth. 

"Oh? Then you must understand it well, little uncle's Array Path is unparalleled!" Mu Xingzhi smiled and subconsciously reached out to pat Qi Jingtian on the shoulder, 

But his hand stiffened because the guy was too tall! 

However, Mu Xingzhi was quick to react and smoothly patted Qi Jingtian's arm instead, not showing even a hint of awkwardness. 

Qi Jingtian nodded vigorously, "Don't worry, Sect Master Brother, I will!" 

Mu Xingzhi glanced at the summit and said with a smile, "You're going to see Ling Xi? Good, I'll go with you to check on her." 

No disturbances in the summit's formations indicated little uncle was still in seclusion. Having come this far, it wouldn't be proper as the Sect Master Brother not to see little uncle's three disciples. Yet as he approached within a hundred meters of Ling Xi, Mu Xingzhi's expression froze.

Chapter 57: Can't Be Wrong, This Time It's Stable!

Looking at Ling Xi a hundred meters away, Mu Xingzhi was stunned like a wooden chicken! 

What did he see? 

Heavens! 

What was Ling Xi doing? Next to her, there was a jade pool about a zhang in size, and its depth was unknown, but the pool was filled with countless Rising Yuan Pills! 

At that moment, Ling Xi waved her hand, and the countless Rising Yuan Pills flowed like water from her palm into the jade pool! 

Mu Xingzhi's eyes widened, and he subconsciously used his Spiritual Sense to calculate. He hadn't thought it was important, but upon calculating, he felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest! 

The second-level Rising Yuan Pills flowing from Ling Xi's palm numbered over ten thousand! 

And with Mu Xingzhi's discerning eye, he could tell at a glance that they had just been refined! 

Even stranger was that Ling Xi did not use a Pill Tripod; the Rising Yuan Pills seemed to have been hidden in her palm all along. 

After placing the Rising Yuan Pills in the jade pool, Ling Xi casually set a sealing formation over it before turning to greet Mu Xingzhi with a courteous bow, "Greetings to Sect Leader Senior Brother!" 

Mu Xingzhi quickly stepped forward, "No need for such formality, Little Junior Sister, how did you do it? Could it be the legendary Medicine Divine Body?" 

Special physiques have always been revered by cultivators, and the Medicine Divine Body is a truly miraculous existence. Rumors say: 'Whoever possesses the Medicine Divine Body possesses the world!' 

This kind of physique cannot be concealed unless one abstains from practicing alchemy. 

But if one has the Medicine Divine Body and does not practice alchemy, it might as well not exist. 

Thus, Ling Xi knew that there are times, with some people, she need not hide her special physique — she just needed to keep those in the know to a minimum. 

"Sect Leader Senior Brother, 1 haven't reached the level of a Medicine Divine Body, it's just a Medicine Spirit Body," Ling Xi said softly, her voice comforting like a spring breeze. 

"Indeed!" 

The excitement in Mu Xingzhi's eyes was hard to conceal. This news was more exciting than the Little Martial Uncle ascending to the Immortal World! 

"To refine over ten thousand second-level Rising Yuan Pills in one go, amazing, truly amazing!" Mu Xingzhi did not skimp on his words of praise, but for the excited him, a simple 'amazing' sufficed. 

Ling Xi quickly shook her head, "Sect Master, you flatter me too much, compared to Master, I am lacking by more than just a little." 

"If Master were to do it, the quantity of the pills would surely double, and at the very least, they would all be of the finest quality. Yet among those I have refined, nearly half are just high-grade." 

Speaking, a semblance of self-reproach appeared on Ling Xi's face. 

Master was so powerful, and he had passed on all his understanding of Alchemy Dao to her. Yet, she had not reached even half of Master's standard! 

She felt utterly unworthy of Master's cultivation and her Medicine Spirit Body. 

The expression on Ling Xi's face almost made Mu Xingzhi feel an urge to cough up blood! 

Mu Xingzhi pressed his chest firmly, lamenting that it was unfair to be so disheartened! 

Throughout the entire Kunlun Southern Region, aside from the Little Martial Uncle, who could match your level? 

And yet you… 

Well alright, your standards are high, and I'm powerless to refute. 

Coughing lightly, Mu Xingzhi said, "Little Junior Sister, there is no need for such self-blame. You haven't been practicing for long. When you reach the Little Martial Uncle's level of cultivation, your mastery of the Alchemy Dao will surely be no less formidable than his!" N/nêw n0vel chap/ers are published o/n n0v/e/(lb)i(n.)co/m

Ling Xi's long eyelashes fluttered, and her eyes, bright as the full moon, brimmed with hope, "I've been practicing for ten years now, but Master practiced for thirty years. In another twenty years, I must reach Master's level of mastery!" 

"I believe in you!" Mu Xingzhi said earnestly. 

Mu Xingzhi thought that whether or not he had confidence didn't matter, but it was important to show his confidence in her on the surface. 

After all, if the Little Martial Uncle could reach his current unmatched level in pills and formations in thirty years, Mu Xingzhi felt it was impossible to surpass. 

XXX 

But then again, once Ling Xi grew up, even if it was just the early stage Medicine Spirit Body, the might of the Medicine Divine Body would bring immense benefits to the sect. 

Look at that, those pools of Level 1 and Level 2 Rising Yuan Pills, enough to cultivate several tens of thousands of Foundation Establishment Stage Complete strong practitioners! 

"Little Tian, has Little Junior Sister reached the Golden Core Stage Complete yet?" Yun Tianqiong had been observing Ling Xi, and now he asked softly. 

Qi Jingtian nodded, "Yes, the speed of our junior sister's cultivation is somewhat astonishing!" 

Yun Tianqiong took a deep breath, "She is a Medicine Spirit Body, able to actively absorb some of the medicinal power during alchemy, the more pills she refines, the faster she improves." 

"The sect is not short of medicinal materials, and as Little Junior Sister refines pills for the sect, her cultivation improves rapidly; I'm afraid we won't be able to keep up." 

Qi Jingtian deeply agreed with Yun Tianqiong's words, "Indeed, we are no match for junior sister!" 

But to Mu Xingzhi standing aside, it felt as if the two were plunging knives into his own heart! 

And it was the kind that thrusts fiercely into death. 

You two can't compare to Ling Xi? In terms of alchemy, of course not! 

But look at you both, one with a Sword Body, already beginning to show a sharp edge in the Sword Dao, and also carrying the Sword Path Rules, the other… with a physical body stronger than anyone else's! 

Are such monsters like you really feeling inferior? 

Mu Xingzhi suddenly felt that the Eighteenth Peak was absolutely not a place for mere mortals! 

Anyone who came would be battered to pieces by the invisible showboating of these monsters! 

No matter how high your cultivation, upon arriving at the Eighteenth Peak, you would only face constant blows and provocation, and the slightest carelessness could even lead to the collapse of your Dao heart. 

Mu Xingzhi, as the Sect Master, naturally hoped for more such monsters among his disciples, so he could withstand such… provocations! 

If it were someone else, they probably would have just chuckled awkwardly. 

Clearly, Mu Xingzhi had no intention of consoling these two monsters and changed the subject, "How long has Little Uncle Master been in seclusion?" 

Yun Tianqiong pondered, "Since he brought back Qi Junior Brother, he began to seclude himself, and till today, it has been over twenty days." 

Mu Xingzhi looked toward the mountain peak, where Li Cheng had set up a protective formation, unable to sense the situation inside. 

"With Little Uncle Master's cultivation, further seclusion might draw the Heaven Tribulation at every gesture!" 

As Mu Xingzhi spoke, he slowly widened his eyes, and joy began to emerge from the bottom of his eyes, "Is Little Uncle Master preparing for Tribulation Crossing?" 

"Ah? Is Master going to cross the Tribulation and ascend?" The three disciples exclaimed in unison, their faces showing some panic. 

They had just become disciples not long ago, were they about to part with their master? 

Mu Xingzhi's eyes sparkled with brilliance, his face painted with thick joy, seeming to ignore the disciples' reluctance, he said jubilantly, "No mistake, it's secured this time!" 

Turning his head, Mu Xingzhi saw that his three disciples' complexions had turned pale and he could not help but speak up to comfort them, "Don't worry, with Little Uncle Master's strength, he can easily disperse the Heaven Tribulation!" 

"Master…" Ling Xi murmured, her eyes misty as the full moon. 

Since becoming a disciple, Li Cheng had taught them without any reservations, and they all felt deeply moved, but now they were about to part so suddenly. 

This news came too abruptly! 

They were utterly unprepared for it. 

