48: Tianjizi, a demon has been born!

By the mountain stream, only Chu Xuanjin remained.

The surrounding world seemed to have quieted down.

"It's peaceful."

He stretched, and with a slight thought, brought up the System panel.

It was time to take stock of his Disciples' foundations.

[Personal Disciple: Ye Chenfeng]

[Cultivation: Nascent Soul Middle Stage]

[Cultivation Technique: divine rank "Chaos Sword Scripture"]

[Martial Skill: Profound Rank "Wind Chasing Sword Art" (Major Achievement)]

[Divine Ability: One Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate (Initiate), Great Void Sword Qi (Initiate)]

[Evaluation: Sword Heart is clear, killing intent is nascent. It still requires hundreds of battles to forge truly supreme sharpness.]

...[Personal Disciple: Su Linger]

[Cultivation: Golden Core Early Stage]

[Cultivation Technique: divine rank "Supreme Ice Soul Divine Canon"]

[Magic Art: Profound Rank "Ice Seal Art" (Major Achievement)]

[Divine Ability: Nine Nether Profound Ice Realm (Initiate)]

[Evaluation: Dao Heart gradually merging, cold Qi returning to the heart. The Mortal World's mundane life is her best Cultivation.]

...[Personal Disciple: Wang Duojin]

[Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Late Stage]

[Cultivation Technique: divine rank "Celestial Bodies Array Scripture"]

[Array Interpretation: Earth Rank "Myriad Transformation Array Core" (Initiate)]

[Evaluation: God of Wealth in place, Array Dao naturally formed. All things can be arrays, all matters can be calculated. This child's future is limitless.]

...[Personal Disciple: Zhao Wuyou]

[Cultivation: Nascent Soul Great Perfection]

[Cultivation Technique: divine rank "Archaic Dragon God Scripture" (Not initiated)]

[Divine Ability: Dragon God Transformation (Not initiated)]

[Evaluation: Divine Dragon Awakening, Dragon returning to the vast sea. Slaughter and battle are the fastest ways for it to grow.]

Chu Xuanjin looked at these four luxurious panels and nodded in satisfaction.

This experience in the Mortal World, in just half a year, saw the growth of his Disciples far exceed his expectations.

His own Cultivation, due to his Disciples' several Breakthroughs and the generous rewards from taking in Zhao Wuyou and Zhao Wuji, steadily stood at the threshold of Void Refining Great Perfection.

He was just one step away from the legendary Body Integration Realm.

Also, his fourth Disciple Zhao Wuyou, although he had just passed on the Archaic Dragon God Scripture to him, had completely stabilized his Nascent Soul Great Perfection Realm, which he had broken through to during his Awakening, in three months. After Cultivating the divine Cultivation Technique, fighting above his Realm would not be an issue.

"No rush."

He murmured to himself.

"Cultivation is like brewing tea; when the time is right, success will come naturally."

He stood up and brushed the grass clippings from his clothes.

His Disciples had their own battlefields; as their Revered Master, he should also continue his own "experience."

He distinguished the direction, still heading west, walking unhurriedly... A month later.

In the Western Border of the Eastern Barrens, a frontier city named "Qinghe."

This city was not large, but due to its location at the junction of several Dynasties, it was quite prosperous with merchants and travelers coming and going.

Chu Xuanjin spent several hundred taels of silver in the quietest South Street of the city, buying a three-courtyard residence.

The courtyard had a well, trees, and a stone table, which suited him perfectly.

The first thing he did after settling down was to go to the best teahouse in the city to listen to stories.

The teahouse was named "Baiweiju" and business was booming.

Chu Xuanjin chose an elegant seat by the window on the second floor, ordered a pot of the local famous "Biluochun" tea, and a few delicate pastries.

Leaning against the window, he watched the bustling crowd downstairs and listened to the conversations of the tea guests at the next table, feeling quite at ease.

"Have you heard? Something happened in the east again!"

At the next table, two mercenaries with long sabers on their backs and weathered faces lowered their voices, their expressions unable to hide their shock.

"What? Did another Sect start fighting?"

"Even more sinister than a Sect fight!" The mercenary gulped down some tea and whispered.

"The Li Family of Heishui Town, all seventy-three members, died overnight!"

"All dead?"

"Indeed! I had a brother who went to the scene with the officials. It was a gruesome sight!"

He shivered, as if recalling some terrifying image.

"Everyone looked like they had their blood sucked dry, turned into desiccated corpses! Even the chickens and dogs in the courtyard were not spared!"

The other mercenary's face turned pale upon hearing this.

"This... what kind of evil Cultivator did this?"

"Who knows! The officials investigated for a long time and found nothing. They only knew that the Li Family had made an enemy a couple of days ago."

"Let me tell you, this isn't over!" The mercenary's voice dropped even lower.

"Not just Heishui Town, but several towns further east, near Luoyun Town, have experienced similar massacres! The manner of death is exactly the same!"

"Even... even a few remote small villages, the entire village population died overnight!"

"Hiss—"

Gasps of cold air rose and fell in the corner of the teahouse.

The originally noisy teahouse quieted down considerably because of these few sentences.

Chu Xuanjin's hand, holding the teacup, paused in mid-air.

Luoyun Town.

The Chen Family.

That Trash young Revered Master who was Possessed.

Several words connected in his mind.

He frowned slightly.

He had thought it was just an insignificant local drama.

A remnant soul, blinded by resentment, Possessed a young man with a poor Heart-Nature.

Even if there was revenge, at most it would just turn the Xu Family and the Yanxia Sect upside down.

But he hadn't expected.

This Devil Head actually wielded his butcher's knife against innocent Mortals.

"How... disappointing."

He put down his teacup, his leisurely mood significantly diluted by this bloody scent.

It was like admiring a beautiful landscape painting, only to find a glaring bird dropping in the corner of the painting.

Not fatal, but disgusting.

"Fellow Daoist, drinking tea alone?"

Just then, a gentle voice sounded from beside him.

Chu Xuanjin looked up.

He saw an old man, dressed in a moon-white Daoist robe, holding a whisk, with a lean face and an air of immortal grace, standing by his table at some unknown point.

Behind the old man followed a small Daoist boy with twin buns, looking like a carved jade figurine.

The Daoist boy was about seven or eight years old, with a pair of round, dark eyes curiously observing Chu Xuanjin.

Chu Xuanjin's gaze swept over the old man.

Late Soul Transformation Stage.

His aura was smooth, and his dao rhyme was restrained, clearly following the path of the Righteous Path's Xuanmen.

"Something wrong?" he asked indifferently.

"Hehe, nothing."

The old man smiled and, making himself at home, sat opposite Chu Xuanjin.

"I was just curious, seeing that Fellow Daoist has an extraordinary demeanor and is enjoying tea alone."

He pointed to the small Daoist boy.

"This is my unworthy Disciple, Qingfeng."

He then pointed to himself.

"This poor Daoist is a Wandering Recluse, my Daoist title is Heavenly Secret Master."

Chu Xuanjin's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Heavenly Secret Master?

This Daoist title was not something just anyone dared to use.

"Fellow Daoist, are you from the east?" Heavenly Secret Master poured himself a cup of tea, asking casually.

"What if I am?"

"Hehe, then Fellow Daoist must have heard that things haven't been peaceful in the east recently."

Heavenly Secret Master sighed, a compassionate look on his face.

"A Devil Head has appeared, causing widespread suffering. This poor Daoist and my Disciple are here for this very matter."

He looked at Chu Xuanjin.

"Fellow Daoist's Cultivation is profound; what are your thoughts on this matter?"