127: Hehehe

One year later.

Inside a valley within the Qingming Mountain Range.

A rocking chair creaked rhythmically, like some ancient heartbeat.

Chu Xuanjin lay upon it, covered by a thin blanket, his breathing steady as he slept soundly.

Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled spots of light upon him.

Xuan Yi stood as still as a statue beside the jade marrow ginseng not far away.

Over the past year, he had not moved an inch.

His mission was to guard this place.

To guard this Immortal Medicine that was about to reach full maturity, and to guard the man who was currently sleeping.

During this year, earth-shaking changes had occurred in the Hundred Thousand Barren Mountains.

The Heavenly Saber Pavilion, once the overlord, had now become the most diligent of labor contractors.

Severe Punishment Heaven personally led his team, integrating all the powers in this region with thunderous methods.

Those who refused to submit either had their cultivation crippled and were thrown into mine pits, or they simply vanished from the face of the earth.

Every Sect and every Family received a formal notice from "Myriad Dao Real Estate Co., Ltd."

The content of the notice was very simple.

We have bought this land.

You are now tenants.

Every month, ninety percent of your profits must be handed over on time, or you can get lost.

Initially, there were naturally countless people who refused to comply.

But under the blood-stained butcher's knife of the Heavenly Saber Pavilion, all defiance turned into obedience.

And so, on the first of every month.

Severe Punishment Heaven would personally bring a mountain of Storage Rings and respectfully come to this valley to hand over the "rent" to Xuan Yi, who would then pass it to that... Sect Master who seemingly could never wake up.

"Sigh."

Looking at Chu Xuanjin on the rocking chair, Xuan Yi felt the same sentiment for the three thousand six hundred and fiftieth time.

Just what kind of existence was the Sect Master?

He clearly possessed the great power to destroy stars with a wave of his hand, yet he had a particular soft spot for sleeping.

He couldn't understand it.

But he knew his mission was to carry out orders... Inside the Myriad Dao Divine Mountain.

On the Martial Arts Field, Sword Qi crisscrossed and Daoist techniques roared.

Ye Chenfeng sat cross-legged atop a high platform, his eyes slightly closed.

He did not speak, but an invisible Sword Intent spread out, enveloping the tens of thousands of Disciples practicing their swordsmanship below.

Every movement of every Disciple, every flow of Sword Qi, was within his perception.

"Zhang San, your sword strike was slow by zero point one breaths; lower your wrist by three inches."

"Li Si, your Sword Intent is unstable; you have distracting thoughts in your heart."

"Wang Wu, yours isn't called 'Gale Style', it's called 'Old Man Pushing a Cart', do it again!"

His voice was not loud, yet it entered the ears of every Disciple clearly.

Every Disciple who was called out tightened their expression and hurriedly adjusted.

During this year, the Disciples who had ascended, like Ye Chenfeng, became the strictest instructors in the Sect.

They enjoyed the resources of the Immortal Realm, and their cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds; they were now all in the Late Stage or even Perfection of the Earth Immortal Realm.

At the same time, they passed on their experiences and insights from the Immortal Realm to their Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters in the Lower Realm without reservation.

The Sect's strength expanded frantically, like a rolling snowball.

Inside the Scripture Repository.

Bai Jinnian was speaking animatedly to a group of newly joined Disciples, explaining the "Guide to Identifying and Cooking Immortal Realm Yao Beasts."

"...Everyone, look at this scale in my hand. This is the reverse scale of a 'Fire Cloud Qilin', an Earth Immortal rank Yao Beast. Its meat is firm and rich in fire elemental power. It's especially suitable for teppanyaki. With cumin and chili powder, the taste is simply divine!"

"Senior Brother Bai! When will we be able to eat it?" a Disciple asked, salivating.

"Wait until you ascend, and I'll take you to catch some!" Bai Jinnian promised, patting his chest.

On the other side, in the Sect Master's Treasury.

Wang Duojin sat with his legs crossed, talking non-stop into a communication Jade Slip.

"Hello? Is this the Holy Lord of the Northern Plains Sacred Land? Yes, yes, it's me, Wang Duojin!"

"How have you considered that batch of 'Immortal Dew' I mentioned last time?"

"What? Too expensive? Holy Lord, this is a treasure from the Immortal Realm! A single drop can make an Old Ancestor stuck at a Bottleneck take off on the spot! I'm only giving you this friendship price because of the relationship between our two houses!"

"Fine, fine, think about it some more. But let me tell you, there are only three bottles left in this batch. The Divine Sand Gate of the Western Desert has already reserved two. If you hesitate any longer, they'll really be gone!"

Hanging up the communication, Wang Duojin tossed a spirit fruit into his mouth and curled his lip disdainfully.

The so-called "Immortal Dew" was merely a bucket of Immortal Spring water that Chu Xuanjin had casually tossed down to water the jade marrow ginseng, which he had diluted ten thousand times.

Even so, it had caused the top powers of the entire Azure Cloud Continent to fight tooth and nail for it.

"Sigh, making money is just so simple, unadorned, and boring."

Wang Duojin looked up at the ceiling of the treasury at a forty-five-degree angle, feeling that life was truly as lonely as snow... Heavenly Saber Pavilion, Hundred Thousand Barren Mountains.

Inside the discussion hall, the atmosphere was as oppressive as the sea before a storm.

Severe Punishment Heaven sat in the main seat, his face as dark as water.

Below him, the high-level members of the Heavenly Saber Pavilion were as quiet as cicadas in winter.

Just now, they had received a message from their superior Sect, the Purple Cloud Sacred Land.