Mu Xingzhi understood, "There is no need for sorrow; with your talents, it won't take but a few decades until you can reunite with Little Uncle Master in the Immortal World…" 

Before he could finish, Mu Xingzhi suddenly turned to look at the mountain peak, "Such a terrifying space fluctuation, what's happening? The precursor to the arrival of a Heaven Tribulation doesn't involve space fluctuations!" At the mountain peak, visible to the naked eye, space seemed to be twisting, instantly tearing apart the formation!

Chapter 58 You're Not Right

The spatial fluctuations at the mountain peak caused a tingling sensation on Mu Xingzhi's scalp, as if those fluctuations could destroy everything! 

"Spatial shockwaves! Could it be that a peerlessly powerful being is attacking my junior sect uncle?" 

In a flash of thought, Mu Xingzhi considered a possibility and, without hesitation, took out a Message Jade Slip, ready to contact the Loose Immortals of the sect. 

However, before he could send the message, a faint spatial fluctuation suddenly appeared in front of him! 

Mu Xingzhi, as if facing a formidable enemy, exclaimed, ' Damn! The enemy won't give me a chance to send a message!11

"What enemy?'1

A familiar voice came from the spatial fluctuation in front of Mu Xingzhi, and then, Li Cheng s figure emerged from within the spatial fluctuations. 

Mu Xingzhi was taken aback, looking at the still-shaking space at the mountain peak, then at Li Cheng in front of him, "Junior sect uncle, was that disturbance caused by you?'1

Li Cheng turned his head to glance at the mountain peak, shook his head slightly, and smiled, "It was my first time performing the Immortal Spirit Step, and 1 didn't control it well—it made quite a ruckus." 

"The Immortal Spirit Step that spans 129,600 li in one step? Isn't that something only an Immortal can perform?" Mu Xingzhi's eyes widened. 

Suddenly, thinking of a possibility, Mu Xingzhi said joyfully, "Junior sect uncle, could it be that you've secretly completed your Tribulation Crossing and ascended, and have now returned to the Lower World?'1

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Mu Xingzhi quickly shook his head, "No, that's not right. Your aura is still at the Complete stage of the Transcendance Tribulation Stage. What's going on?" 

Li Cheng, at a loss for words, "What's with you today? Something's off!" 

The Sect Master, Li Cheng, had never seen him lose his composure like this. 

Mu Xingzhi calmed himself down and, regaining his composure somewhat, said, "You've seen my foolishness, junior sect uncle. I thought you had ascended, which is why I got a little excited." 

Yun Tianqiong and the other two disciples all sighed with relief, their burdens lifted as they settled their minds. 

[Disciple Yun Tianqiong has achieved the inception of Sword Body and greatly improved Swordsmanship Accomplishment, awarded 6 Enlightenment opportunities, ] 

[Disciple Ling Xi has achieved the inception of Medicine Spirit Body and greatly improved Alchemy Dao Accomplishment, awarded 6 Enlightenment opportunities.] 

[Disciple Qi Jingtian has greatly improved Array Mastery, awarded 6 Enlightenment opportunities. ] 

[Current remaining Enlightenment opportunities: 18 times.] 

Notification sounds echoed within Li Cheng's mind. 

Li Cheng nodded in satisfaction, knowing that while he was in seclusion, the system would not disturb him, and now that he had emerged, all the accumulated rewards from these days had arrived at once! 

Having just exhausted his Enlightenment opportunities, coming out of seclusion to find another eighteen points was indeed great news! 

But he still lacked disciples. If he had a few more disciples, then on coming out of seclusion… rsk tsk. 

During the more than twenty days of seclusion, aside from the first two days spending Enlightenment opportunities on Qi Jingshen's refining artifact inheritance, Li Cheng spent the remaining time enlightening himself on the Space Law. 

The previous Enlightenment opportunities were used up, and now he had mastered a total of ninety Space Laws! 

There were no changes to the rest, still forty for the Time Law, forty for the Rule of Eire, thirty-five for rhe Life Law, and one for the Thunder Law. 

If it weren't for the fact that all the Enlightenment opportunities were spent on the Space Law, Li Cheng had also planned to enlighten the Sword Path Rules and Fist Path Rules within him. 

But the Power of Laws was too advanced, and even with Enlightenment, progress was slow, unlike the ease of enlightening other things. 

"All three of you have made good progress, especially Ling Xi, your Medicine Spirit Body is truly profound and mysterious!" Li Cheng looked at the Jade Pool, sweeping his appreciative gaze over the three disciples. 

Being praised by their mentor, the three disciples felt immensely proud, but they did not become complacent, as they were well aware of how far they still fell short compared to their mentor! U//ppTodat𝒆d fr/𝒐/m nô/v/e/lb(i)n.c(o)\/m

The road ahead is long indeed! 

"With your talents, if combined with Emperor Grade Rising Yuan Pills and Breakthrough Pills, you can have a flawless foundation and advance rapidly, ascending to the Immortal World sooner rather than later!" 

"The Immortal World is the stage where you truly belong. Do not become complacent or arrogant because of the achievements you've made so far," added Li Cheng. 

Hearing Li Cheng's words, the three disciples nodded unanimously. With such an exceptional mentor as their role model, how could they become complacent or arrogant? 

Meanwhile, Mu Xingzhi was stunned, catching a dual meaning in the junior sect uncle's words. 

Firstly, Junior Martial Uncle is preparing to start alchemy; this is good news. 

Secondly, Junior Martial Uncle asked his three disciples to ascend to the Immortal World at their earliest convenience, but what about himself? Could it be that his words imply… 

Mu Xingzhi pondered carefully, and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed as though he was saying: "Your teacher will prepare some Emperor Grade Rising Yuan Pills and Breakthrough Pills for you, and then your teacher will ascend. You should also ascend as soon as possible!" 

The more he thought about it, the more Mu Xingzhi was convinced that this was indeed what Junior Martial Uncle meant! 

That's right, since Junior Martial Uncle can even execute the Immortal Spirit Step, what's the point of staying in rhe Kunlun Realm? 

Perhaps he was tired of it and planned to teach his three disciples before ascending! 

Thinking this, Mu Xingzhi suppressed the excitement in his heart, coughed lightly, and said, "Junior Martial Uncle, the medicinal materials are almost ready; we can start alchemy at any time!" 

Li Cheng nodded slightly. With over twenty days of effort, the resources gathered by the entire sect were bound not to disappoint. 

Yun Tianqiong and the other two were overjoyed. Their master was truly wonderful; he was going to personally concoct Emperor Grade Rising Yuan Pills and Breakthrough Pills for them! 

And from their master's words, they had all understood the message: Practice diligently and reach the standard required for ascension as soon as possible; your teacher is waiting for you! 

The interpretation they had gotten was completely opposite to what Mu Xingzhi had thought! 

Li Cheng had not anticipated that a single sentence would give the Sect Master and his three disciples such different opinions. Of course, he said it to motivate his disciples… 

Well, to tell the truth, it certainly was for rhe sake of Enlightenment opportunities. 

The better the things he passed on to his three disciples, the greater rhe benefits they could obtain; and as a result, the more Enlightenment opportunities he would be rewarded with! 

"After this alchemy session, 1 need to focus on Enlightenment for the Sword Path Rules and Fist Path Rules; only then can 1 significantly boost my combat power. After that, I'm afraid I ll have to go out and gather more disciples!" Li Cheng thought to himself. 

Just three disciples, although the Enlightenment opportunities they provided were not few and enough for understanding the Pill Artifact Array or Rule Power, it was nor lacking. 

But Li Cheng wanted to comprehend the Power of Laws, and these few Enlightenment opportunities were simply not enough. 

Take this retreat for instance; he used over twenty Enlightenment opportunities and only managed to comprehend ninety strands of the Space Law. 

Hence, he had too few disciples. 

"Sect Master, rather than picking a suitable date, it's better to just do it. Please arrange for someone to bring the materials and I'll refine the pills here," Li Cheng said. 

Mu Xingzhi contemplated briefly, "Junior Martial Uncle means that this time the alchemy won't be public?" 

Li Cheng nodded, "There's no need. I plan to only refine each level of the Rising Yuan Pills once, and the remaining materials can be given to Ling Xi." 

As he spoke, Li Cheng once again looked towards the Jade Pond, his meaning was quite clear; with Ling Xi taking action, it was easy to supply what the sect needed. 

Moreover, it was necessary to prepare more materials for Ling Xi to strengthen herself through alchemy. 

Mu Xingzhi understood and nodded, "Understood. 1 will immediately send a message to the Seventh Elder to have the materials delivered." 

After the message was sent, Mu Xingzhi's expression turned expectant, "Junior Martial Uncle, your Array Mastery is unrivaled, why not hold a lecture?" 

Li Cheng was astonished, hold a lecture? Wouldn't that be a waste of time? 

