"Have you heard? Tianlan Sect killed a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator from the Lingbao Auction House and even hung his corpse out for display."
"I heard about it too. Every day, disciples of Tianlan Sect are even urinating on that pillar."
"Tsk tsk, the disciples of Tianlan Sect are so full of themselves. I really envy them. I want to join Tianlan Sect too."
"You better not. Tianlan Sect can only be arrogant for a short while. Before long, they'll probably be exterminated."
"Right, the Lingbao Auction House isn't a force from Qi State. I heard the Lingbao Auction House has many true Nascent Soul experts. Even if that Xu Yang old ancestor is a Nascent Soul cultivator, what does that matter? Two fists can't defeat four hands."
All the teahouses and taverns in Qi State were discussing the recent sensation caused by Tianlan Sect.
...
Zhang Shuangtian listened with a dark expression as his subordinates relayed the information. His face went from dark to cold.
Liu Sanlong was dead!
Liu Sanlong was not just his subordinate; he was his brother.
This time, he had sent Liu Sanlong out to see when Xu Yang would return to Tianlan Sect.
But he never expected that Liu Sanlong would never return!
He had stolen his Fang Tian sword, killed Zhao Long, and now his brother was dead! How could he swallow this anger?
He couldn't help but want to fly to Tianlan Sect and personally battle Xu Yang to the death.
But he held back. Xu Yang's true strength still hadn't been fully assessed.
As an old fox, how could he risk his life?
"Zhao Long has a brother who joined the Elder's faction of the Moyi Sect years ago. Now he's at the Nascent Soul stage. Why not send him to the field!?"
A flash of light appeared in Zhang Shuangtian's eyes, and he immediately sent a sword-communicated message to Zhao Long's brother, Zhao Bai, informing him of Zhao Long's death.
Then he issued a bounty order, calling on all cultivators to kill Xu Yang. Anyone who killed Xu Yang would be generously rewarded with precious treasures by the Lingbao Auction House.
....
At Tianlan Sect, Xu Yang was meditating when suddenly, Ling Qingshu hurried over and said, "Xu old ancestor, something's happened!"
Xu Yang slowly opened his eyes and saw Ling Qingshu looking anxious, holding a white piece of paper in her hand.
The paper fluttered in the wind, and Xu Yang could vaguely make out his portrait on it.
"Why are you so flustered? What's happened?" Xu Yang asked.
Ling Qingshu handed the bounty order to Xu Yang and said, "Ancestor, look at this, all the cultivators in Qi State have seen it!"
Xu Yang took the paper and glanced at it. At the top, there was a vivid portrait of him, looking just like a real person, with a line of text written underneath.
Xu Yang chuckled. This was the Lingbao Auction House's bounty order for his head.
"They want to hunt me? Ridiculous. Even if the whole world turns against me, so what?"
A spark of fire flashed in Xu Yang's hand, and with a sizzling sound, the bounty order turned to ashes.
Ling Qingshu asked with some concern, "Old Ancestor, are you alright?"
"With me here, what could happen? Even if all the cultivators in the world come at me, I won't be afraid," Xu Yang replied calmly.
His words were plain and unremarkable, without any heroic tone, as if he were talking about something as simple as eating porridge tomorrow morning.
Ling Qingshu smiled upon hearing this.
Yes, she had been too nervous earlier. As long as the Ancestor was here, who could do anything to Tianlan Sect?
"Yes, Ancestor, I understand," Ling Qingshu said softly, lowering her head.
Xu Yang nodded but felt that Ling Qingshu's cultivation was still at the Golden Core stage, and she hadn't gone through enough trials yet. Her perspective was still limited.
"By the way, is there only you in Tianlan Sect with the Golden Core cultivation?" Xu Yang asked.
"Yes, all the other disciples are at the Foundation Establishment stage," Ling Qingshu replied, nodding.
Xu Yang frowned. The strength of a sect wasn't determined by the power of just one or two individuals but by the strength of the entire sect.
He planned to lead Tianlan Sect back to its peak in the future, and a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators wouldn't be enough.
"Go and pick out a dozen or so loyal and well-behaved people. I'll help them break through to the Golden Core stage."
"By the way, cultivation level and talent don't matter. Only two things are important: good character and loyalty to Tianlan Sect. Do you understand?" Xu Yang said.
He had harvested a lot of spiritual herbs during his trip to the secret land, and if he refined them into pills, he could help a dozen or so people break through to the Golden Core stage.
Ling Qingshu was stunned. Pick a dozen people and help them all reach the Golden Core stage?
It sounded too easy!
For a cultivator to reach the Golden Core stage, both talent and luck were required, and the chances of success were minuscule. Having one Golden Core cultivator in a sect made it a major sect.
But Xu Yang casually said he would help dozens of disciples break through to the Golden Core stage.
She almost wondered if she had heard wrong.
...
After leaving the sect matters to Ling Qingshu, Xu Yang entered his room.
With a swish, a pile of spiritual herbs flew out of the alchemy furnace and fell to the ground.
These were herbs he had gathered in the secret land. Ten thousand years ago, any one of them would have been a treasure beyond measure.
But today, they had become mere weeds.
He took out the Ice Soul Snow Lotus he had gathered last time and threw it into the alchemy furnace.
Soon, a snow-white pill emerged from the furnace, releasing a cloud of mist and filling the room with a pleasant fragrance.
"Breakthrough Pill, it can help a Golden Core cultivator reach the Half-step Nascent Soul stage," Xu Yang said, nodding in satisfaction.
This one was for Ling Qingshu.
Xu Yang continued refining, and the day passed.
Just as Xu Yang was about to complete the last pill, suddenly, a man's cursing voice came from outside, followed by the sounds of fighting.
Boom...
Two figures crashed into the room, landing directly in the alchemy furnace.
The pill inside the furnace, which was about to be finished, was shattered into thin layers like dumpling wrappers.
Xu Yang turned pale.
It had been tens of thousands of years, and he had never failed in alchemy.
But today, this happened...
"You are Xu Yang, the little brat? So you were hiding here..."
At that moment, a harsh, arrogant voice entered Xu Yang's ears.
Xu Yang looked up and saw a delicate-looking man in white robes, holding a folding fan, slowly walking into the room.
The black-and-white folding fan was adorned with the flamboyant characters "天下无双" (Unrivaled in the World).
Looking down, Xu Yang saw two people lying on the ground: Ling Qingshu and Fang Yan.
Ling Qingshu was covered in wounds, her white dress stained red with blood. Her face had a horrific scar, almost disfiguring her delicate features!
Fang Yan wasn't much better, his face covered in dirt, his clothes tattered, looking miserable—nowhere near the handsome, wealthy young master he once was.
Clearly, Ling Qingshu and Fang Yan had fought this white-robed youth but had been defeated.
"You won't answer? If you don't, I'll take it as your consent! Die!"
Suddenly, a cold killing intent locked onto Xu Yang.
The white-robed man's folding fan transformed into a dagger and shot towards Xu Yang with extreme speed! The air itself seemed to tear apart with a booming explosion.
"Nine Yin Stab!"
The white-robed man chuckled darkly, and his cultivation burst forth, revealing his Nascent Soul stage power!