The Sacred Land was sending an Inspector.

"What was bound to come has finally arrived."

Severe Punishment Heaven rubbed his temples, feeling a splitting headache.

This past year, the Heavenly Saber Pavilion had frantically squeezed the entire Hundred Thousand Barren Mountains, handing over ninety percent of the proceeds.

How could such a massive mobilization of resources be hidden from the Purple Cloud Sacred Land?

"Grand Elder, what... what should we do?" an Elder asked with a trembling voice.

"Will that Senior... take action?"

Severe Punishment Heaven gave a bitter smile.

Recalling the lazy appearance of that young man, he had no confidence in his heart.

That master was too lazy to even collect rent himself; would he bother to arm-wrestle with the Purple Cloud Sacred Land over their trivial matters?

"Let's leave it to fate."

Severe Punishment Heaven waved his hand, his voice full of exhaustion.

"Pass down the order: prepare the highest specifications to welcome the Inspector."

Three days later.

A brilliant flash of purple lightning tore through the clouds above the Heavenly Saber Pavilion.

A magnificent flying ship forged from thunder and immortal gold slowly descended.

Standing upon the flying ship was a young man wearing a purple-gold Daoist robe, his expression cold and stern, with lightning flickering in his eyes.

The aura radiating from him was as vast as an abyss; he was actually an Early Stage Golden Immortal expert!

"Severe Punishment Heaven of the Heavenly Saber Pavilion respectfully welcomes the Thunder Envoy!"

Severe Punishment Heaven and all the Elders knelt on the ground, their posture humble to the extreme.

The young man known as the "Thunder Envoy" was named Thousand Jun of Thunder, one of the Personal Disciples of the Purple Cloud Sacred Land's Sacred Lord.

He stepped off the flying ship, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the crowd below.

"Severe Punishment Heaven."

Thousand Jun of Thunder's voice carried no emotion.

"The Sacred Land ordered you to guard the Hundred Thousand Barren Mountains. Is this how you guard them?"

"This place is filled with resentment, and its Spiritual Veins are exhausted. Of the Sects under your rule, not even one in ten remains."

"Do you confess your guilt?"

Severe Punishment Heaven's body shook violently, and cold sweat instantly drenched his back.

"Thunder Envoy, please appease your anger! This subordinate... this subordinate has difficulties!"

"Difficulties?" Thousand Jun of Thunder sneered.

"Speak."

Severe Punishment Heaven did not dare to hide anything and recounted everything that had happened a year ago, point by point, in full detail.

When he heard about "a newly ascended youth," "a Clone," and "catching a High Grade Immortal Artifact with two fingers and crushing it."

For the first time, a look of interest appeared on Thousand Jun of Thunder's face.

"Oh? Such a thing actually happened?"

"Where is this person now?"

"He is... he is in the Qingming Mountain Range to the east," Severe Punishment Heaven said tremblingly.

A cruel arc curled at the corner of Thousand Jun of Thunder's mouth.

"Interesting."

"This Envoy would like to see just what kind of sacred being dares to collect rent on the territory of my Purple Cloud Sacred Land."

He ignored Severe Punishment Heaven, and with a movement of his body, he turned into a bolt of lightning and shot towards the Qingming Mountain Range.

"Come, let's go see."

He left behind those words, and the thunderous flying ship carrying the guard he had brought followed closely behind him.

Severe Punishment Heaven watched them depart, his expression shifting uncertainly before finally turning into a long sigh... Outside the valley in the Qingming Mountain Range.

Thousand Jun of Thunder's figure appeared out of thin air.

He looked at the seemingly ordinary valley before him, his brow furrowing slightly.

His Divine Thought was actually blocked by a soft yet resilient power.

"Playing tricks."

He snorted coldly, his gaze falling upon a crooked wooden sign at the valley entrance.

[Private Territory. Trespassers will die.]

The handwriting was sloppy and perfunctory, like a three-year-old's graffiti.

Thousand Jun of Thunder laughed.

As a Golden Immortal of the dignified Purple Cloud Sacred Land, when had he ever faced such provocation?

He raised his hand, lightning condensing at his fingertip, intending to shatter this ridiculous Formation and wooden sign with a single finger.

Just then.

Two figures quietly emerged from the valley entrance.

It was Xuan Er and Xuan San.

"Halt, visitor," Xuan Er's voice remained cold.

"This is the place of quiet cultivation for the Myriad Dao Divine Sect. Leave at once."

"Myriad Dao Divine Sect?" Thousand Jun of Thunder raised an eyebrow.

"Never heard of it."

"Two Early-stage True Immortal watchdogs dare to block this Envoy's path?"

A flash of disdain crossed his eyes, and he flicked his finger.

A slender purple electric snake instantly pierced through the void, shooting towards Xuan Er and Xuan San!

Although he didn't use his full strength in this strike, it was enough to instantly severely wound an ordinary True Immortal!

Xuan Er and Xuan San's expressions changed, and they immediately formed a battle array to resist together.

"Boom!"

A muffled sound erupted.

The two of them simultaneously spat out a mouthful of blood, their bodies flying backward and slamming heavily against the valley's barrier.

"Utterly weak."

Thousand Jun of Thunder shook his head, preparing to step into the valley.

Suddenly.

An indescribable drowsiness that even made his Divine Soul freeze swept through his mind without warning.

The world before his eyes began to blur and distort.

He felt as if he were being dragged into an endless, warm, dark abyss.

"Who... is waking me up from my sleep?"

A lazy voice, carrying a heavy dose of morning grumpiness, drifted out from the depths of the valley.

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