Instead of holding a lecture, it would be better to directly teach the sect's disciples the formations! 

Wouldn't that be far more powerful than lecturing? 

However, that was impossible. If he were to do that, who knows what kind of trouble he would attract. 

"Junior Martial Uncle, just one day, only on formations, how about it?" Mu Xingzhi pressed. 

Li Cheng rolled his eyes, "My Artifact Refining technique is also unmatched, should I lecture on that too?" 

"Haha, Junior Martial Uncle is jolting. Let's discuss this another time then!" Mu Xingzhi resignedly said, clearly having vexed Junior Martial Uncle, otherwise he wouldn't have mentioned his unparalleled expertise in Artifact Refining. "Speaking of refining artifacts, I suddenly remembered, hasn't the Artifact Sect owed my master for a long time without repayment?" Li Cheng suddenly said..

Chapter 59 Guaranteed Entry into the Transcendance Tribulation Stage

mm 

Speaking of which, Li Cheng had no immediate intention of discussing it, but when it came to artifact refining, an idea suddenly struck him—the Artifact Sect still owed his master a significant artifact! 

The Artifact Sect, ranking fifth among the top ten sects, boasts the first place in artifact refining skills within the Southern Domain. 

In the Southern Domain, most cultivators seek the service of the Artifact Sect, even taking pride in possessing spiritual artifacts refined by them. 

From this aspect, the social status of the Artifact Sect is not weaker than that of the Pill Sect. 

It is said that the Spiritual Fires mastered by the Artifact Sect are even more numerous than those of the Pill Sect! 

The overall strength of the Artifact Sect is not inferior to the Pill Sect; Li Cheng always felt that its ranking was lower due to business issues. 

Think about it, the pills refined by the Pill Sect are consumables; once consumed, they are gone. 

Whereas the spiritual artifacts refined by the Artifact Sect can last a cultivator a lifetime. 

Therefore, the business of the Pill Sect is incessant, while that of the Artifact Sect is a bit lacking. 

This is like the company Li Cheng knew in his previous world that invented a pen that could write forever; of course, the business gradually declined and the company had to close down eventually. 

This significantly determined why the Artifact Sect's ranking was not as high as the Pill Sect's. 

"Junior Uncle, during the years Uncle Ancestor Wuya has been away, the Artifact Sect has never sent anyone to our sect," Mu Xingzhi said. 

Li Cheng pondered; when his master was in the sect, the Artifact Sect used to visit every so often! 

Why did they visit? 

It was obviously because his master possessed a significant artifact. Refining with it could potentially elevate the level of any weapon or armor crafted. 

That significant artifact was an Immortal Artifact-grade artifact tripod, which his master had acquired by chance thousands of years ago and had always been coveted by the Artifact Sect. 

Using the same materials and techniques, other tripods could only produce inferior grade spiritual artifacts, but with that tripod, it was possible to refine mid-grade spiritual artifacts. 

However, his master never engaged in artifact refining, so the artifact tripod in his master's hands was no different from an ordinary Immortal Artifact, used solely for combat. 

Perhaps it was for this reason that the Artifact Sect saw his master's ownership of the tripod as a waste of heaven's gifts, hence their frequent visits, hoping to acquire it. 

Thirty years ago, when his master left, he agreed to lend the tripod to the Artifact Sect for ten years. 

Now, thirty years had passed, and the Artifact Sect had not visited the Heavenly Mechanism Sect again, let alone mentioned returning the tripod. 

"What is owed to my master, I will reclaim it. Once the alchemy is finished, I'm planning to go out for a walk; I'll start with the Artifact Sect," Li Cheng said calmly. 

Mu Xingzhi hesitated for a few seconds before finally saying, "Junior Uncle, let me ask the Black and White Elders to take care of this matter. You should focus on preparing for the Tribulation Crossing within the sect!" 

In his view, Junior Uncle would likely need to prepare for crossing the tribulation after completing alchemy. At such a time, he certainly should not take any risks. 

If a conflict were to arise with the Artifact Sect, leading to Junior Uncle's injury, it would have a severe impact on the tribulation crossing! 

Should Junior Uncle fail the tribulation crossing because of this, that would be terrible! 

Well, Mu Xingzhi admitted that he was not actually worried Junior Uncle would fail due to injury. That was just an excuse. What he truly feared was Junior Uncle having an accident! 

Junior Uncle is too important to the sect to afford any mishaps! 

Li Cheng glanced at Mu Xingzhi, shook his head slightly, "This matter can only be handled by me personally." 

Mu Xingzhi frowned subtly without another word, but he had already decided in his heart to request that the Black and White Elders secretly protect him. 

Soon, the Seventh Elder arrived! 

He brought the materials for the Rising Yuan Pill, obtained by the collective effort of the entire sect! 

Li Cheng looked at the more than a hundred storage rings laid out before him and fell into deep thought! 

All these storage rings contained materials for the Rising Yuan Pill! 

There were just over ten thousand portions of the first-grade Rising Yuan Pill materials, over twenty thousand portions of the second-grade, and the third-grade had exceeded one hundred thousand portions! 

The quantity of Rising Yuan Pill materials from fourth to eighth grade decreased progressively, with over twenty thousand portions of the seventh grade and nearly twenty thousand portions of the eighth grade. Just the seventh and eighth grades alone made Li Cheng wonder if the Seventh Elder had gone somewhere to do business without any capital. 

111111 

These medicinal ingredients could be said to be worth a fortune. If I were to refine them all myself, wouldn't their value increase by more than tenfold? 

"Junior Uncle, did 1 prepare too much?" Seeing Li Cheng fall silent, the Seventh Elder asked with some concern. 

Li Cheng came back to his senses and shook his head, "No, I was thinking whether the value of all these materials could increase by tenfold after being refined." 

The Seventh Elder and Mu Xingzhi exchanged a glance, and then, the Seventh Elder said with a smile, "Junior Uncle, you underestimate the profit involved. If Junior Uncle were to refine them, the lowest grade would be of supreme quality. With those King Grade and Emperor Grade, when calculated, it would increase the value by at least a hundredfold!" 

Mu Xingzhi nodded, "That's right. If Junior Uncle were to refine them all, our sect would become very wealthy. If you need anything at that point, just name it, and we can trade Rising Yuan Pills for it." 

Li Cheng inwardly clicked his tongue— a hundredfold? 

Refining pills is indeed a highly profitable business! 

"For ordinary pill masters, being able to make a profit of one or two times would be great, as they would fail, the quality of the pills they make is not high, and the quantity not much. Junior Uncle is really amazing!" the Seventh Elder sighed with emotion. 

Li Cheng nodded slightly—this was indeed true. 

Of course, Li Cheng's nod wasn't for the last sentence. 

After all, Li Cheng didn't like to hear bootlicking. 

Cough cough… 

"Since that's the case, then 1 will refine them all. Afterwards, you can take a portion to trade for materials, and whatever you get from the trade, give it all to Ling Xi!" Li Cheng coughed. 

Mu Xingzhi and the Seventh Elder were overjoyed, nodding vigorously without hesitation. 

The reason for preparing materials for Ling Xi was, of course, because of her Medicine Spirit Body. 

With enough medicinal materials, Ling Xi could quickly improve her cultivation and Alchemy Dao. 

Besides, Ling Xi's eyes, bright as the moon, were full of admiration and gratitude, 'The master is refining all these Rising Yuan Pills for my sake!' 

The collection of over a hundred storage rings filled with medicinal ingredients would make any pill master dance with excitement! 

But any pill master who knew they had to refine so many herbs themselves would be frightened enough to beat their chest in frustration! 

So, how could Ling Xi not be moved? 

"Big Brother, Sister is crying because she is moved; why are you crying?" Qi Jingtian suddenly noticed both his senior brother and sister were secretly wiping away tears and couldn't help but ask out of curiosity. VịSit no(v)3lb/!n(.)c𝒐m for new 𝒏ov𝒆l𝒔

Yun Tianqiong gave Qi Jingtian a sidelong glance, "Little Junior Brother, soon we're going to have endless Emperor Grade Rising Yuan Pills, ensuring our passage to the Transcendance Tribulation Stage!" 

"The master is refining so many materials for our guaranteed crossing of the Tribulation; of course, Senior Brother is also moved!" 

With that said, Qi Jingtian was also moved. Yeah, the master was… just too good! 

Thinking about this, Qi Jingtian also secretly wiped away a tear. 

As for whether any tears actually fell, he didn't bother to check. 

Li Cheng took out the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod, "First and second grade pills, no need to waste time on those. Give them to the low-level pill masters of the Seventh Peak to practice with. I will start refining from the third-grade Rising Yuan Pills." 

"Understood, Junior Uncle. This tripod seems much stronger than last time!" the Seventh Elder said. 

Mu Xingzhi also stared intently, "Indeed, it seems it's about to become an Immortal Artifact!" 

Li Cheng had obviously noticed as well. After a check, he saw that the Immortal Infant had disappeared. 

Clearly, it had been refined by the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod! 

But Li Cheng wouldn't tell them this fact; instead, he said, "It's probably because its Spiritual Wisdom has awakened. Now it can even speak human language!" 

Without minding their surprise, Li Cheng already grabbed a few storage rings and poured all the third-grade Rising Yuan Pill materials into the tripod. 

Li Cheng really wanted to know what kind of effect the Pill Tribulation would have when refining more than 110,000 portions of third-grade Rising Yuan Pill materials simultaneously? 

Based on past experience, that would mean the birth of seven or eight hundred Emperor Grade pills. A Pill Tribulation caused by so many Emperor Grade pills… 

Tsk tsk….

Chapter 60 I Have Medicine

Li Cheng, filled with anticipation and curiosity, began the refining process. 

More than 110,000 portions of third-level Rising Yuan Pill materials were put into the tripod, causing its body to swell to a kilometer in size! 

The Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod emitted powerful fluctuations, immediately drawing the attention of everyone from the Heavenly Mechanism Sect! 

"Hehe, our junior uncle has started alchemy, our earlier investments will yield a hundredfold return!" the First Elder, meeting with the other elders, focused intently on the Eighteenth Peak. 

Though far apart, the kilometer-sized Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod was exceptionally conspicuous and clearly visible to all. 

"First Elder, your calculation isn't accurate. When it comes to arithmetic, you need to see my skills!" the Seventeenth Elder retorted. 

All the elders simultaneously turned their gazes towards the Seventeenth Elder. 

The Seventeenth Elder, grinning, said, "I have calculated it. With our junior uncle's participation in alchemy, there will be a profit of one hundred and sixty-eight times!" 

The First Elder glanced disdainfully at the Seventeenth Elder, "Shu Youlu, are you sure it's one hundred and sixty-eight times the profit? Did you include the labor costs? Did you account for the fluctuations in material prices? Did you consider the impact on the market after the pills are made?" 

Known as Shu Youlu, the Seventeenth Elder considered himself the best at arithmetic, but at that moment, his face changed repeatedly upon hearing these words! 

After a while, Shu Youlu sighed with a bitter taste, "It seems I was wrong, it actually doesn't reach one hundred and sixty-eight times." 

The elders held back their laughter. When it came to splitting hairs, none but the Seventeenth Elder Shu Youlu were acknowledged by them. 

"Such things are better estimated generally; there's no need to split hairs," the First Elder commented again. 

Shu Youlu nodded thoughtfully, his gaze shifting to the huge Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod, his mind drifting to an unknown place. 

Li Cheng had already begun alchemy. After more than twenty days of enlightenment, his Spiritual Sense had greatly strengthened, making controlling such a vast amount of materials feel effortless! 

As always, he was at ease. Soon, countless third-level Rising Yuan Pills flew out of the tripod like a dark cloud, enveloping the Eighteenth Peak! 

This scene plunged the entire Heavenly Mechanism Sect into silence! 

Everyone's eyes widened as they stared at the sky full of Rising Yuan Pills, those with high cultivation levels had instinctively started to probe with their Spiritual Sense. 

"Over a million Rising Yuan Pills! All of them of superior quality or above!" 

Although no one doubted Li Cheng's Pill Skill, seeing such a multitude of Rising Yuan Pills emerge left no one calm. 

In the midst of everyone's shock, Li Cheng had already leapt up, flying above the many Rising Yuan Pills, looking up at the gathering Pill Tribulation above! 

The opportunity to practice Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture with the help of Tribulation Thunder had come again! 

At this moment, far away at a distance of a million li, Feng Wanli suddenly opened his eyes and flew above the Taoist Mysterious Sect, focusing on the south. 

Wan Zhongshan and others arrived one after another, also gazing intently into the distance. 

Separated by such a great distance, how could they see anything? 

But Feng Wanli, being a complete Heavenly Immortal, had perceptions far beyond that of Wan Zhongshan and the others. 

"Ancestor Master, what has happened in the south to make you leave your seclusion?" Wan Zhongshan asked curiously. 

"Pill Tribulation!" Feng Wanli spoke, his voice trembling slightly. 

He could clearly sense that a terrifying Pill Tribulation was amassing far away in the south. 

"Oh? Then surely Master Li has started alchemy again!" Wan Zhongshan stated. 

Feng Wanli nodded, a trace of helplessness flashing in his eyes. He had always been unable to invite Li Cheng to be a guest of the Taoist Mysterious Sect, which was truly a pity! 

Suddenly, an idea struck Feng Wanli, "How long until the Hundred Sects Conference is held?" 

The Hundred Sects Conference, that was a grand event held once every ten years, co-hosted by the ten major sects, with every sect from the Southern Domain participating. 

"Ancestor Master, there are still three years," Wan Zhongshan replied, showing some confusion as to why his master was suddenly asking about the Hundred Sects Conference. 

Feng Wanli's brow furrowed slightly, "Three years? By then, I will have returned to the Immortal World." 

"In that case, contact the other sects and arrange for the Hundred Sects Conference to be held earlier. It's best if we can start in one or two months." 

Upon hearing this, everyone was momentarily stunned. The Ancestor Master was interested in the Hundred Sects Conference? Rêađ lat𝒆st ch𝒂/p/ters on n𝒐/v/𝒆/l(b)i𝒏(.)c/𝒐/m

For this hobby, shall we change the practices that have stood for countless years? 

This seems… inappropriate! 

After a few seconds of silence, Wan Zhongshan said, "Ancestor Master, what reason should we find?" 

Feng Wanli frowned at Wan Zhongshan, "Find a reason? Does our Taoist Mysterious Sect need a reason to act? Do we?" 

Wan Zhongshan gave a wry smile, "Don't we?" 

"Nonsense!" 

All present wore bitter smiles; such assertiveness was sure to bring about great trouble. 

When the Ancestor Master returned, they would have to deal with this tremendous problem! 

Such matters could easily lead to self-destructive consequences if not handled with care! 

After a few seconds of contemplation, Wan Zhongshan nodded, "Ancestor Master, I'll handle it right away." 

With that, he led the other high-level members away. 

"Supreme Elder, we still need to find a reason, right? Otherwise, it will surely upset the various major sects!" a distance from Feng Wanli, an Elder whispered. 

Wan Zhongshan nodded, "Nonsense, do you think 1 don't know that? I've already thought of a reason." 

"Oh? How does the Supreme Elder plan to explain it to the various sects?" 

"Just say that three months from now an Immortal Mansion will emerge, and in order to prevent a bloodbath, we're holding the grand assembly of sects early. The ranking in the assembly will determine who gets entry slots to the Immortal Mansion!" Wan Zhongshan declared. 

A Loose Immortal caught up with them and said, "Old Wan, isn't that complete nonsense? Where will you find an Immortal Mansion when the time comes?" 

Everyone was well aware that the reason could be used, but the real issue was how to carry out the deception. 

An Immortal Mansion is not something that just appears because one says it will. Moreover, to persuade the major sects with the claim of an Immortal Mansion's emergence, it must be a high-level Immortal Mansion; an ordinary Immortal's mansion obviously won't do! 

But even an ordinary Immortal Mansion is hard to come by once in ten thousand years, let alone a high-level one. 

Thus, there was practically no way to make this lie convincing! 

Wan Zhongshan glared at the Loose Immortal, "Can't you think of a way? There are plenty of ways." 

The Loose Immortal, full of speechlessness, shook his head, "Old Wan, give us an example!" 

"I won't!" Wan Zhongshan retorted irritably. 

"All? What happened? Esteemed Loose Immortals, I have medicine!" Just then, a voice filled with confusion came from afar. 

Wan Zhongshan looked towards the voice and frowned, "You have medicine? What do you mean? Speaking unclearly as a Sect Master, what kind of example are you setting!" 

This person was the Sect Master of the Taoist Mysterious Sect, who flew over. But before he could continue speaking, Wan Zhongshan went on, "You've arrived just in time, the Ancestor Master wants the grand assembly of sects to be held in advance, and he's entrusting this task to you!" 

The Sect Master of the Taoist Mysterious Sect had a baffled look on his face, as if he hadn't arrived at a good time. 

"What's with that expression? I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself in front of the Ancestor Master, and you're still not satisfied?" 

Seeing his expression, Wan Zhongshan said discontentedly. 

The Sect Master of the Taoist Mysterious Sect hastily shook his head, "No, it's not that. The grand assembly is still three years away. If we hold it in advance, we'll need to convince the other major sects, and that's… too difficult!" 

"That's your problem, the Ancestor Master only wants results. Just deal with it!" With that, Wan Zhongshan's figure vanished on the spot. 

Of course, the task was difficult; if it were easy, he would have done it himself. Why else would he give the Sect Master a chance to shine? 

At this moment, at the Eighteenth Peak of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect, the Pill Tribulation had already begun! 

Li Cheng, just like last time, operated the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture with all his might, absorbing the Tribulation Thunder into his body while also activating the Time Law! 

The entire Heavenly Mechanism Sect watched in astonishment, witnessing the Tribulation Thunder that slowed down and accumulated into a spherical shape, leaving everyone dumbfounded! Qi Jingtian was seeing Li Cheng do this for the first time, and his eyes shone with excitement, "That Tribulation Thunder is an excellent force for Body Refinement, I want to try it too!"

Chapter 61: Lost the Golden Core

Li Cheng bathed in the Tribulation Thunder, and even when he exerted all his strength to operate the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture, he couldn't completely absorb the Tribulation Thunder. 

"As expected of the Tribulation Thunder drawn by more than seven hundred Emperor Grade pills, this is just the first bolt, and yet 1 can't even absorb half of it!" Li Cheng marveled in secret. 

The Time Law enveloped a hundred meters radius, and just like the last time, the Tribulation Thunder was affected by the flow of time turning into lightning orbs, but still, more than half of the lightning was heading towards the group of pills. 

Shua! 

Qi Jingtian stepped into the void and stood among the group of pills, "Master, 1 want to try too!" 

He had barely finished speaking when the lightning orbs had already begun spreading among the pills, and countless pills were blasted into dust, while Qi Jingtian's screams of agony also rang out. 

"Just at the Golden Core Stage, yet daring to rush into the Tribulation Thunder, that guy really is all brawn and no brains!" 

"Exactly, the Eighteenth Elder has a strong body, naturally he'll be fine, but that guy rushing in is simply seeking death!" 

"It seems he called the Eighteenth Elder 'Master', could it be that he's a new disciple taken in by the Eighteenth Elder?" 

"It's better not to be, otherwise, the Eighteenth Elder's lifelong reputation would be ruined by him." 

Everyone from the Heavenly Mechanism Sect was discussing, but after Qi Jingtian screamed, he surprisingly stood unharmed in the air, with lightning dancing around his body, looking like a Thunder God descending into the world! 

This scene left everyone from the Heavenly Mechanism Sect shocked. 

They had seen Li Cheng withstand the Tribulation Thunder, but who would have thought that Li Cheng's disciple could also possess such a terrifyingly hardy physique! 

Even from a great distance, they could feel the horror of the Tribulation Thunder, yet a fellow at the Golden Core Stage actually held up! 

Yun Tianqiong and Ling Xi exchanged a glance, both of them cultivated the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture, and they could distinctly sense that both their Master and junior brother were absorbing the Tribulation Thunder with the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture! 

"Junior sister, our bodies may not be as strong as Master and junior brother's, but after cultivating the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture, we have also made great strides. If we could cultivate with the help of the Tribulation Thunder just like junior brother, our progress would be rapid!" Yun Tianqiong said with some anticipation. 

"Senior brother, with the strength of our bodies, even absorbing some lightning arcs at the edge is extremely dangerous, shouldn't we be cautious?" Ling Xi expressed her concerns. 

That was Tribulation Thunder, not ordinary heavenly lightning, and it contained a special might that even a sliver of it was something they were not confident in enduring. 

Yun Tianqiong nodded but his expression gradually became resolute, "Opportunities are rare, after all, Master is only refining six furnaces of Rising Yuan Pills this time. If we seize this opportunity, we can make our bodies become vastly stronger!" 

Saying so, Yun Tianqiong looked towards Ling Xi, "Junior sister, let's try from the periphery. If we don't even dare to do that, not to mention that our gap with junior brother will only grow, but most importantly, we will lose face for Master." R/ê/Ad lat𝙚St ch/a/pters at nô(v)e(l)bin/.c/o//m Only

One had a Sword Body, and the other had a Medicine Spirit Body; there was really no need for them to take such a risk, as they could achieve great heights in the future. 

But Qi Jingtian's actions had aroused a profound sense of crisis in Yun Tianqiong: they couldn't let Master down! 

Yun Tianqiong's words made Ling Xi nod emphatically, "Senior brother is right, let's start preparing!" 

At that moment, the second bolt of Tribulation Thunder began to descend! 

Watching Li Cheng absorb a part of it, and the rest of the Tribulation Thunder spread among the pills, both made their move! 

The two seized the moment to fly to the edge of the Tribulation Thunder, both operating the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture! 

"Have the people of the Eighteen Peaks gone mad? They are all cultivating in the midst of Tribulation Thunder?" 

"Madness! Under this level of Tribulation Thunder, an ordinary Golden Core Stage cultivator would be crushed by the pressure just from nearing the edge, yet they are even operating their cultivation techniques to absorb it?" 

In an instant, the entire sect was once again in an uproar, and crucially, they saw for themselves that both Yun Tianqiong and Ling Xi were standing firm in the Tribulation Thunder! 

The sect elders looked at each other, as they could sense that the bodies of the four, Master and disciples alike, were all getting stronger in the midst of the Tribulation Thunder! 

Especially Li Cheng, the power fluctuations radiating from his body were so intense they made one's scalp tingle. 

The mentor and three disciples absorbed the Tribulation Thunder together, a scene which made everyone forget about the Pill Tribulation. 

The Rising Yuan Pills were supposed to be the protagonists, right? 

But at this moment, everyone's focus was on the four of them. 

The third strike of Tribulation Thunder followed closely, and it couldn't avoid being affected by the Time Law. 

But this time, the accumulated thunderball was several times larger than the last one! 

Li Cheng, as always, absorbed it with all his might, but before the Tribulation Thunder even reached Yun Tianqiong and Ling Xi, their bodies had already been crushed by the immense pressure, skin split and bones shattered! 

This last bolt of Tribulation Thunder, far more powerful than the previous two, was a matter of life and death for them with their current physical strength and cultivation; it was simply impossible to absorb! 

And there was no time to change their positions, previously at the edge, now, as the thunderball grew, they were dangerously close to the center! 

Without a moment to spare, Li Cheng activated the Life Law to envelop the two and pushed them a thousand meters away. 

Their pressure dropped dramatically, and their injuries began to heal rapidly under the cover of the Life Law; whether they could afford to absorb any of the Tribulation Thunder, at least their lives were no longer in danger. 

Ling Xi bore the intense pain of her wounds healing rapidly, and within her moon-like eyes, shock emerged, "Isn't this power exactly what 1 need?" 

Ignoring her injuries, Ling Xi calmed her breathing and focused, sensing the Life Law enveloping her. 

Yun Tianqiong, unwilling to concede, stared at the Tribulation Thunder splattering amidst the pill group; gritting his teeth, he stepped out of the Life Law's range and drew a tiny thread of it into his body using the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture! 

Though he had only absorbed a minuscule strand of the Tribulation Thunder, its destructive power within him was terrifying! 

In an instant, Yun Tianqiong felt his veins shatter, and the remaining force of the Tribulation Thunder, which barely weakened, surged towards his Dantian! 

The Dantian is where the Golden Core resides; should it be damaged, one would be finished! 

Yet Yun Tianqiong exhibited no fear, seemingly pushing the essence of Fearless Sword Intent to its limit, allowing the Tribulation Thunder to rush into his Dantian. 

In the blink of an eye, the Golden Core was pulverized by the Tribulation Thunder, vanishing along with it! 

Li Cheng, who was in the midst of refining the Tribulation Thunder, sensed something and focused on Yun Tianqiong, clearly sensing that the guy was ruined! 

"Damn it, what the hell, you managed to cripple yourself with cultivation before becoming a disciple, and now you've destroyed your own Golden Core?" Li Cheng's brows furrowed. 

Ignorance breeds fearlessness; was Yun Tianqiong determined to demonstrate the meaning of this saying by putting it into action himself? 

With his veins shattered, Li Cheng could use alchemy to heal him, but if the Golden Core is gone, one would have to start cultivating all over again. 

That is, if he could survive! 

Li Cheng felt helpless; how did he end up with such a troublesome disciple? 

And it was his eldest disciple, at that! 

Such recklessness, what a disgrace! 

You call that fearlessness, but it's sheer ignorance. 

Just as Li Cheng was getting ready to save his life, an astonishing scene unfolded! 

Throughout heaven and earth, countless sword lights suddenly appeared, bringing with them a piercing momentum and an unstoppable Sword Intent, spreading throughout the Heavenly Mechanism Sect! In this moment, everyone's longswords trembled!

Chapter 62 Chaos Yuan Sword Body

The Heavenly Mechanism Sect was suddenly illuminated by countless sword glows, and everyone's longswords began to tremble! 

"What's happening? Why is my sword moving on its own, as if it's about to fly away?" 

"Then you'd better hold it down. Fortunately, 1 use a saber." 

Disciples of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect focused their attention, suppressing the anomaly in their longswords while casting uncertain glances around, utterly baffled about how these everywhere-visible sword glows suddenly appeared! 

"This is a manifestation of the Sword Path Rules. Looking at the source, it should be Yun Tianqiong!" Mu Xingzhi stated, sensing carefully. 

All the Elders nodded in agreement. At their level of cultivation, they could sense it very clearly. 

Whoosh… 

Without waiting for the higher-ups to discuss further, countless disciples witnessed their longswords, drawn by some force, uncontrollably soaring into the sky, following the sword glows, all heading towards the Eighteenth Peak! 

In an instant, the sky was overrun with countless longswords, like a floodgate released, converging upon the Eighteenth Peak! 

Yun Tianqiong's eyes were half-closed, his Golden Core had shattered, but the Sword Intent around him erupted without any sign of complete loss of cultivation. 

The flood of longswords and sword glows, with Yun Tianqiong at its center, swirled around him in flight. 

And those sword glows directly surged into Yun Tianqiong's body! 

Li Cheng could clearly sense that Yun Tianqiong's originally empty Dantian was now forming a longsword with the help of those sword glows! 

Before long, a palm-sized colored small sword was already hovering in his Dantian! 

"Nascent Sword!" 

Li Cheng was somewhat shocked, this guy, whose Golden Core was clearly destroyed, had instead seized the opportunity to shatter his Core and form the Nascent Soul, breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage! 

What was even more astonishing was that the Nascent Soul he condensed was not an ordinary one, but a Nascent Sword that contained a large amount of Sword Path Rules and special powers! 

Li Cheng could also sense that Yun Tianqiong's body was changing under the baptism of those sword glows and the Tribulation Thunder! 

"Chaos Yuan Sword Body!" 

What was once an ordinary Sword Body had now become a Chaos Yuan Sword Body! 

Without a doubt, his Nascent Sword was a Chaos Yuan Nascent Sword! 

This success undoubtedly owed much to the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture and even more to Yun Tianqiong's firm will. 

For such a disciple, Li Cheng was somewhat at a loss for words and continued to refine the Tribulation Thunder into his body. 

As for the Pill Tribulation, it was nearing its end, with the remnants of the annihilated Rising Yuan Pills' powers being absorbed by other Rising Yuan Pills. The air above the Eighteenth Peak was filled with the scent of pills and enveloped in colorful lights, signaling the birth of over six hundred Emperor Grade third-level Rising Yuan Pills. 

The third-level Rising Yuan Pills refined from these 110,000 portions of materials initially numbered around one million three to four hundred thousand. After surviving the tribulation, over six hundred thousand supreme quality ones remained! 

Less than half! 

But six hundred and twelve Emperor Grade and over twenty-four thousand King Grade pills – their value far exceeded those six hundred thousand supreme quality ones. 

These pills floated in the air, their scent and colorful radiance finally drawing everyone's gaze. 

The Seventh Elder's body trembled, his excitement beyond words, "This furnace… I… My heavens!" 

He was so excited that he couldn't even utter a complete sentence. 

The other higher-ups were equally thrilled. Not to mention anything else, their investments could earn back hundreds of times the amount with just this furnace! 

And to think, the higher-level Rising Yuan Pills hadn't even started to be refined yet! 

"Seventeenth Elder, your profit calculation might be off, right? Now that the pills are out, calculate it again!" the First Elder looked towards the Seventeenth Elder, not in jest, but rather eager to clarify the exact multiples of their profit. 

The Seventeenth Elder pondered for a long time before saying, "According to the market price of third-level Rising Yuan Pills, those of supreme quality alone have brought us nearly three hundred times profit, and it's impossible to estimate the value of King Grade and Emperor Grade as they've always been priceless." 

"Hehe, wasn't it supposed to be a hundred and sixty-eight times? Let's see you claim the title of arithmetic champion now." An Elder teased. 

The Seventeenth Elder rolled his eyes, "I quoted a lower multiplier to lower everyone's psychological expectations, and now that the profits far exceed everyone's expectations, aren't you all very happy? 1 was considering everyone's feelings!" 

Contemptuous glances shifted towards the Seventeenth Elder, saying everything without words. 

Mu Xingzhi's smile hadn't ceased, but now he stifled it, speaking seriously, "The junior uncle has spoken, take half the pills to exchange for materials, so the sect can only provide a hundredfold return to everyone!" 

Only a hundredfold? 

Everyone was momentarily stunned – such a return on investment, compared to the pills crafted by the junior uncle, was virtually a drop in the ocean! 

Seeing the crowd's expression turning sour, the Seventh Elder hastily said, "How can the Sect Master speak so casually?" 

The First Elder nodded too, "Indeed, Sect Master, that's a hundredfold profit we're talking about, and you say 'only'?" 

"Exactly, a hundredfold is quite satisfying for us!" 

"That's right, that's right, with such high profits, how can you describe it with the word 'only'?" 

Seeing that all the high-ranking officials were in agreement, Mu Xingzhi's eyes flickered with surprise, and then he nodded slightly, very good, everyone was not blinded by profit! 

After a while, Li Cheng refined the Tribulation Thunder, casually waved his hand, and collected the myriad Rising Yuan Pills into the Storage Ring, before shifting his gaze to Ling Xi. 

Ling Xi was sitting cross-legged in the air, perceiving the thirty-five Laws of Life enveloping her. 

With the aid of these Laws, hundreds of Rule Powers were already evolving around Ling Xi! 

Rules followed Laws, and each Law could evolve countless personalized Rules for different individuals. By the looks of Ling Xi's progress, she might glean tens of thousands of Rules from these thirty-five Laws! 

Thus, Li Cheng did not disturb Ling Xi, but casually set up a Formation to cover the area where she was, to prevent any disturbance. 

"Let's disperse for now, we'll continue with alchemy after my disciples awaken, which I estimate will take several days." Li Cheng communicated to the high-ranking officials through a transmission. 

Having benefited greatly from the refinement of the Tribulation Thunder, Li Cheng planned to spend a few days consolidating his gains. 

At this moment, his physical strength had nearly reached the level of an Immortal Artifact, but his body still only possessed traces of Immortal Yuan. Therefore, Li Cheng intended to spend some time refining Immortal Stones or Immortal Infants to convert as much True Yuan into Immortal Yuan as possible; only then could he advance the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture to its tenth layer. 

Eighteenth Peak returned to tranquility, with all three disciples busy consolidating their recent gains. After checking their condition, Li Cheng headed to the mountain peak, reassured. 

He believed that when his three disciples woke up, he would have accrued numerous counts of Enlightenment. 

At the summit, Li Cheng had initially planned to first perceive the Rules of the Sword Dao and Fist Path, but now he had changed his mind, he would first convert Immortal Yuan! 

With his current physical strength, he could completely withstand the influx of Immortal Qi into his body. Thus, Li Cheng took out a pile of Immortal Stones and began to absorb and refine them using the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture. 

"Master, why don't you use the Immortal Infant? That's the really good stuff!" the voice of the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod sounded. 

In these days, the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod could speak smoothly, a remarkable development. 

Li Cheng shook his head, "Immortal Infants contain Immortal Yuan that is extremely pure and vast. With my current capabilities, it's too strenuous to refine, so I'll start with the Immortal Stones." VịSit no(v)3lb/!n(.)c𝒐m for new 𝒏ov𝒆l𝒔

"Master, let me lend you a hand!" 

As the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod spoke, a torrent of Immortal Yuan suddenly erupted from within, rushing towards Li Cheng. 

"Oh? Is this the Immortal Yuan you've refined from the Immortal Infants?" Li Cheng's eyes lit up; the Immortal Yuan emitted from the tripod was even purer than that from the Immortal Infants. With minimal refining, it could become his own Immortal Yuan. 

This was much more convenient and faster than refining the Immortal Infants or Immortal Stones! 

"Yes, Master, my interior contains a Spirit Lock Array, which can hold a certain amount of Immortal Yuan. The Immortal Yuan from an Immortal Infant is too potent, I couldn't refine it in a short time, so I stored it," the tripod explained. Li Cheng's eyes sparkled, "Very good, very good.. I think it's time to further modify you!"

Chapter 63: Preparing for Tribulation Crossing

"Refine me?" the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod was bewildered. What did this mean? 

Had it not done something properly, causing its master to be angry? 

Li Cheng nodded, "That's right, with my mastery in formations and artifact refining…" 

As he spoke, Li Cheng suddenly stopped. Alright, he had never actually refined an artifact before. Starting directly with a semi-immortal artifact was too risky! 

The Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod had just gained the ability to speak; it would be a loss if it was disabled by a botched refinement. 

"With my skills, I just need to practice with a few other spiritual artifacts, and 1 can make you even more perfect!" Li Cheng continued. 

The Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod sighed in relief internally. That's how it was! 

About this, it had no doubts at all, for it knew its master had received the artifact refining inheritance from Qi Jingshen! 

That person was the number one in artifact refining in the Immortal World. Who could compare with his knowledge of the Artifact Way? 

"Let's delay it for a while. We'll do the refining after this batch of Rising Yuan Pills is finished!" Li Cheng said. 

Thus, Li Cheng was looking at a busy period ahead, gaining enlightenment in the Sword Path and Fist Path rules, transforming Immortal Yuan, going to the Artifact Sect to retrieve his master's artifact tripod, refining the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod, and so on. 

"I'm not in a hurry, Master. Give me another Immortal Infant, and I'll refine and provide Immortal Yuan for you," the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod said. It was unclear if it was truly unhurried or simply wanted Li Cheng to have more practice before attempting the refinement. T/his chapter is updat/𝓮d by n𝒐v(ê(l)biin.c/o/m

Li Cheng naturally wouldn't refuse, as with its help, the time needed for him to transform Immortal Yuan could be reduced several-fold! 

After giving it the Immortal Infant, a thought crossed Li Cheng's mind, "Right, since you can refine an Immortal Infant, you should be able to refine pills on your own, right?" 

He had this thought because he felt that since the tripod had Spiritual Wisdom, and it wasn't low at that, it should be able to refine pills autonomously. 

Back on Earth, even cars without Spiritual Wisdom could drive themselves; it should be the same principle for a pill tripod with Spiritual Wisdom to refine pills automatically, right? 

After all, the various formations inside the tripod were akin to the software in a car. 

"I can!" the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod said. 

Hearing this, Li Cheng knew there was more to it. 

"But on my own, I'm akin to an ordinary level eight Pill Master. The success rate isn't high, nor is the quality of the pills," the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod added. 

Li Cheng pondered and understood. The main issue was the True Fire. True Fire carrying the Rule of Fire could not be separated from his control. 

The next issue was the control itself. When the pill tripod worked, it could only rely on the formations within to manage the process, unlike how one could manipulate True Yuan and Spiritual Sense at will. 

No longer fixating on the idea of autonomous pill making, Li Cheng circulated the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture, fully refining the Immortal Yuan Power provided by the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod. 

Seven days passed, and Li Cheng had nearly refined the Immortal Yuan contained within one Immortal Infant, resulting in a mix of half True Yuan and half Immortal Yuan within his body. 

"Let's pause for now. All three disciples have exited their seclusion!" 

Li Cheng stood up, somewhat puzzled. Even for an early-stage Heavenly Immortal's Immortal Infant, the contained Immortal Yuan was incredibly formidable. Why could he only transform fifty percent of it? 

Was his Nascent Soul too powerful, or was the Immortal Infant severely depleted? 

Still unclear about the situation but not pursuing it further, Li Cheng knew that with six more Immortal Infants, he could definitely transform up to ninety-nine percent of his True Yuan into Immortal Yuan. 

As for a complete transformation into Immortal Yuan, that was impossible. Since he hadn't undergone Tribulation Crossing and hadn't experienced the cleansing of the Ascension Pool, no matter how hard he tried, a trace of True Yuan would always remain. 

[Disciple Yun Tianqiong has reached the inception of the Chaos Yuan Sword Body, and his Swordsmanship Accomplishment has greatly improved. Reward: 10 Enlightenment opportunities.] 

[Disciple Ling Xi has entered the Way of Life and comprehended a vast amount of Life Laws. Reward: 10 Enlightenment opportunities.] 

[Disciple Qi Jingtian has made some gains. Reward: 1 Enlightenment opportunity.] 

[Current remaining Enlightenment opportunities: 39.] 

No sooner had he risen to his feet than a notification echoed in his mind. 

XXX 

Li Cheng raised an eyebrow, "What the heck, has Qi Jingtian not been performing these past few days?" 

"It seems that his avatar isn't up to par, I need to find a way to make his real body take shape as soon as possible," Li Cheng thought to himself. 

Qi Jingtian, being a formidable demon of heaven and earth, should have been the strongest among the three disciples. However, due to his real body not having taken shape yet, the number of enlightenments he brought was the least. 

This wool is not easy to shear. 

Li Cheng's to-do list just got another item added: to help Qi Jingtian take shape as soon as possible. 

"Ling Xi, truly worthy of being from the Innate Spirit Clan, has managed to understand the Rule of Life from my Life Law, despite only being at the Golden Core Stage." 

She was indeed much stronger than Yun Tianqiong, who had received his Sword Path Rules through a fortuitous encounter. In contrast, Ling Xi gained her understanding through her own efforts. 

Of course, even though Yun Tianqiong was impetuous, he was not weak. With the Chaos Yuan Sword Body and Nascent Sword, along with the Sword Path Rules, his attack power within the same realm would certainly be invincible. 

Li Cheng suddenly realized, these three rascals, with Yun Tianqiong focusing on offense, Qi Jingtian on defense, and Ling Xi's Rule of Life for support, made up a perfect little team! 

"Once Qi Jingtian makes a bit of progress with his Array Path, I can rest assured and let them go out to gain experience," Li Cheng mused. 

"Continue with alchemy!" 

Li Cheng sent a telepathic message to Mu Xingzhi and then flew towards the mid-mountain. 

Soon, Mu Xingzhi and the seventh Elder arrived first, with the rest of the upper echelons having received the news and now rushing over. 

"Junior Uncle, you finally came out from closed-door cultivation!" the seventh Elder said, rubbing his hands together excitedly. 

"Keep calm," said Li Cheng offhandedly, as he began to organize his storage ring. 

Mu Xingzhi cast a glance at the seventh Elder and stepped forward, "Junior Uncle, numerous people from major powers have come over these past seven days, almost all of them seeking an audience with you!" 

Li Cheng nodded slightly, "As you know, I'm not interested." 

"Indeed, so I sent them all away," Mu Xingzhi said with a smile. 

Li Cheng looked at Mu Xingzhi, "Say whatever else you wish to say, it's not like you to beat around the bush." 

Mu Xingzhi gave a sheepish grin, "Junior Uncle's perception is penetrating indeed! The thing is, the Hundred Sects Conference has been brought forward!" 

Li Cheng was speechless, "What does the Hundred Sects Conference have to do with me? Haven't I never attended before? That means I'm not interested, right?" 

Mu Xingzhi shrugged, "Before, Junior Uncle didn't have disciples, and the rewards weren't tempting either, but now it's different." 

With that, Mu Xingzhi looked towards Yun Tianqiong and company, "With the abilities of these three, they will surely shine at the Hundred Sects Conference and secure the qualifications to enter the Immortal Mansion!" 

"Oh? An Immortal Mansion has appeared? So the Hundred Sects Conference has been brought forward?" Li Cheng said with a smile. 

Mu Xingzhi nodded, "Junior Uncle truly has a penetrating perception, spotting the issue at once!" 

Li Cheng gave Mu Xingzhi an exasperated glance, "Flattery will get you nowhere, and as the Sect Master, you shouldn't indulge in such behavior." 

Mu Xingzhi became speechless, then chuckled awkwardly, "The event is two months from now, why don't we all go and have a look together then?" 

Li Cheng pondered. In two months' time, the three disciples should have made significant progress. He had just been thinking it was time for them to descend the mountain for training, and now the opportunity had presented itself. 

"Junior Uncle, all the reputable powers from the Southern Domain will be participating in the event; it's going to be quite lively. Furthermore, the Artifact Sect will surely bring their Artifact Tripod to show off," Mu Xingzhi hastily added, as if afraid that Li Cheng would disagree. 

Li Cheng's brow twitched, "Then we must go; 1 want to see with what face the Artifact Sect flaunts my master's Immortal Artifact!" 

Changing the subject, Li Cheng continued, "I'll continue with alchemy for now. Sect Master, please prepare a few Spiritual Artifacts for me, I'll need them later." 

Oh? All the high-level officials who had just arrived lit up.. Junior Uncle asked for a few Spiritual Artifacts—could it be that he's preparing for Tribulation Crossing?

Chapter 64 My Strongest Skill is Artifact Refining!!

The higher-ups of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect all revealed looks of hope, "The protege uncle must be asking for spiritual artifacts, the greatest possibility is that he is preparing to cross the Tribulation!" 

Whenever a cultivator crosses the Tribulation, they would prepare several defensive spiritual artifacts to help themselves withstand the Tribulation Thunder. 

Now that the protege uncle is asking for spiritual artifacts, aside from preparing for the Tribulation, what else could it be for? 

In an instant, everyone was overjoyed, they had finally waited for this day! 

Mu Xingzhi suppressed the joy in his heart and asked, "Protege uncle, do you need defensive-type spiritual artifacts?" 

Li Cheng pondered, then said offhandedly, "A tripod would be best." 

A tripod? 

Mu Xingzhi and the others exchanged looks, and the First Elder hurriedly said, "Sect Master, a tripod can also be used for defense." 

With this statement, everyone understood; indeed, like the protege uncle's Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod, it could transform into something immensely large! 

Such a large tripod, overturned in mid-air, could instantly withstand a massive amount of Tribulation Thunder! 

The protege uncle is truly clever! 

In the past, powerful sect members who crossed the Tribulation relied on battle armors, but now it seems, the defensive capability of battle armors may not compare to that of tripods! 

"It looks like, the protege uncle is really preparing to cross the Tribulation!" an elder whispered, his voice filled with joy. 

Mu Xingzhi pondered, aside from using it for Tribulation Crossing, he really couldn't think of any other reason the protege uncle would need a spiritual artifact, especially a tripod-type spiritual artifact. 

It seems, the protege uncle is truly intending to cross the Tribulation! 

Having this thought, Mu Xingzhi nodded firmly, "Rest assured, protege uncle, we will make sure you are satisfied." 

Li Cheng was busy preparing materials and did not notice the others' whispering. He nodded slightly, "Anything will do." 

He was simply looking for a few spiritual artifacts to modify, as practice, and didn't need to care about the quality. 

Why use modification as practice? 

Because modifying spiritual artifacts is even more difficult than crafting new ones, and this is how one demonstrates their skill and hones their technique. 

For a completed spiritual artifact, tugging on one thing affects everything; the difficulty of modifying it far exceeds that of crafting a new one. Without a high level of expertise, how could it be possible to modify? 

Moreover, these are spiritual artifacts crafted by others, not himself. 

If he were to modify artifacts he had crafted himself, it would naturally be much easier. 

"I've nearly eighty thousand sets of materials for the fourth-grade Rising Yuan Pill, and due to its high grade, the Pill Tribulation it attracts will certainly exceed that of the previous third-grade Rising Yuan Pili. So I'll need the Sect Master to keep an eye out for me and prevent people from getting close to the Eighteenth Peak, to avoid disaster!" 

Having sorted out the medicinal herbs, Li Cheng spoke up. 

Seven days ago, when refining the third-grade Rising Yuan Pills, although there were over one hundred and ten thousand sets, the grade was only third-grade. Now he was refining fourth-grade, and the Pill Tribulation would naturally be stronger. 

Last time, so many people witnessed Yun Tianqiong and two others using the Tribulation Thunder for cultivation with their Golden Core Stage cultivation bases, it was likely that many people had been tempted to emulate the trio's strategy. 

But without a doubt, outsiders didn't possess the Chaos Yuan Heavenly Scripture or the trio's robust physiques; if they approached the Tribulation Thunder, they would surely die! 

Mu Xingzhi and the others nodded solemnly. Even without Li Cheng's instructions , they knew what to do. 

The alchemy began, and for the next five days, Li Cheng only refined one batch per day, spending the rest of the time refining Tribulation Thunder and Immortal Yuan Power. 

Having completed the refining of the eighth-grade Rising Yuan Pill, Li Cheng had already capitalized on the situation to master ten Thunder laws, greatly enhancing his body, spiritual sense, and Immortal Yuan. 

His body's strength was now comparable to an Immortal Artifact, he had transformed sixty percent of his Immortal Yuan, and when he released his spiritual sense, he could cover a radius of ten thousand ii. 

These enhancements were related to the more than twenty days of continuous enlightenment experienced last time, as well as the six times he refined his body with Tribulation Thunder. All in all, this alchemy session brought abundant rewards. 

Li Cheng kept ten Emperor Grade pills of each Rising Yuan Pill for himself, giving two to each disciple, with four remaining in his possession for any unexpected needs. 

"Protege uncle, you've truly worked hard!" 

As the eighth-grade Rising Yuan Pills were finished, Mu Xingzhi and the others flew forward to salute him. 

Li Cheng nodded, "It s a minor matter, please proceed with the arrangements as I've said before, Sect Master." 

Mu Xingzhi nodded, "Junior Uncle, rest assured, even if we keep only half, the overall strength of our sect will still undergo a qualitative improvement," he said. 

As he spoke, Mu Xingzhi flipped his hand, and five Pill Tripods appeared beside him! 

"Junior Uncle, these are the Spiritual Artifacts you asked for. Are you satisfied with them?" Mu Xingzhi said with a smile. 

Li Cheng scanned the five top-grade Spiritual Artifacts level Pill Tripods, his expression gradually becoming one of astonishment, "Does our sect have so many top-grade Spiritual Artifacts level Pill Tripods?" 

The smile on Mu Xingzhi's face did not diminish as he shook his head, "Of course not, three of them were purchased from the Hundred Calamities Commerce Union these past few days." 

Li Cheng's mouth twitched, "Using top-grade Spiritual Artifacts as practice material is a bit extravagant, isn't it?" 

Hmm? 

Mu Xingzhi was taken aback, "Modifying them?" 

They're not meant for Tribulation Crossing? 

The higher-ups were also stunned. Junior Uncle wanted Spiritual Artifacts, just to modify them? 

Was he modifying them for fun? 

Once a Spiritual Artifact is formed, modifying it would require highly advanced Artifact Refining Technique. 

Junior Uncle is already proficient in Alchemy Dao and Array Path, could it be he's also skilled in Artifact Way? 

This… was highly doubtful! 

Mu Xingzhi's expression turned bitter, "Junior Uncle, your Pill Skill is unparalleled, and your formations are surely beyond the reach of many. Isn't that enough? Do you still want to dabble in Artifact Refining?" 

"Isn't that great? If my Pill Artifact Arrays could all reach an extremely high standard, it would be a good thing for the sect. Why are you… why are you all looking so troubled?" Li Cheng asked, puzzled. 

Lhe others could only offer a bitter smile. Of course, they couldn't be happy because they were all hoping for Junior Uncle to ascend soon! 

Now that your Alchemy Dao and Array Path have successors, if you were to ascend, not to mention the sect receiving a baptism of Immortal Qi, more importantly, it would break the embarrassing plight of no one from the Heavenly Mechanism Sect ascending for tens of thousands of years. 

Moreover, your reputation is currently at its peak. An earlier ascent would greatly boost rhe reputation of the Heavenly Mechanism Sect! 

But you… are actually interested in studying Artifact Refining? 

The others looked dismayed, but those words were hard to voice out loud. 

"Actually, my Alchemy Dao and Array Path can only be considered average, my true strength lies in Artifact Refining!" Li Cheng added. 

The group remained silent. Great, Alchemy and Array Paths are almost unmatched, yet deemed average? Ne/w novel chapt𝒆rs are p/u/blished on no/vel(/bin(.)c/o/m

Just keep boasting, boast boldly, go ahead and boast all you want! 

Anyway, the ascension has been postponed once again. 

Really incomprehensible, you've already been at the Complete stage of the Transcendence Tribulation Stage for so long, why not ascend, what exactly are you aiming to do? 

As for Artifact Refining… just do whatever you like. 

All the others could do was hope that Junior Uncle would soon have his fill and then ascend early. 

Seeing no response, Li Cheng shrugged his shoulders. Honestly, everyone seemed unwilling to believe him. 

Well, if he could successfully modify these five Pill Tripods, then there wouldn't be any pressure in working on the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod. 

Without delay, Li Cheng grabbed a Pill Tripod, and as his Spiritual Sense swept over it, he had already formulated a modification plan. 

Li Cheng's idea was to strengthen the Spirit Lock Array in the Purple Void Jade Emperor's Tripod, and to carve out even larger space within the array to store Immortal Yuan. 

In this way, in the future, he could fully refine the Immortal Infant and Immortal Stone, and store the Immortal Yuan Power for his own refining process. 

But to achieve this, he needed to practice first. 

The Pill Tripod in front of him also had a Spirit Lock Array engraved on the inside, making it perfectly suitable for practice. 

If he failed, the worst outcome would be the destruction of a top-grade Spiritual Artifact Pill Tripod. 

Such a loss was trivial for the current Heavenly Mechanism Sect..